BASF Martin Vallo Presentation

News Release

K 2013 Trade press conference

June 25 and 26 in Ludwigshafen, Germany

As stretchy as rubber but also light and springy

Infinergy: BASF develops the first expanded TPU

Presentation by

Martin Vallo

Sales Elastollan Footwear

BASF Polyurethanes GmbH

and

Gerd Manz

Senior Innovation Director Global Brands

adidas AG

June 25, 2013 P 301/13e Evelyn Naudorf Phone: +49 (0)621 60 42223 [email protected]

BASF SE D-67056 Ludwigshafen Phone: +49 621 60-0 http://www.basf.com/ Communications Performance Materials Phone: +49 621 60-22142 Fax: +49 621 60-49497 http://www.plasticsportal.net

P 301/13e In plastics research, there are various ways of developing innovative

and potentially successful new materials. Additives help to give familiar

substances new properties, while mixing polymers can lead to some

interesting blends. Sometimes progress comes from using processing

techniques that were previously reserved for other materials: when it

came to the latest addition to the BASF foam plastics family, the

company's technological expertise in particle foams was combined with

its experience with thermoplastic polyurethanes.

The result is the world's first expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (E-

TPU), which BASF is now marketing under the name Infinergy™. The

first product making use of this entirely new, closed-cell particle foam

went on the market recently: the new "Energy Boost" running shoe from

adidas, which the sportswear manufacturer has developed in close

partnership with BASF. This means that BASF is now able to boast a

broad portfolio of particle foams, from rigid foam (EPS) to soft and

stretchy foam plastic (E-TPU).

Materials expertise + processing know-how = innovation

To produce Infinergy, the well-established BASF thermoplastic

polyurethane (Elastollan®) is expanded at the Ludwigshafen

headquarters, using an innovative procedure. In the process the

benefits of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) are retained, but to these

are added the typical properties of foams.

Being a particle foam, Infinergy has a low bulk weight, with a density of

about 110 kilograms per cubic meter, and, after processing on standard

molding machines, a molded part weight of between 200 and 320

kilogram per cubic meter. That puts the new foam somewhere between

expanded polystyrene (EPS) or polypropylene (EPP), which are

generally lighter, and the heavier elastomeric polyurethane foams.

Thanks to its closed-cell structure, Infinergy also absorbs little water,

P 301/13e less than two percent by volume in 24 hours. Like the TPU on which it is

based, it is also characterized by very high breaking elongation

(between 100 and 150 percent depending on the density), tensile

strength (approx. 600 kilopascals) and abrasion resistance, combined

with good chemical resistance.

Good recovery behavior is retained - in heat and cold

One of the main features of Infinergy is its excellent recovery behavior

which is due partly to the closed-cell structure of the foam. This makes

it the most elastic particle foam currently available on the market. Tests

of the resilience elasticity under ISO 8307 (the ball rebound test) and

under DIN 53512 (using a pre-set pendulum hammer) show that the

rebound height for E-TPU can be as much as about 55 percent. This is

therefore significantly higher than other particle foams like EPS (less

than 20 percent) or EPP (30 percent).

Infinergy does not lose its excellent resilience even when under a

continuous load: during a high-frequency fatigue test using dynamic

loads at five cycles per second and a constant pressure of 250

kilopascals, the material performed about 75 percent better than EPE.

After 40,000 load cycles, the thickness of the test piece of E-TPU was

still 37 millimeters (starting figure: 40 millimeters), whereas the EPE

remained permanently compressed and the thickness of the test piece

was reduced to about nine millimeters. This means that Infinergy

returns almost all the energy that is applied to it.

Furthermore, Infinergy – unlike other foams – also remains highly

elastic and soft over a wide temperature range: dynamic mechanical

analysis has shown that, even in extremely low temperatures of minus

20 degrees Celsius, Infinergy is still very soft and stretchy and does not

go stiff.

P 301/13e Many processing options - many possible areas of application

With the help of crack splitting and pressure filling, Infinergy can be

processed on the same molding machines as expanded polypropylene

(EPP). In a number of stages, the pre-foamed particles are pressed

together under hot steam and bonded together. In addition, because

polyurethane binders adhere so well to Infinergy, other processing

techniques are possible such as gluing and foam sealing of the

particles. This procedure enables large-scale processing.

Infinergy can be used anywhere where customers require a

combination of low weight, excellent mechanical properties and good

durability across a wide temperature range - for example in the sports

sector or for technical applications in logistics. Possible uses include

floors for sports halls, bicycle inner tubes and upholstery. Infinergy

could also replace rubber as a cushioning element, anywhere where a

low-weight material is needed.

Boosting the energy and comfort of runners

When you talk to runners, they always express a need for "good

cushioning". In running shoes, this is the function of the midsole: in just

a few milliseconds, it absorbs the kinetic energy generated by the

runner as the foot lands - and returns some of it to the runner while the

foot is pressed down. High elasticity and deformability in the material

that is used will increase the efficiency with which this happens.

Previously, however, runners had to choose between wearing hard,

elastic competition shoes or very soft training shoes offering a lot of

cushioning. In less than three years, by working together, adidas and

BASF have succeeded in resolving this dilemma. In a close partnership,

the two companies developed the adidas BOOST™ technology – the

world's first application of the Infinergy material.

P 301/13e The outstanding running characteristics of the new Energy Boost

running shoes are due mainly to the combination of softness and high

elasticity in the midsole. During the materials testing in the adidas

laboratory, the forces and deformation that occur during running were

simulated on test machines in order to calculate the wear and the

energy return. To guarantee maximum performance in all seasons and

all climate zones, the shoes were tested across a temperature range

from -20 to +40°C.

In tests in the biomechanics laboratory, the adidas product developers

tested the stability of the running shoes and the effect of the products

on the performance of athletes, using the VO2max test which measures

the maximal oxygen uptake by an athlete. The comfort, durability and

how they felt to wear were tested by working directly with runners at all

levels of ability. For example, among others, marathon world record-

holder Patrick Makau was involved in the development of the Boost

running shoes.

These tests showed the BOOST™ technology to be superior in many

ways when compared with the ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) cushioning

systems that are predominantly used in the industry. No other midsole

on the market generates more rebound (energy return). Compared with

EVA, BOOST™ shows three times better temperature resistance in its

deformation behavior – less hardening in the cold and less softening at

high temperatures. Its durability under cyclical dynamic loading is also

significantly better than with EVA cushioning systems.

However, what nearly all the runners who tested the Energy Boost

shoes highlighted above all was the very special feeling produced by

the shoe when they were running. Test runners at adidas found it to be

innovative and inspiring.

P 301/13e Making the energy visible in the design

The huge importance of the new BOOST™ technology is underlined by

the striking design of this product range. A bright yellow line around the

white material highlights its characteristic cellular structure and makes

the energy and the potential of it clear to see. The sole is made up of a

total of about 2500 small beads and is really eye-catching.

In Germany there are around ten million runners who in 2011 spent

some 400 million euros on approximately six million pairs of running

shoes. With its Energy Boost, adidas was able to celebrate one of the

most successful market launches for a running shoe in the history of the

company. Since February, adidas has sold about a quarter of a million

pairs of the innovative shoes worldwide. The specialist press is full of

praise: for example, the shoe was voted "Best Debut" by the world's

leading running magazine, Runner’s World: "The Energy Boost is the

best the running shoe industry has to offer. It performed better than any

of the almost 800 other shoes we tested," wrote Runner’s World. Top

athlete Dennis Kimetto even set a new track record in the Tokyo

Marathon wearing Boost shoes.

www.infinergy.basf.com

Information on Infinergy: [email protected]

Press photo at:

www.basf.com/pressphoto-database under category “plastics”, search term “Infinergy”

or also at BASF’s plastics press archive: www.basf.de/plastics/pressreleases

About adidas

The adidas Group is one of the world's leading manufacturers of sports equipment,

with a wide range of products sold under brand names such as adidas, TaylorMade,

Rockport and Reebok. The adidas Group is based in Herzogenaurach (Germany); it

employs over 46,000 people and had a turnover of about 14.9 billion euros in 2012.

P 301/13e About BASF

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio

ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products

to oil and gas. We combine economic success with environmental protection and

social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in

nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products

and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving

quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We

create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of €72.1 billion in 2012 and

more than 110,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on

the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further

information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

P 301/13e

Photo: BASF/adidas, 2013

BASF presents “Infinergy”, the world's first expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (E-

TPU). This closed-cell particle foam shows an excellent resilience and an especially high

durability over a wide temperature range. Other characteristics of the new foam are high

abrasion and chemical resistance plus high tear strength. This means that BASF is now

able to boast a broad portfolio of particle foams, from rigid foam (EPS) to soft and

stretchy foam plastic (E-TPU).

The first product making use of this innovative material is the new Energy Boost running

shoe from adidas, which the German sportswear manufacturer has developed in close

partnership with BASF. The midsole consisting of the new E-TPU with its combination of

softness and high elasticity is responsible for the outstanding running characteristics of

the Energy Boost running shoes. Their rebound is the highest of all available running

shoes and remains stable even at low temperatures of minus 20°C (68 °F).

InfinergyTM: BASF developsthe first expanded TPU As stretchy as rubber but also light and springy

Martin ValloElastollan FootwearBASF Polyurethanes GmbH

Gerd ManzSenior Innovation Director Global Brands adidas AG

0

Made easy:The first expanded TPU worldwide

Electron microscope E-TPU

Competence in materials

Elastollan® (TPU)

Processing know-how

Innovative expansion process

Innovation

InfinergyTM (E-TPU)

1

InfinergyTM combines properties of foams and TPU

Properties Origin

Low density Foams in general

Low water Closed-cell absorption structure

High breaking elonga- TPUtion, tensile strength and abrasion resistance

Good chemicalresistance

Elasticity over a widetemperature range

Excellent recovery Combinationbehavior under a TPU + Expansioncontinuous load

2

Good resilience due to closed-cell structure

3

Drop height: 50 cmBalll: Ø 16 mm / 16,3 g

Density:30 kg/m³ respectively 265 kg/m³ (E-TPU)

19

30

55

EPS EPP E-TPUInfinergy

Ball rebound test according to ISO 8307

Rebound height of E-TPU: about 55%

100 100

22

93

Elastic even under continuous load and over wide temperature range

High-frequency fatigue test

Dynamic loads of 250 kPaand 5 cycles / second

Thickness of the test piece after 40,000 cycles:EPE: 22% ( 9 mm)E-TPU: 93% (37 mm)

Dynamic mechanical analysis

Infinergy stays elastic up to -20°C

4

EPE E-TPU

Before test (40 mm = 100%)After test (40,000 Zyklen)

Density:30 kg/m³ (EPE), 265 kg/m³ (E-TPU)

Diverse applicationsin sports and leisure

Further applications: cushioning elements und upholstery

Processing:

On molding machines for expanded polyolefin

Gluing and foam sealing for large-scale processing

5

Sports and floors Inner tubes for bicycles Ship fenders

SLIDE: SOFT AND RESPONSIVE

COMBINED.

WE HAVE SOLVED IT. YEAH!

Adidas innovations

© adidas AG, FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY 2

3

ARE YOU READY FOR BOOST?

BOOST midsole

soft responsive

SLIDE: SOFT VERSUS RESPONSIVE

p. 6

p. 7

HIGHEST ENERGY RETURNIN THE RUNNING INDUSTRY

p. 8

HIGHEST ENERGY RETURNIN THE RUNNING INDUSTRY

p. 9

TEMPERATURE RESISTANCE LIKE

NEVER BEFORE

p. 10

FEELING IS BELIEVING.

TRY IT.

p. 12

Intuitive design

AND JUST LIKE THAT,

RUNNING WILL NEVER BE THE

SAME

p. 14View / Header and Footer 6/17/2013

BASF Martin Vallo Presentation

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