Another advantage of these fibers is their long-term dimensional stability, which means they retain their extreme elasticity and always return to their original shape after stretching. Even when it's cold outside. Coping with skiers' perspiration is a job that demands a fiber immune to humidity. Step forward PolyTHF:
“These fibers are the perfect solution for direct body contact applications, in sportswear or underwear for example,” explains Dieter Rodewald. Moreover, the arrangement of atoms in PolyTHF molecules make them hard to digest for microorganisms. That's why microbes and mites shun spandex fibers – good news for allergy sufferers.
About 70 percent of the PolyTHF produced by BASF goes to the textile industry. It is also used to make highly abrasion-resistant hoses and films. Cable sheathing and dashboard films are major PolyTHF applications in the automotive industry.
Another important usage for this versatile material is in rail track construction. The durably elastic molecular structure makes PolyTHF based plastics ideal for producing heavy-duty railroad bedding mats that dampen shock and vibrations. The benefits: less wear and tear, and less noise from passing trains. As a major constituent of polyurethane elastomers, PolyTHF is also used to manufacture long life wheels for skateboards and inline skates.
BASF is one of the global leaders in the PolyTHF business and expects future demand for this product to remain high. “As prosperity increases, so do textile sales,” explains Rodewald. “Consumers can afford to wear the latest fashions and will part more readily with their old clothes.”
BASF, The Chemical Company
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