With the World Cup in Russia, various exciting moments have attracted a lot of attention around the world, including the sports equipment at the foot of the players - sports shoes. Major brand suppliers have made great efforts in the design of shoes in order to compete for world dominance, especially It is the continuous optimization of the training shoes materials, which inevitably affects the development of material technology.
In the design of sports shoes, there is an important part, that is, the sole. For a pair of sports shoes, the material and design of the sole is equivalent to the technical content of the pair of sports shoes. If you are a sports shoe Technical control, we must know this sole material - polymer polyurethane synthetic material. This kind of material is commonly referred to as PU, TPU material, often used in basketball, tennis shoes midsole, can also be directly used in casual shoes outsole.
Recently, Lubrizol Corporation introduced a new type of TPU material for sports and leisure, and presented a lightweight footwear design at the new product launch, giving the footwear design high performance while also meeting sustainability and The need for automation level solutions.
It is understood that Lubrizol is focused on developing sustainable replacement materials and hopes to improve performance by improving materials to cope with changing consumer trends. Estane TRX and BounCell-X are a new type of engineered polymer with a unique range of material properties. Used to replace traditional thermoset rubber. For example, the Estane series of TPU products are between elastic rubber and rigid plastic. There are many physical and functional combinations, and the moldings and composites can be superimposed, so the Estane TRX TPU is For the outsole.
At the same time, Lubrizol uses BounCell-X nitrogen-filled TPU foam technology to provide cushioning foam on the soles of training shoes. Together with 3D printing technology, the single material of the sole provides a variety of performance advantages such as density, support and cushioning. The use of Estane TPU and 3D printing technology expands the design space and allows suppliers to mass produce.
In addition, Lubrizol's new fiber technology brings a different sense of design to the comfortable stretch of the shoe and the texture innovation. Moreover, with the new adhesive and adhesive film technology, the entire design uses less material and components. Simplify processing and assembly steps, reduce waste and make better use of recyclable materials. All of this effort will bring Lubrizol's production closer to consumers and achieve corporate development goals.
Today, materials technology is developing rapidly. Polyurethane materials are easier to process in the gap than epoxy resins, and their properties are stronger than polyester fibers. Especially for composites such as new polyurethanes used in footwear production, compared with unsaturated polyester resins. Its processing ability and performance are excellent.
Not long ago, Mondial Suole of Italy selected Dow's Enerlyte polyurethane elastomer to make the sole of its iTen series. Since the company's shoes are aimed at the sports shoes market, the material is based on its soft touch and durability. In addition, the composition and form of this material not only enables the supplier to develop a comfortable and high-performance sole, but also the material of the sole is water-foamed, making it more environmentally friendly than other sole materials.
The choice of material for the foam of the shoe is greatly related to whether the product can meet the customer's performance requirements, such as the balance between comfort, durability, elasticity, light weight and cost. The midsole made of new polyester material, It can make shoes lighter, with excellent resilience, durability and softness. For example, Adidas Energy Boost foam running shoes are designed to be highly elastic, providing better comfort and performance.
As a raw material supplier, Dow is also interested in the growing footwear market in addition to its interest in the industrial and construction adhesives sector. Its research and development based on footwear materials such as 'INFUSE OBCs' has the ability to compare with EVA, etc. Conventional materials have more obvious advantages and improvements. Currently, Dow Chemical is actively focusing on the field of composite materials.