Bayer develops new lightweight polyurethane for safety boots
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% less than before.
The material and technology concept for the lightweight polyurethane is based on a foaming technique optimised by Bayer MaterialScience and Klöckner Desma Schuhmaschinen GmbH,
"Despite its lightness, the innovative material naturally has all the qualities you would expect of materials used to make safety boots," says Dr. Erhard Michels, a shoe expert in the Polyurethanes Business Unit at Bayer MaterialScience. With its claimed 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.
