European Football Championship: Real direct hits from Evonik
Public viewing, full stadiums and fan miles - that's what European football championship games looked like in the past. Although much is different this time, the European Championship is the sporting highlight of the year alongside the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Evonik's Business Line Performance Intermediates is represented with several products.
In previous years, sales of fan merchandise were buzzing just before the European championships, houses and cars were flagged, betting games were organized and public viewing areas were set up. This year, fans are watching the games on their own televisions instead, or meeting in small groups to watch soccer with distance and hygiene rules. Despite restrictions in many places, the European Championship is thrilling many people throughout Europe. Evonik is represented with many products related to soccer.
More than air and leather
Footballs have become real high-tech products. Most of the latest generation of balls, including the official European Championship ball, are made of plastic. Inside is still a rubber bladder made of butyl rubber, a synthetic plastic based on butadiene that is also used in bicycle tires, for example. It provides robustness and elasticity. On the outside, they are covered with synthetic leather. These synthetic materials often contain VESTINOL®9 or ELATUR®CH from Evonik. The special plasticizers make the ball elastic, robust, and durable.
Plasticizers are also used in other areas around soccer: tough PVC roof membranes with extremely long durability adorn the roofs of many soccer and Olympic stadiums. It is the plasticizers in the PVC applications that make them more flexible, stretchable and elastic. This increases the design freedom of the roof membranes.
90 minutes full speed
To ensure that players can go full speed in their shoes for 90 minutes, a crucial component in their soles is essential: As a component of VESTAMID (PA12), butadiene from Evonik helps ensure that the soles of sports shoes are elastic, flexible, hard-wearing, and particularly lightweight. At the same time, it makes the shoe shock-absorbent and durable.
After the game is before the game
To provide the necessary refreshment after the game, players turn to cool drinks in plastic bottles. 1-butene makes the bottles unbreakable, durable and lightweight. It also helps to make them easy to squeeze, so the drink flows faster. To achieve all these properties, most sports bottles are made of polyethylene, a high-quality plastic that contains 1-butene.
A sweaty game is followed by a cold shower. Afterwards, deodorant is a must. Deodorant sprays often contain DRIVOSOL® from Evonik. This high-purity propellant meets all the requirements for applications in the cosmetics industry. It is an odorless aerosol propellant mixture of n-butane, iso-butane, and propane.
