HIGH WEAR COMFORT, LONG SERVICE LIFE

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HIGH WEAR COMFORT, LONG SERVICE LIFE
19 April 2006 - Bayer MaterialScience AG

Safety boots have protected many a foot from injury, but towards the end of a long working day, the weight of the boots tends to affect the well-being of the wearer. With the aim of making safety boots lighter, Bayer MaterialScience AG has now developed a new density-reduced polyurethane ester system called Bayflex Safety Lightweight, which, depending on the construction of the sole, enables shoe manufacturers to produce safety boots that weigh up to 30 percent less than before.

Not only does the system reduce the density of the rugged sole material to 350 kg/m3, manufacturers also benefit from all the advantages that polyurethanes have to offer in the production of midsoles. For example, the lightweight safety boots can also be manufactured by the economical direct molding method.

“Despite its lightness, the innovative material naturally has all the qualities you would expect of materials used to make safety boots,” says Hassan Wardani, a shoe expert in the Polyurethanes Business Unit at Bayer MaterialScience. With its high mechanical strength and excellent resistance to tear propagation and swelling in aggressive media, Bayflex Safety Lightweight protects the midsole from damage under tough environmental conditions and gives the foot permanent protection. The sole can also be given an antistatic treatment for work in electromagnetically sensitive rooms.

The new lightweight material also performs impressively in terms of its durability: “Flexural strength and high dimensional stability are retained over long periods of constant, rough use,” says Hassan Wardani. To ensure the necessary abrasion resistance, shoe producers combine the light polyurethane midsole with a rugged outer sole.

Wearers of safety boots with soles made of Bayflex Safety Lightweight appreciate not only the lightness of the material but also its outstanding wear comfort. Midsoles made of this foam have outstanding damping properties and, because of its high resilience, retain them over a long period. The material's balanced energy absorption and transfer characteristics support the natural flexing action of the foot and ensure fatigue-free walking.

The comfort and lightness of safety boots produced with Bayer's innovative product can significantly improve the overall performance of the workforce. For manufacturers of these shoes, this is an important sales argument in a highly competitive market.

http://www.bayermaterialscience.com

About: Bayer MaterialScience AG
Bayer Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is part of the worldwide Bayer Group, an international health care, nutrition and innovative materials group based in Leverkusen, Germany. Bayer employs 23,300 in North America with net North American sales of 8.8 billion euros in 2003. Bayer’s three operating business areas – HealthCare, CropScience and MaterialScience, improve people’s lives through a broad range of essential products that help diagnose and treat diseases, protect crops and advance automobile safety and durability.

Bayer MaterialScience AG is one of the world's largest producers of polymers and high-performance plastics. The main customers for Its innovative developments in coatings, adhesives, insulating materials and sealants, polycarbonates and polyurethanes are the automotive and construction industries, the electrical/electronics segment and manufacturers of sports and leisure goods, packaging, and medical devices.

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