Huntsman Set For Success At K2016 With Line Up Of TPUs For Sports Applications

OSNABRUCK, Germany — October 13, 2016 — Sports clothing and equipment manufacturers attending K2016 next week should visit Huntsman’s stand, where the business will launch a brand new thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) for the highly competitive sports footwear market.

The new ultra lightweight, high cushioning, 100-percent recyclable material will be unveiled on the first day of K2016. With tunable rebound properties this special TPU can be used to create soling systems with improved energy return — a highly desirable trait in sports footwear, particularly running shoes.

During K2016, Huntsman’s latest material innovation will be promoted alongside other specialist IROGRAN® and AVALON® TPU grades, which are renowned for improving the comfort, performance and durability of sports clothing, footwear and equipment.

Huntsman’s TPUs are widely used in the manufacture of sports and leisure goods, helping fitness enthusiasts lead an active, healthy life, and professional athletes train and perform at world-class events. Elastic, durable, and easy to color and print on, they can be injection molded to create a variety of items from specialist soles and inserts for running shoes, to tactile, soft touch, wearable, electronic fitness trackers. Equally, TPUs are ideal for extruding to create protective films for skis, snow and wakeboard surfaces; water bladders for hydration packs; and lightweight stretchable fabrics for athletic clothing.

Specific grades available for the manufacture of sports and leisure goods include:

  • AVALON® 95 AHT TPU – commonly used in the creation of soling systems for soccer shoes where a high degree of transparency and UV protection is desired
  • IROGRAN® A 60 E 4902 TPU – a long standing product that is proving increasingly popular in the lamination of fabrics for garments such as running and cycling tops where excellent adhesion, elastic properties and a soft feel are important
  • IROGRAN® A 85 E 4993 TPU – an incredibly durable TPU that can be used by sports equipment manufacturers to create belting systems for treadmills

AVALON® 85 AE TPU – a flexible, soft touch material that can be used to make wearable fitness trackers, which are comfortable to wear while working out.

Dr. Anja Weismann, Global Technology & Innovation Manager at Huntsman said: “Whether you work out in a gym, keep fit outdoors, or just like wearing sports clothing because it is comfortable, you probably come into regular contact with some form of TPU. The versatility of this material makes it incredibly popular across a range of sectors, including the sports and leisure market, where form and function are closely intertwined, and where materials must look good but must also be high performing. All of our TPUs for this specialist market are designed with those requirements in mind and we look forward to discussing potential projects with existing and new customers at K2016.”

Posted October 13, 2016

Source: Huntsman Corp.

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