Footwear partnership demonstrates premium opportunity for customers

FOOTWEAR PARTNERSHIP DEMONSTRATES PREMIUM OPPORTUNITY FOR CUSTOMERS

Huntsman Polyurethanes is joining forces with Desma at "GO IMS" to demonstrate its premium composite TPU/PU soling technology in response to customers' increasing demand for materials, which offer the advantages of design, durability and comfort for the production of high quality shoes.

AVALON® Duo combines the outstanding wear and flex properties of a soft TPU for the outsole with the comfort and lightness of polyurethane for the midsole. It also provides greater cost efficiency as a result of the one-stage production process through casting or injection and achieves perfect bonding between the two layers and the upper.

The material offers a range of benefits, including perfect surface definition, matt finish, shiny and glossy end effects, a wide colour range, slip and abrasion resistance, shock absorption, cold flex properties and thermal insulation. This innovative footwear technology creates original, exciting applications to support businesses' objectives to penetrate new high quality markets for casuals, trekking and safety footwear.

Stéphane Peysson, European marketing manager footwear, Huntsman Polyurethanes says: "The success of our business is built on supporting customers in expanding their business opportunities through innovative, flexible footwear solutions. AVALON Duo presents the benefits of two materials in one soling concept offering a new option for footwear producers to manufacture top end products."

Huntsman Polyurethanes, an international business unit of Huntsman International LLC, produces chemicals and systems for customers in the construction, refrigeration insulation, packaging, automotive seating and interiors, furniture, footwear, composite wood products, thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU), and adhesives, coatings, and elastomers markets. For additional information, visit our website at www.huntsman.com/pu

The AVALON logo is a registered trademark of Huntsman International LLC. The mark is registered in one or more countries, but may not be registered in all countries.

For further information, please contact:

Lynda Heath
Ash Communications
112 St Martins Lane
London
WC2N 4BD
Tel: 00 44 207 240 6005
Fax: 00 44 207 240 8005
E-mail lynda@ashcommunications.com

Doris Forster
Huntsman Polyurethanes
Everslaan 45
B-3078 Everberg
Belgium
Tel: 00 32 2 758 9821
Fax: 00 32 2 758 9051
E-mail doris_forster@huntsman.com

Ref: GOIMS2001Desmarelease

Huntsman Polyurethanes offers an extensive range of RUBINATE® MDI-based isocyanate products. This range includes the highest quality grades of polymeric and Pure MDI, together with many variants and prepolymers tailor-made for specific uses in rigid and flexible foams, elastomers, coatings, adhesives and composite wood products.

We offer a wide range of JEFFOL® PO- and EO- based polyols for a range of polyurethane applications. This range includes rigid polyethers (including Mannich polyols), flexible polyethers and glycols. We also offer a first class range of aliphatic polyester polyols for elastomer and TPU applications.

Our  RUBITHERM® formulated systems are designed and tested to meet industry specifications and customer needs. Our two-component systems are used on high pressure processing equipment that combine two liquid parts which initiate the reaction of the components. The mixture is injected into a cavity whereby the liquid turns to foam and expands to fill the cavity. The foam solidifies, acts as the insulant and provides structural integrity for the composite in many applications. Rigid foam systems from Huntsman Polyurethanes use ingredients to provide superior products through our RUBINATE and RUBITHERM branded products. We combine our technology with numerous blowing agents to meet our customers' needs. The blowing agents include HFC 245fa, HFC 134a, CO2, hydrocarbons (isopentane, cyclopentane), and also - depending on country of manufacture - HCFC 141b, HCFC 22 and HCFC 142.

Aniline is the major feedstock in the manufacture of MDI. Huntsman Polyurethanes supplies the international merchant market with aniline as well as producing it for its own needs. Aniline and its derivatives (cyclohexylamine and di-cyclohexylamine) are also used in the pharmaceuticals, water treatment, rubber, dyes, agrochemicals, special fibers and synthetic sweeteners industries.

To find out more about our products in this area contact

rigids_pu@huntsman.com