Drucken plastics 01_04 _E_dp - BASF Plastics Portal

Dear Readers,
Soon we will once again see the ecstasy
of victory and the agony of defeat. The
TV will be on non-stop when the whistle
is blown to mark the beginning of the
European Soccer Championships in Portugal
or when the Olympic torch burns
brightly above Athens. In this issue of
“plastics”, we would like to whet your
appetite for these major events but in
particular, we want to kindle your interest
in being active. “plastics” had a look
around the world of sports and discovered
that plastics have not only replaced
traditional materials, but have also paved
the way for new and trendy types of
sports to break through. This is where
we find people like Titus Dittmann, who
has become synonymous with skateboarding.
Entrepreneur of the Year in
2001, he gives us a glimpse backstage
and makes one point very clear: plastics
get his world rolling. But we also have
other topics in store to leave you clamoring
for more. Such as the extrusion
products BASF took over from
Honeywell that are now part of a uniform
global product portfolio.
Enjoy your reading.
The Editors
plastics inside
Title 4
resistance in sportswear, abrasion resistance
for wheels all the way to impact and
scratch resistance for skis and snowboards.
When it comes to function, plastics have
long since replaced leather, rubber, textile
and wood in sports gear.
Shoes – a
high-tech product
Although doing sports does wonders for
the body, the feet sometimes pay the price.
This is where special plastics such as Elastollan
® – a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)
made by the BASF subsidiary Elastrogran –
come to the rescue. This material can be
found in soles and toe caps as well as in
the reinforcing and damping elements of
high-quality sports shoes. This TPU is more
flexible, sturdy and durable than most other
plastics. What
ther-
Holding firm, that is
the crux. Ski manufacturers
need
extremely scratchresistant
and UVstable
plastics for
the surface of their
skis and snowboards.
moplastic polyurethanes have to be able to
withstand can be seen in the testing labs of
major manufacturers such as adidas and
Nike. There, to test its flexibility at low temperatures,
a sole is bent to an angle of 90°
40,000 times at a temperature of 20°C
[minus 4°F], explains Martin Vallo, customer
representative for TPU shoe applications.
The objective here is to prevent the soles
from breaking during use or the material
from cracking too soon. In fact, the good
old sneakers have become high-tech products,
comprising up to 31 different construction
elements. “Using the right material
is decisive for a successful product,” says
Vallo. Even though the annual sales volume
of sports shoes has stagnated at about 800
million pairs, companies like Nike introduce
between 60 and 80 models into the
market every year. Elastogran’s
opportunity lies in responding
to these trends. Thus,
the annual TPU sales in this
segment have actually increased
by 15 per cent since manufacturers
like TPU’s property profile and are increasingly
turning to this product to replace other
plastics. “When it comes to the further
development of TPU for new applications
and functions, we are first choice throughout
the world,” maintains Vallo, not without
pride. However, it is not only a matter of
supplying the TPU, explains Vallo. A global
presence is also needed. The major
manufacturers produce their shoes
primarily at assembly plants in