News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
28 June 2016
CONTACT
Simone Richter
Tel: + 49 (0) 541 914 1207
Email: [email protected]
HUNTSMAN DISCUSSES CROSSOVER OF TPUs FROM EVERYDAY CONSUMER
ITEMS TO NEW INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
Chemical company explains that pace of innovation for sports and leisure goods crosses over to other sectors
Dusseldorf, Germany – The speed of material innovation needed to satisfy footwear, leisure equipment and apparel
manufacturers is helping to drive forward the use of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) in new industrial applications –
that was the message from the team at Huntsman, who were speaking at the K2016 preview in Dusseldorf on Tuesday
28 June.
Huntsman is a leading developer of TPU and operates across a variety of industrial and consumer markets. In the sports,
leisure and apparel sector, Huntsman works closely with some of the world’s best-known brands, developing novel
thermoplastic materials with specific processing and performance properties.
At K2016 in October, Huntsman’s TPU team will focus on the benefits that its products and systems can bring to the
design and manufacture of everyday items – from consumer goods to highly specialized industrial applications that help
to keep the world’s population active, healthy, mobile and connected. During the K2016 preview, Huntsman discussed
how continuous innovation in the sports, leisure and apparel sector is driving forward the development of materials that
ultimately find application elsewhere. Citing specific examples, Huntsman explained that:






A selection of transparent, UV stable TPUs – originally developed for the footwear sector – are now being used in
the food industry to create conveyor belts that have to be resistant to UV light, which is often used to clean them
Super soft, elastic TPUs, used to create water bladders and inflatables for the sports equipment market, are now
being used to create a new generation of smart clothing, embedded with electronics
The growing market for high energy return TPUs, which put an extra spring in sports shoes, will create new
opportunities outside of the footwear industry – for example in resilient flooring applications and in car seating
systems, where there is a need for thin, lightweight materials that are uncompromisingly comfortable
TPUs with anti-static properties – typically employed in the production of safety shoes – are now being used to
create industrial hoses for the transportation of powders or sensitive materials such as color pigments, which can
sometimes stick
The hardwearing characteristics of abrasion resistant TPUs – used in football boots – are being harnessed in the
manufacture of heavy duty construction equipment such as whacker plates, which flatten out road and pavement
surfaces
The use of TPUs in the 3D printing of custom-made shoes is now growing beyond the footwear industry into other
application areas where there is a need for functional parts with specific performance properties.
Commenting, Craig Roberts, Marketing Manager Europe TPU at Huntsman, said: “At Huntsman, whenever we develop a
new material, we think about the bigger picture; about challenges in other sectors; and if the materials we’ve developed –
and their performance properties – might be transferable. Taking TPU materials, developed for the sports, leisure and
News Release
apparel sector – where innovation is frequent and rapid – and adapting them for other applications, can be hugely
beneficial.”
“At Huntsman, we pride ourselves on using lateral thinking and our knowledge of the material requirements of specifiers
in different market sectors, to maximize the value of our TPU technologies. There are few materials that are as versatile
as TPU, a fact which is underpinned by the countless examples of this innovative material cutting across different
industries.”
Visit Huntsman at K2016 in Hall 5 at stand number: A 05.
(ends)
© Copyright 2016. Huntsman Corporation or an affiliate thereof. All rights reserved.
About Huntsman:
Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated chemicals with 2015 revenues of
approximately $10 billion. Our chemical products number in the thousands and are sold worldwide to manufacturers serving a broad
and diverse range of consumer and industrial end markets. We operate more than 100 manufacturing and R&D facilities in
approximately 30 countries and employ approximately 15,000 associates within our 5 distinct business divisions. For more information
about Huntsman, please visit the company's website at www.huntsman.com.
Social Media:
Twitter: twitter.com/Huntsman_Corp
Facebook: www.facebook.com/huntsmancorp
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/huntsman
Forward-Looking Statements:
Statements in this release that are not historical are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's current
beliefs and expectations. The forward-looking statements in this release are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances and
involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the company's operations, markets, products, services, prices and other factors as
discussed in the Huntsman companies' filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Significant risks and uncertainties may
relate to, but are not limited to, financial, economic, competitive, environmental, political, legal, regulatory and technological factors. The
company assumes no obligation to provide revisions to any forward-looking statements should circumstances change, except as
otherwise required by applicable laws.