Actually, 85 percent of all Germans, and two thirds of all Europeans, own a pair. And in the U.S., the land of superlatives, demand is even higher: no fewer than 350 million pairs of sunglasses are sold there each year. In the first century AD, the Emperor Nero, troubled by the harsh glare of the sun, is said to have viewed gladiatorial contests in Rome‘s Colosseum through an emerald.

Modern Polymers Against UV Radiation

The current enthusiasm for sunglasses makes sound sense, however. Like the skin, the eyes are irreparably damaged if exposed too frequently, for too long, and without protection to the sun‘s UV radiation. Possible long-term consequences include conjunctivitis, corneal degeneration, snow blindness, and cataract. But thanks to modern polymer research, we now have solutions that are far more cost effective and reliable than the Emperor‘s emeralds.

Virtually Unlimited Design Possibilities

“Innovations in eyeglasses can be achieved only via the material,” says Rolf Obermeier, Managing Director of Alpina International. And he should know. As long as 25 years ago, his company set new standards with the SWING series of sports glasses, of which more than three million pairs have since been sold.

Now, more than a quarter of a century later, a new generation is being launched on the market: the SWING 44 and the somewhat slimmer women’s model, SWING 33. The frames, temples, and connectors consist of TROGAMID® CX, a high-performance polyamide from Degussa GmbH, Düsseldorf. “Our plastic is unique in its properties,” says Dirk Heinrich, Key Account Manager in Degussa‘s High Performance Polymers Business Unit. “It is highly resistant to chemicals, stress cracking, abrasion, and UV light; it is also easy to process, and can be colored as required.” Design possibilities are therefore virtually unlimited.

This unusual property profile is due to minute crystallites that are formed in the plastic. These have the effect of mechanically strengthening the polyamide, but are too small to be seen by the naked eye so that the material appears crystal clear and transparent.

Reliable Even in Difficult Situations

An especially practical feature of the new SWING models is the dual lens system, which is currently made of polycarbonate. A fixed panoramic shield lens with polarization filter allows undistorted all-round vision, reliably screens out harmful UV radiation, and reduces light scatter, thus helping greatly to suppress unwanted reflection from reflecting surfaces. A second, dark-tinted shield provides glare control, but can be very easily removed when the sun is obscured by clouds. Says Heinrich: “Thanks to TROGAMID® CX the sunglasses are also break-resistant, scratch-resistant, and non-allergenic.” SWING sunglasses, which weigh in at just 25 grams, can also be fitted with optical glass if required, for more reliable performance even in difficult situations.

Information and photos on the product story are available at the following links:

www.degussa.com/degussa/en/products/archive/productstories/2007/trogamid/

http://degussa.panbase.de/main/goFree.asp?pass=panbase&user=free&mandant=CC&lang=

e&motiv_ID=1073&ziel=object.asp

Degussa—a wholly owned subsidiary of the RAG Group—is the global market leader in specialty chemicals. Our business is creating essentials—innovative products and system solutions that make indispensable contributions to our customers’ success. In fiscal 2006 around 36,000 employees worldwide generated sales of 10.9 billion euros and operating profits (EBIT) of more than 870 million euros.

ALPINA is the market leader for ski goggles in Germany. The company, established in 1980 in Friedberg, near Augsburg, in the state of Bavaria, rapidly made a name for itself with its innovative ski goggles, sports glasses, and sunglasses. Bike and ski helmets were very successfully added to the product range in 1992. The majority of the products are made in Bavaria: ski goggles and high-quality sports glasses such as the SWING series, for example, are produced in Chamerau in the Bavarian Forest. Helmet production is based in Obernzell, near Passau, on the Danube River.