June 2003

Contact:
Judy Makowski
Marketing Communications Manager
Estane® TPU
(216) 447-7392

Lightweight and portable is the name of the game in many product development circles these days, and a new brand of folding kayak is just the ticket for paddlers on-the-go. Weighing-in at 15-22 pounds (7-10 kg), FirstLight Kayaks (Christchurch, New Zealand) fold down into a backpack-sized pack, can be assembled in about 15 minutes, and are designed for long-lasting durability and strength. Estane® Thermoplastic Polyurethanes (TPUs) from Noveon, Inc. (Cleveland, Ohio) form the kayak’s hull and play a key role in performance and weight reduction.

“We developed our product in response to market demand for a folding kayak that performed and handled like a true kayak, and that was also light enough to be easily handled and carried by anyone,” says Martin Ross, FirstLight’s chief executive.

Competitive models can weigh more than 33 pounds (15 kg). While most people can carry a 33-pound kayak, Ross notes that handling and transporting one along with other baggage isn’t easy. “To produce a kayak that was both light and strong, we used high-quality materials and some innovative design approaches,” he explains.

One of these innovations was creating the hull from Estane® TPU, which was processed by Stevens Urethane, a leading manufacturer of TPU film and sheet (Holyoke, Mass.). TPUs are inherently tough and elastic, with elongation up to 800 percent, depending upon the specific grade of TPU selected. This elasticity offers two important benefits: it permits the entire hull to be cut from one piece of material, eliminating seams under the waterline, and it minimizes the chance of rips and tears. If the kayak hits an object, the hull will simply stretch at the point of impact, then go back to its original form.

“Performance was the key criteria,” notes Ross. “And for our hull, that means dimensional strength, elasticity, puncture- and abrasion-resistance, and UV-resistance. We can’t afford for the material to fail.”

To meet FirstLight’s stringent standards, Stevens Urethane chose a 35-mil extrusion of Estane® TPU from Noveon. According to Timothy A. Graham, Product/Marketing Manager, at Stevens Urethane, Noveon provided more than just an excellent product at a fair price. “Noveon’s expertise in urethanes enhances our ability to match the right resin with the needs of a specific application. We’ve had an excellent working relationship with the Estane® TPU folks for many years on numerous projects, and each time their R&D and technical support has been instrumental in combination with our personnel in selecting the best TPU for optimal finished product performance.”

“For FirstLight Kayaks, the best resin was Estane® 58887,” according to Mark Schmidt, Noveon, Inc.’s Estane® TPU Market Manager, Film & Sheet. “From the broad offering of thermoplastic polyurethanes designed specifically for high performance needs, Estane® 58887 had the best balance of properties for both Stevens Urethane and FirstLight Kayaks. A UV-stabilized, 87 Shore A polyether TPU, with excellent physical properties and sealability-ease, Estane® 58887 is inherently stable when exposed to high humidity, with inherent fungus resistance and superior low-temperature properties.”

In use, the kayak’s hull must be puncture-resistant and strong enough to withstand the scrapes, abrasion and impact of beach launches, shallow water paddling and contact with submerged objects. The Estane® TPU sheet provides the necessary strength and abrasion- and impact-resistance, and maintains its performance properties despite exposure to water, temperature extremes and UV rays.

Storage conditions present other challenges for the hull material as well. The kayaks are typically stored folded-up inside a pack or box the size of a normal hiking pack. The skin (hull and deck) must fold and unfold repeatedly for years without creasing or weakening along fold lines. Because the Estane® TPU sheet has no plasticizers, it will not become brittle or lose its flexibility over time, or when exposed to temperature extremes.

“The TPU hull will resist abrasion and scuffing for many years, and not weaken or split despite repeated cycles of use and storage,” says Ross. He adds that in the unlikely event that it does get torn or punctured, TPU does not enlarge and offers easy repair both temporarily in the field and permanently once at home.

“We guarantee our boats for two years,” says Ross. “But we expect skins to last five to ten years, depending on how often they are used and how well the owner maintains them. The sheet made from Estane® TPU gave us the premium performance we needed.”

“Estane® TPU allowed us to manufacture a TPU sheet with optimum strength and durability, while maintaining the lightest possible weight for FirstLight’s kayaks,” explains Graham. “With Noveon’s help, we were able to meet all of our customer’s performance criteria. They are thrilled with the end-result, and so are we.”

Estane® is a trademark of Noveon, Inc., in Cleveland, Ohio.
For more information about FirstLight Kayaks, write to info@firstlightkayaks.com.
For additional information about urethane in blown film, extruded sheet, tubing, cord or profile form, please contact Stevens Urethane, a business unit of JPS Elastomerics, at 1-877-TPU-FILM or on the web at www.stevensurethane.com.
To learn more about Estane® thermoplastic polyurethanes, please contact us at 1-888-234-2436 or on the web at www.estane.com.

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Estane® is a trademark of Noveon, Inc., headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Noveon is a leading producer and marketer of technologically advanced specialty chemicals for a broad range of consumer and industrial applications. Previously BFGoodrich Performance Materials, Noveon was formed as an independent company on February 28, 2001.