The collar of the new Salomon "Ghost" freerider alpine
ski-boot is one of the first applications for an elastomer based in part (27
percent) on corn-based plastic.
Ski-boot collars help provide a secure fit of the boot to
the skier and protect the lower leg. They must also be flexible enough to
ensure a reliable transfer of movement from the leg to the ski.
"We already knew Hytrel (elastomer) could offer the required
performance for the collar of our new ‘Ghost' freerider boots as an alternative
to polyurethane," says Pascal Pallatin, alpine boot and advanced research
project manager at Salomon of Annecy, France.
"The fact that we could now access a grade of the high performance
material with a significant renewable content is an additional selling point
for our boots."
The new DuPont grade of thermoplastic elastomer, based on
corn sugar or other plants, is designated Hytrel RS and is said to provide all
the performance characteristics of traditional Hytrel materials. RS indicates
renewably sourced.
The properties of Hytrel RS that are of particular relevance
to this ski-boot collar application include: excellent flex fatigue, flexibility
at temperatures as low as -20C and high impact resistance. The collar is
injection molded as a single piece and colored white with masterbatch.
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