Rexxam Adopts Polyamide 12 Elastomer UBESTA XPA for Ski Boots

TOKYO, February 20, 2007 _Ube Industries, Ltd. today announced that its proprietary polyamide 12 elastomer UBESTA XPA has been adopted as the primary material for Rexxam Data-150R^* and Data-130R ski boots. The two models are part of the latest additions to the Rexxam Data line of ski boots produced by Japanese ski boot manufacturer RyuSyo Industrial Co., Ltd.

Ski boots are typically made from a material called thermoplastic urethane (TPU). However, the disadvantages of TPU are its high specific gravity (1.20-1.25) and tendency to become stiffer at lower temperatures. Furthermore, TPU is prone to changes in toque characteristics triggered by temperature change, making it difficult to adapt the material to the demands of advanced users including professional skiers who require fine ski control.

In searching for a material that would enable it develop boots that withstand higher torque for professional skiers in Europe, Rexxam designers settled on UBESTA XPA as their material of choice. UBESTA XPA meets the strict demands of Rexxam designers, including the need for a material that resists temperature change while maintaining its flexibility at low temperatures. At the same time, UBESTA XPA satisfies the demands of Rexxam designers for a material that is impact resistant at low temperatures, in addition to being wear resistant and lightweight.

The features of UBESTA XPA as a primary materials for ski boots are as follows:

1. Flexibility at low temperatures, without becoming stiff at low temperatures.
2. Excellent molding qualities to enable a stylish appearance, which is essential to ski boots.
3. Lightweight with a specific gravity of just 1.01, compared with a specific gravity of 1.20-1.25 for thermoplastic urethane (TPU).
4. cratch and wear resistance rivaling the performance of TPU, which is claimed to offer the best wear resistance.
5. igh impact resistance at low temperatures.

Ube Industries successfully developed UBESTA XPA in 2004. The company currently produces 300 tons of materials annually at the Ube Chemical Factory in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. UBESTA XPA is mainly sold as a material for sports shoe soles and as a covering material for power tools, as well as for casters used in low-temperatures storage.

Ube Industries is aiming to achieve 2.2 billion yen in net sales of UBESTA XPA by 2010. To achieve this goal, the company is focusing its efforts on developing applications that take advantage of the superb characteristics of UBESTA XPA, while conducting further technology development to extend those characteristics.

*

Model numbers (150R and 130R) indicate the torque factor of the boots, with larger numbers indicating a stiffer boot. Advanced skiers in Japan normally use a boot with a 110 torque factor, while a boot with a 130 torque factor is preferred by advanced skiers in Europe. The Data-150R is Rexxam's first boot with a 150 torque factor.

Reference: Shots from Rexxam ski boot catalog