Ski boots get lift from colourants

Colours can tell us a lot about what to expect. On the road, for example, red means stop and green means go. For skiers, the colour black, in the shape of a diamond, identifies the most challenging ski slopes on the mountain. Ski boot manufacturer Black Diamond Equipment Ltd. wanted to use colour to deliver the message that its boots were for skiers serious about performance, comfort and style, and turned to materials supplied by Clariant Masterbatches Division.

The boot components were molded in polyurethane and in lightweight polyether block amide, and Black Diamond required colour formulations that would not adversely affect processing of the materials or performance of the finished boots. Coloured and non-coloured boot parts were subjected to tensile tests, and also evaluated in a capillary rheometer to observe any differences in flow characteristics. Finally, a differential scanning calorimeter looked for changes in crystallinity, which can also influence molding and end-use performance.

For Black Diamond’s “Telemark Power” line of boots, Clariant provided a colour scheme that featured pearlescent gold accentuated by dark brown and black. For the “Power Series” line, designed for the freeride skier, Clariant delivered a gold-green colour formulation for the man’s boot, and an ecru colour with gold and light green accents for the woman’s boot. And for the “Efficient Series” line, for traditional backcountry skiers, Clariant created a combination of royal blue accented with blue-grey and black. Clariant Masterbatches Division (Toronto); www.clariant.masterbatches.com;800-265-3773