Sport & leisure | Arkema China

Athletes demand comfortable, lightweight and durable equipment. That’s why sports brands are committed to offering ever-greater performance through continuous innovation. Arkema helps these brands improve equipment design, notably with our Pebax® elastomer, the market's highest-performing elastomer for athletic shoe soles. Versatile and 20% lighter than conventional elastomers, Pebax® material is also used in ski boot shells. Recently, we innovated and created a new bio-based product, Pebax® Rnew. In addition, our teams develop and manufacture plastics and additives for sports endurance that, thanks to their high mechanical and thermal resistance, continue to deliver reliable performance even in the most extreme conditions.

Pebax^® elastomer

The best-performing elastomer on the market for the soles of sports shoes

To help athletes push their limits, Arkema has developed a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), Pebax^® (a polyether block amide) which has a unique combination of low weight, elasticity, comfort, toughness and flexibility.

Puma, The North Face, Mizuno… major brands have adopted Pebax^® elastomer for their designs of “high performance” soles for soccer and rugby shoes, running and tennis shoes, even hiking boots.

Pebax^® elastomer is also used in textile form for waterproof, breathable clothing.

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Pebax^® elastomer downs the slopes

This versatile elastomer is also used in the manufacture of ski boot shells for major brands like Scarpa, Dynafit, Scott and Fisher, where its properties are all the more appreciated as they remain unaffected by very low temperatures. Compared to elastomers traditionally used in ski boots, such as TPU, Pebax® elastomer is 20% lighter.

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The Pebax® elastomer range was recently updated with innovations such as Pebax® Rnew, the first bio-based TPE, and transparent Pebax® Clear resin, which is expanding design and application possibilities.

Arkema, National Supporter of the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™

Already involved in the world of sailing, Arkema chose to associate themselves with the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™ to support women’s engagement in soccer. 61% of football players during the competition had shoes with Pebax^®elastomer in it.

Pebax^®, used by the best players

For the 2019-2020 season of the D1 Arkema, 59% of the players were equipped with shoes containing the Pebax® elastomer.

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Pebax^® elastomer: how does it work?

The French blog Footpack, which specializes in soccer equipment, visited our research facility in Serquigny, Normandy (France). The purpose of the visit was to discover the benefits of using Pebax^® elastomer in soccer shoes.

Vidéo explanations

Plastics and additives for mechanical resistance

Rilsamid^®

As a high performance polyamide recommended for the most demanding applications, Rilsamid® polyamide 12 resin is a thermoplastic material with a unique combination of thermal, physical, chemical and mechanical properties. It is used in particular in the formulation of coatings for skis.

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Rilsan^® PA11
biobased

Ideal for bicycle saddles, Rilsan® biosourced polyamide 11 ensures greater comfort for cyclists thanks to its light weight and fatigue strength. Rilsan® is also found in the composition of tennis racket bumpers.

Castor beans used to produce Rilsan Ployamide 11 biosourced

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Orgalloy^®

The tips of ice hockey and figure skates can benefit from the unrivaled sturdiness and light weight provided by Orgalloy® thermoplastic alloys.

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Nanostrength^®

Used in the manufacture of frames for racing bikes and mountain bikes, Nanostrength® nanostructured acrylic copolymers in particular ensure high resistance to impact and mechanical stress, as well as excellent UV stability.

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Graphistrength^®

Graphistrength® carbon nanotubes, when added as filler to composites resins, help reduce the risk of bicycle frames breaking by 40%.

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Rilsan^® Clear

A transparent and biosourced polyamide, Rilsan® Clear is used to manufacture tough, lightweight and fully transparent articles. It is often used for the design of high performance sports goggles.

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Arkema in sport

Discover Arkema's commitment to sports where our materials make the difference !.

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Focus on Pebax^® technology

Pebax^® elastomers are a family of high performance, lightweight polymers that offer unmatched energy return, toughness, and flexibility. Adopted by the most famous sport brands !

Joueurs de basket avec des chaussures contenant du Pebax d'Arkema

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Sport and leisure

Pebax^® elastomer