Polyurethane ball is the “most tested ever”

Adidas and Bayer MaterialScience have continued their almost 30-year partnership to produce the ‘Brazuca’, the official football of the 2014 World Cup.

With over two and a half years in development and testing with over 600 professional players, the Brazuca is the “most tested ball that adidas has ever put on the market,” said Oliver Brüggen, Director of Public Relations at adidas.

“The Brazuca owes its many highly praised properties to its outer skin. It comprises a total of five layers based on polyurethane raw materials,” explained Thomas Michaelis, Project Manager for Ball Development at Bayer MaterialScience.

The very inner layer of the ball is made from a latex bladder that then is layered with a textile fabric that is a substrate for the other layers. The polyurethane foam layer is next; it is one millimetre thick but made up of millions of gas-filled microspheres.

The very outer skin comprises of three layers of polyurethane of different thicknesses. These layers create outstanding resistance to external influences and abrasion.

All these different layers make the ball highly elastic so it returns to a spherical shape immediately after being kicked. This in tern helps the players as the ball travels faster with more force.

The surface of the ball is made out of six identical panels; this simple design makes the ball more durable, more water resistant and will not lose too much pressure over time. In a study by Mint, over 72 hours, there was only a seven percent loss of pressure.

These panels are attached using thermobonding technology using Bayer’s heat-activated adhesive with optimal pressure and temperature conditions. Bayer says these different aspects create the “best possible ball” for all 64 matches in the World Cup this year.

Bayer says its partnership with adidas will continue, with the sports company being chosen by FIFA as the official match ball provider until 2030. Work will start on the 2018 official World Cup ball soon after the final match in Rio de Janeiro.