Chemists from the University of Pardubice have developed a substance that helps speed up skiing and snowboarding. The team worked to produce a new compound that is both environmentally friendly and functional. The university has a Czech patent for the compound, which contains, among other things, hydrogen. The school said in a press release.
"Our substance is hydrophobic and reduces surface energy. This is a property that increases the slipperiness of the skis. We would be happy if our discovery would contribute to the victory of Czech talents in skiing disciplines, snowboards or biathlon team," said David Veselý from the Faculty of Chemical Technology.
The driving force behind the development of the new ski lubricant was the phasing out of fluorinated compounds, which were previously used as part of waxes. These substances are not degradable in nature and are harmful to human health. The chemists worked for two years to develop the new product.
In addition to its benefits for riding and good applicability to polyethylene on the slide, the substance must also have other practical properties. For example, it must not wipe off the skis too quickly or get dirty. "Wax is a relatively complicated mixture of several ingredients, in which silicones play an important role. But our main idea is an organometallic-based component," Veselý said.
The new patented compound contains natural elements such as silicon, oxygen, carbon and hydrogen. The chemists' discovery may soon be available for ordinary skiers to try out. A company from the Czech Republic, which includes a graduate of a Pardubice university, is preparing to produce ski wax containing a new substance produced at the university.
"The synthesis of our active ingredient in the wax is quite sophisticated. It is carried out in several steps and in an inert gas environment," Veselý said. The licensing agreement for the production of the new compound has already been signed by both partners. Roman Jambor, Miroslav Novák, Michal Aman and Michal Srb are also part of the team that won this year's P-PINK award for the development of the substance.
Source: CTK
