Application Description

Bad Homburg, July 2005 - - Bringing the magical world of Disney to a new generation of fans, characters old and new are now being produced in Turkey as wall-figurines made of DuPont™ Elvaloy® AC acrylate copolymer. The material was selected primarily for its soft touch and flexibility, with the additional benefit of being odorless - a key feature for the toy business. It was these properties that helped convince Disney to award the manufacturer, Intereva Foam Kaucuk of Istanbul, an exclusive licence agreement for the production of the wall decorations for the Turkish market.
Founder and managing director of Intereva, Ali Erdem Kochan, was familiar with DuPont materials from his core business of manufacturing soles for the footwear industry, whereby properties such as long-lasting wear, flexibility and chemical resistance were required. So when it came to expanding his range of products to include the wall-figurines he had no hesitation in turning to DuPont. "Working with DuPont enabled me to broaden my vision," the young entrepreneur says. "With its wide range of products, tailored solutions and the great level of support its team provide, I was able to refine my product offering and keep on innovating. Seeing the great popularity of the latest characters from The Incredibles (Disney/Pixar), I wanted to turn them into wall-figurines for children's bedrooms. As a material I required something that provided soft touch, flexibility and resistance."
By extruding sheets of Elvaloy® AC, Intereva found the answer. The 2mm-thick figurines provide a pleasant touch and feel whilst being flexible enough to adhere to curved surfaces and withstand overall wear-and-tear . The FDA-compliant acrylate copolymer is chlorine free, highly resistant to both chemicals and heat, and avoids the 'vinegary' odor common in many applications made with other materials. A further benefit enjoyed by Intereva during production of the figurines was the material's ease of processing - Elvaloy® AC high-heat processes of up to 300°C without thermal degradation.
Intereva's choice of material has impressed: the company has recently signed a license agreement with Disney and is now the sole manufacturer of Disney characters made with Elvaloy® AC in Turkey. Intereva is convinced that the attractive appearance and touch of the figurines played a considerable role in this decision. As a result, a whole range of favourite characters, from Peter Pan, Snow White and Pocahontas to the family members of The Incredibles, can now be seen not only on the TV screen or in books, but also on the walls of children's bedrooms across the land.

Photo Caption

Bringing the magical world of Walt Disney to a new generation of fans, characters old and new are now being produced in Turkey as wall-figurines made of DuPont™ Elvaloy® AC acrylate copolymer. The material was selected primarily for its soft touch and flexibility, with the additional benefit of being odorless.
Winnie the Pooh© Disney/AA Milne and E.H Shepard, The Incredibles© Disney/Pixar