Superior ball coating

King Soccer will again rule over the stadiums and living rooms during the European Championship in June. This year’s secret star of the green pitch is the “EUROPASS.” With its PSC-Texture™ surface structure, the new match ball made of Bayer materials combines outstanding flight characteristics with greater power transmission and control.

The high-performance Impranil® coating takes the lead again at the European Championship. René Adler, the keeper from Bayer 04 Leverkusen, is a fan. “The nub-like structure gives the ball significantly more grip, making it easier to catch,” says Adler. Whether a finesse dribbler, a cool strategist or a steely-nerved keeper – everyone can now control the ball better and keep the fans on the edge of their seats.
The basis for the new ball’s top form is the synthetic leather coating of Impranil®. The high-performance material from Bayer MaterialScience is used on the top five layers of the ball. The brand enjoys a 50-year tradition of synthetic leather production and stands for the ultimate in innovative textile coatings.

Innovative ball surface with nubbed texture explains Thomas Michaelis, project manager for Ball Development at Bayer MaterialScience, “What makes the EUROPASS so special is the change to the exterior structure – the PSC-Texture. Nubs resembling goose bumps on the surface layer give the ball more power and swerve.
The larger contact surface allows the players to control the ball more precisely in all types of weather.”
The three letters “PSC” stand for Power-Swerve-Control, which means optimized power transmission, more spin and greater precision. Like its predecessor, the “+Teamgeist™,” the EUROPASS has 14 panels in the shapes of tongues and propellers and only 24 junction points when assembled. This provides better flight characteristics.
The ball is constructed using patented Thermal Bonding Technology and thus absorbs essentially no moisture. The heat-activated adhesive used for the +Teimgeist is based on a waterborne polyurethane dispersion from the Dispercoll® U product line.
Charlotte, N.C., June 2, 2008

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