Most World Cup boots based on Arkema’s Pebax
20/05/2015
In 1981, the chemical industry faced a shortage of plasticizing additives - molecules added to materials to improve performance - prompting Arkema’s researchers to create Pebax, a thermoplastic elastomer.
Its properties - flexibility, elasticity and energy return, resistance to fatigue, impact and tear resistance - can be modulated by altering the ratio between polyamide and polyether.
Nike, Puma, The North Face and Mizuno have adopted Pebax resin for soccer and rugby boots, running and tennis shoes and hiking boots.
Arkema said: “More than half of the players in the 2014 World Cup were equipped with Pebax-soled boots, celebrated for their combination of elasticity, lighter weight and strength. This polyvalent elastomer is also used in the manufacture of ski boot shells for major brands like Scarpa, Dynafit, Scott and Fischer, where its properties are all the more appreciated because they remain unaffected by very low temperatures.”
The French group took €7.5 billion in revenue in 2014, and employs 19,000 in over 50 countries.
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