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Platilon® and Dureflex® TPU Films: versatile materials upgrade for active sports
Platilon® and Dureflex® contribute to make active sports more fun and safer with high-performance film solutions for surfing kites and wings, boats, skis and snowboards, enabling them to resist humidity, UV exposure, and hot and cold temperatures. These innovative TPU Films also come in partly bio-based versions.
Evolving sports gear design calls for reliable, high-quality film solutions
Active sports like kite surfing, skiing and snowboarding have one thing in common: they place high demands on people, gear and especially materials. To deliver high-performance equipment like inflatable surfing kites, wing bladders and skis, sports equipment designers need materials that can stand up to extremely challenging outdoor conditions.
Surfing kite solutions, for instance, need to be able to cope with high winds, but also withstand humidity, high temperatures, and extended exposure to sunlight and UV rays. In addition, kite surfing gear is used seasonally and is often folded and stored over long periods, so inflatable kite and wing bladders need to fill up seamlessly, without showing any creases from folding.
Other outdoor gear like kayaks, boats and inflatable tent structures have similar requirements.
With their high tensile strength, tear resistance, and airtightness, TPU films are an ideal choice for ensuring the durability and longevity of sports equipment.
Skis and snowboards, on the other hand, face a different set of seasonal challenges. Temperatures in winter sports regions often drop very low, and ground conditions range from easy groomed runs to steep slopes to unpredictable freeride areas. Boards and skis need to offer mechanical properties that ensure fun and safe downhill rides. In particular, to cope with shock absorption, the materials need to offer flexibility. Our films are typically used in the middle layer of a ski or snowboard design. The TPU Film bonds the different material layers and provides a robust structure that exhibits high mechanical strength even at low temperatures.
Platilon® and Dureflex® TPU Films: engineered for outdoor reliability
As TPU Film manufacturers, we’ve engineered our thermoplastic polyurethane films to meet sports gear requirements and to bring exceptional flexibility and strength together with the high levels of performance that sports equipment designers demand. Our Platilon® and Dureflex® TPU Films offer the alternatives in several key areas and redefine durability for surfing kite materials and wing bladder solutions, as well as for skis, snowboards and a wide range of other outdoor equipment needs.
Our high-quality polyurethane films offer impressive tensile strength and are naturally puncture- and tear-resistant. These physical properties also enable films with a thinner gauge – and thus a lighter weight – to be used without compromising on performance. This is a key advantage of TPU in sports design, especially for applications like inflatable surfing kite bladders and wing materials which needs to be light and agile but robust at the same time.
Our TPU outdoor film solutions also stand up to humidity and extended UV exposure and retain their strength in extreme hydrolysis testing. For kite surfing, our TPU Film materials help create tough, tear-resistant inflatable kites and wings that are also lightweight and weather-resistant. And ski and snowboard makers can count on sports design materials that ensure high mechanical strength while retaining flexibility at low temperatures meaning users can have high confidence in their equipment.
Not to mention, TPU Films are used in the fabrication of sportswear for activities where stretchability, durability and waterproofing are absolute necessities. TPU Films can also be incorporated into a wide range of different outdoor sports design components, such as for seam sealing and zipper underlays or for bonding sportswear emblems.
Platilon® and Dureflex®: wide range of TPU Films includes more sustainable grades
We’re taking the needs of sports equipment designers seriously, with products engineered for a broad range of high-performance TPU Film applications. Experts from our Covestro Technical Competence Centers are also available to support prototyping and troubleshooting requests.
For sports equipment makers who are aiming to reduce the environmental impact of their products, our CQ grade of TPU Films uses partly bio-based raw materials with no tradeoff in performance. This underlines our own commitment to achieving a more sustainable and more circular economy.
We offer Platilon® U 4201 AU thermoplastic polyurethane films in thicknesses from 50 to 100 μm, as well as a more sustainable Platilon® U 4201 AUV CQ EC partly bio-based grade. A thicker Dureflex® PT5150 polyether grade is available in 75 or 100 μm. All these variants are especially interesting for inflatable kite and wing bladder applications. Where glue for component welding is needed, we offer the partly bio-based Platilon® H2 CQ EC copolyamide hotmelt grade at 45 μm or about 50 g/sqm.
Our wide range of flexible TPU Films give sports equipment designers and manufacturers a safe choice when they need toughness, reliability, and increased sustainability.
Covestro's TPU Films redefine durability for kite surfing wing and bladder materials, as well as for skis and snowboards. Our tailored solutions ensure longevity by high quality and enable design of light and agile equipment. Our innovations can make active sports safer and more fun with less environmental impact.
Key benefits
- Durable: High-quality Platilon® and Dureflex® Films enable peak performance and longevity
- Weather-resistant: Resist extended exposure to sunlight, saltwater/humidity, high/low temperatures
- Airtight: High-quality film and low gel accumulation ensure great air retention
- More sustainable: Partly bio-based raw materials can make sports equipment more sustainable
