04 | 2010

Application News
Soccer Ball for Africa
Pebax ® Rnew, a bio-sourced elastomer produced by
Arkema, France has been selected by Sony for a new original
soccer ball. “We set ourselves the challenge to create a ball
for the African children. The result is a brand new, highly
durable football made from a super-tough, bioplastic
material,” says the Sony website, spefically dedicated to
this project, “We gave the ball a name - ‘Join the Team!’,
that reflects our vision of children chasing their dreams and
sharing the joys of football with their friends.” The ball was
specifically developed for donation to children in Africa.
In many African countries, including Republic of South
Africa, where just recently the Spanish team won the
2010 FIFA World Cup and for which Sony was an official
sponsor, soccer is often being played in very demanding
conditions, which shortens durability of the balls.
Wishing the children to play soccer as long as possible,
Sony has leveraged its expertise in material research to
make ‘Join the Team!’, a unique soccer ball built to endure
Africa’s rugged terrains, in which Pebax Rnew is used. This
high durability thermoplastic elastomer, is partially made
from a non-edible renewable resource, castor oil, which
contributes to reduce global warming. This ball features
a dual layered surface, one of them being in Pebax Rnew,
which brings 1.6 times higher durability than conventional
soccer balls.
The footballs were and will be distributed by NGOs -
UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) and JICA
(Japan International Cooperation Agency) - during and after
the 2010 World Cup. This football donation program is part
of a wider project called ‘Earth FC’ which aims to draw the
attention of the international community to the major health
challenges facing Africa, e.g. the spread of AIDS. MT
www.sony.net/earthfc
www.arkema.com
Golf Players
Feed Fish
The Spanish golf ball supplier Albus Golf S.L. has
developed a ball that is – according to the company
– 100% biodegradable and non-toxic. The Spanish
have just launched the so-called Ecobioball to allow
players to play near water without littering the lakes
etc. on the course, and to play golf close to aquatic
environments (sea, ocean, rivers, lakes and ponds).
Once the balls hit the water they biodegrade in
less than 48 hours, says Albus Golf. In less than 24
hours their external water-soluble synthetic polymer
coating starts to open and between 36 and 48 hours
the internal core, comprising 100% fish food, is
released into the water. The material used for the shell
is manufactured from non-contaminating materials
such as PVA, and is certified as a biodegradable by
LGAI Technological Center according to OECD 301D.
Tests also confirm non-toxicity to fish and daphnia.
Ecobioball has the same physical appearance as any
other golf ball with a weight of 50.5 grams ± 1.5 grams
and a diameter of 42.8 mm ± 1 mm. Where short irons
are used the distance achieved can be the same as
with a normal ball, while long irons may achieve up
to 70-80% of the usual distance, and woods can drive
up to 60-70% of the usual distance. In any case, the
purpose of the biodegradable golf ball is not so much
to obtain the maximum driving distance but rather
to have the opportunity to practise close to marine
environments without polluting them, and to bring
added value to such environments. The single-use
product opens up the possibility of practising golf on,
for instance, cruise ships, beaches, seafront hotels
and resorts and helps beginners when trying to get
past the water hazards.
Albert Buscato, CEO of Albus Golf, thinks that it is,
of course, going to be a while before something like
this makes its way into championship golf. But since
it is a single-use ball, the cost will be considerably
lower than the average golf ball. BSL
www.albusgolf.com
28 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/10] Vol. 5