The right raw material solution for functional and durable textile coatings

UEFA EURO 2012 - Soccer ball

The “Tango 12” European Championship ball in
front of National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland: The players find the ball easier to control thanks to a
new ball surface that feels similar to denim.
Source: adidas

Polyurethanes improve the ball control properties of the European championship “Tango 12” soccer ball.

The properties of soccer balls have improved continuously since synthetic materials were first used in ball technology. The outer shell of the Tango 12 consists of a total of five polyurethane layers based on raw materials from our Impranil® product line. These layers provide for optimal contact with the player’s foot and for very good control in all weather conditions. On top of this is a syntactic foam layer, roughly one millimeter thick, made up of millions of gas-filled cells. The ball therefore quickly regains its spherical shape after being kicked, ensuring optimal flight.

The ball is finished off with three compact polyurethane layers of various thicknesses. They make the surface highly resistant to external factors and abrasion, but also highly elastic, ensuring the ball retains its unique appearance over the long term. The individual panels of the ball shell are bonded together using patented Thermal Bonding Technology and thus absorb essentially no moisture. As a result, the ball is no more than 0.1 percent heavier even in heavy rain and is almost completely waterproof. A raw material development from Bayer MaterialScience is used here, too – the thermoactivated adhesive is based on a waterborne polyurethane dispersion from the Dispercoll® U product line.

Not only did the ball deliver impressive results in comprehensive laboratory tests, it also impressed both amateurs and professionals in eight countries who played with it during a year long test phase. Never before has a soccer ball been subjected to such exhaustive testing. The ball’s name and design are every bit as traditional as its insides are modern. The Tango debuted at the 1978 World Championship in Argentina, and its successors provided for plenty of goals at subsequent championships in the 1980s.

Sports wear

Athletes are very demanding when it comes to their equipment and sportswear. Fabrics treated with Impraperm® offer good protection from wind and weather but transfer humidity away from the body very quickly. In addition, they show excellent durability and good appearance of the finished product even after being laundered many times.

To a large degree achievements in sports depend on good equipment. It might be an athletic shoe that goes the extra mile while staying light and comfortable, a soccer ball that is extremely “round” and hardly picks up any water – that is, it always has the same weight – all these features are critical contributions that often make the difference between success and defeat.

Artificial Leather

When it comes to luxury interior design there is no better material than leather. Is there anything that equals its comfort, appearance, haptics and durability? Artificial leather based on polyurethanes of the Impranil® High Solids range and/or Impranil® dispersions come very close to the optics and haptical nature of leather, but offer even better characteristics in terms of longevity and resistance compared to real leather.

Upholstery

The production of furniture upholstery requires raw materials which meet high standards of comfort, esthetics and durability in order to withstand the effects of intensive use year after year. Impranil® and Impraperm® based textile coatings satisfy the highest requirements and leave maximum freedom of design. These polyurethanes are offered as dispersions, solutions, high solids and granules.

Footwear

For the "Green Shoe Concept" we developed a shoe based on environmentally friendly raw materials like Impranil® that can be formulated without the use of any organic solvents. Some of these raw materials originate from renewable resources already.

Fashion - Nothing is as stable as change

When buying fashion products like shoes, jackets or bags consumers appreciate appearance, convenience and durability in the first place. The raw materials for these fashion items are usually not that important to them. But they are with them: polyurethane raw materials like Impranil® and Impraperm® are key to quality, function and appearance while keeping maximum freedom of design. Give your fashion articles a special something!

Protective Clothing

In many cases the safety of protective clothing is of vital importance. Think of the clothing of fire men, the protective clothing of the personnel in medical laboratories, or any situation, where technical requirements necessitate special clothing. The development of polyurethane systems for special applications requires extensive expertise and good knowledge of the particular requirements.

Conveyor belt and Transmission belts
A high solid content, flexibility and good resistance to abrasion and various chemical substances are certainly the main requirements for coatings on conveyor belts and transmission belts. Our polyurethane dispersions like Impranil® DLU or our raw materials of the Impranil® HS range fullfill these requirements in an excellent manner.

Other applications: