Polymers in Sport and Leisure

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Polymers in Sport and Leisure For the more active, canvas tents are now a rarity with some types also using fibre reinforced poles. The reduction in weight, and hence convenience, is considerable and the same is true for hikers’ rucksacks. Gardening is not a sport but a very popular pastime which uses vast quantities of polymers in pots, trays, netting, sheeting, etc. Taking a leaf from the sports surface design manual, rubber shred has been incorporated into lawns and grass paths to reduce the effect of wear. In-line skates use nylon in the chassis and hard polyurethane wheels. One innovation replaces the wheels with pneumatic rubber tyres for ‘off-road’ use. Another design has a dual purpose with the wheels being replacable by an ice skating blade (73). Fishing rods are made from wound composites, and polymers are also important for components of reels and the line. Going to the gymnasium to exercise rather than actually taking part in a sport will not escape polymers as they find application in covers, housings and other non mechanical parts of treadmills and the like. Sport is not only for completely able-bodied people. The world record for the 100 m sprint by an amputee athlete is only about 1 second behind the fastest Olympic sprinters. This is made possible by prosthetic limb technology involving carbon fibre composites. There are also the supporting facilities that go with sports. Flood lighting is essential at many sporting events and incorporates polymers in lenses, cases, seals and cables. Sports stadiums will use a considerable volume of plastics in seating and even in the fabric of the building. Last, and probably least, the security passes at the Sydney Olympics made certain that no athlete can be polymer-free. 11 Standards The prime standards in sport are the rules laid down by the international and national governing bodies. Originally, these were almost invariably unsophisticated and often little more than lists of requirements, not always unambiguous. Human nature driving athletes to find ways round the rules to achieve better performances ensured that the rules would be periodically revised and usually made more complicated. The need for many changes can be directly or indirectly attributed to polymers allowing new and superior equipment to be produced. Increasingly, the rules of sports have tended to more resemble the technical specifications which cover the great majority of domestic and industrial products. In a number of cases, standards have been produced by the International Standards Organization or a national standards body such as the British Standards Institution which cover sports equipment. Generally, these are supplementary to the rules of the game and cover the specification of particular items of equipment together with necessary test methods. Clearly, rules and standards are important to the manufacturers of sports equipment as they have to be sure that their products will be acceptable. Rules can be obtained from the relevant governing body of sport and a list of current ISO and BS standards is given in Appendix 1. 12 Conclusion This review demonstrates both the variety of ways that polymers have been applied in sport and also the extent to which they have come to dominate certain areas. The range of sports applications is so large that the review is inevitably far from complete and the shear number of polymeric products for sport and leisure means that much of the technical detail has been glossed over. It is apparent that in a considerable number of applications polymers have long displaced traditional materials and are now on the second, or third or more cycle of one polymer being replaced by another. This clearly demonstrates that sport does not stand still and the thirst for improved performance coupled with the desire and need to reduce costs will ensure that developments will continue. Despite the degree of penetration that polymers have achieved it is possible to see areas where there is scope for innovation including the cross fertilisation of practices from one sport to another. There is every sign that the demand for sport and leisure facilities and equipment will continue and probably grow further so that it is an attractive sector for polymers. What cannot be seen clearly is which products will have the greatest demand in the next decade. Additional References a.1 M. Jenkins, Materials World, 2000, 8, 9, 9. 14
Polymers in Sport and Leisure Appendix 1 International Standards BS = British Standards Institution, EN = European Committee for Standardization, ISO = International Standards Organization, PAS = Published Accredited Standard Combined letters, e.g., BS EN, means the identical standard has been agreed by all the standardising bodies. The status of the standards continues to develop and it is known that there are several draft standards in circulation, check with the appropriate institution for the most up-to-date information. BS 1892-1:1986 BS 1892-2.3:1986 BS 1892-2.6:1986 BS 1892- 2.7:1986 BS 1892-2.8:1986 BS 1892-2.9:1986 BS 1892-2.10:1990 BS 1892-2.11:1989 BS 3104:1970 BS 4001-1:1998 BS 4001-2:1967 BS 4423:1969 BS 4472:1988 BS 4532:1969 BS 5715:1993 BS 5883:1996 BS 5993:1995 BS 6183-1:2000 BS 6183-2:2000 BS 6183-3:2000 BS 6183-4:2001 BS 6366:1983 BS 6473:1984 BS 6635:1985 BS 6785:1986 BS 7044-1:1990 Gymnasium equipment. Specification of general requirements Gymnasium equipment. Particular requirements. Specification for boxes, bucks and horses Gymnasium equipment. Particular requirements. Specification for boxing rings Gymnasium equipment. Particular requirements. Specification for basketball and mini-basketball equipment Gymnasium equipment. Particular requirements. Specification for trampolines, minitrampolines and safety harnesses (trampoline spotting rig) Gymnasium equipment. Particular requirements. Specification for weight training equipment Gymnasium equipment. Particular requirements. Specification for safety requirements for mats, mattresses and landing areas Gymnasium equipment. Particular requirements. Specification for practice and games netting and supporting trackways Specification for polyamide (nylon) mountaineering ropes Care and maintenance of underwater breathing apparatus. Recommendations for the compressed air open circuit type Care and maintenance of underwater breathing apparatus. Standard diving equipment Specification for climbers’ helmets Specification for protective skull caps for jockeys Specification for snorkels and face masks Specification for skateboards for recreational and sports use Specification for surface swimming goggles Specification for cricket balls Protective equipment for cricketers. General requirements Protective equipment for cricketers. Genital protectors Protective equipment for cricketers. Leg protectors for batsmen, wicket-keepers and fielders, and thigh, arm and chest protectors for batsmen Protective equipment for cricketers. Gloves for batsmen Specification for studs for rugby football boots Specification for protective hats for horse and pony riders Specification for saddle trees made from wood Code of practice for solar heating systems for swimming pools Artificial sports surfaces. Classification and general introduction 15
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Subject Index A ABRASION, 133 305 A
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