Polymers in Sport and Leisure

References and Abstracts
No.9, Aug.2000, p.88
SNOW SCOOTER
A snowscooter, manufactured by Bombardier-Nordtrac
of Finland is equipped with hoods made of Bayflex 110
glass fibre reinforced polyurethane from Bayer. The
suitability of the material for this particular application
is briefly described, and centres on its low temperature
properties and high impact strength. In addition, the part
can be manufactured by the RIM process, which gives
significant economic advantages.
BOMBARDIER-NORDTRAC; BAYER AG
EUROPEAN UNION; FINLAND; SCANDINAVIA; WESTERN
EUROPE
Accession no.784642
Item 33
Macplas International
No.9, Aug.2000, p.82-3
COATINGS AND ADHESIVES
Suprasec 2386 has been developed by Huntsman
Polyurethanes as part of its MDI-based binders range.
The product is suitable for use in a variety of applications
from electronics and telecommunications to food
packaging and sports. As a coating for the electronics and
telecommunications industries, Suprasec 2386 has been
formulated to provide a new modified pure MDI as a direct
replacement for pure MDI in wire coating applications.
Its advantages in this application, food packaging
adhesives, spray coating for concrete and anti-corrosion
coatings, sports surfaces, and one-component, solvent free
laminated panel adhesive for applications in cold rooms,
warehouses, and computer isolation rooms, are described,
with particular reference to storage stability and low
temperature properties.
HUNTSMAN POLYURETHANES
USA
Accession no.784635
Item 34
Kunststoffe Plast Europe
90, No.5, May 2000, p.21-2; p.76-7
English; German
THREE WEEKS UNTIL THE START
Hell M
Creaholic SA
Victory in the race through the Australian bush was the
finale to the extraordinary development of a solar-powered
electric bike. Less than three weeks were available for
the production of the key parts of the bike. With the aid
of stereolithography, however, the challenge was
successfully met. Details are given.
SWITZERLAND; WESTERN EUROPE
Accession no.784143
Item 35
Materials World
8, No.6, June 2000, p.11-3
GOOD VIBRATIONS - MATERIAL SWING INTO
ACTION
Jenkins M
Materials technology has played a vital, lately
controversial role in the history of tennis, especially during
the modern era with the advent of powerful composite
rackets. For the average player, modern rackets offer a
range of benefits, such as oversized sweat spots and
efficient vibration damping, that make the game hugely
more attractive. In fact, new technology could lead to the
effective elimination of vibration. In the 1970s aluminium
frames offering increased stiffness and reduced mass
enjoyed a brief period of success However, towards the
end of the decade new continuous fibre composites were
introduced that rapidly superseded aluminium as a frame
material. The first of these composite materials consisted
of glass fibres held within a polyester resin matrix, and
later rackets went on to encompass various grades of
carbon fibres within epoxy resin matrices. The latest
developments are reviewed. 3 refs.
EUROPEAN COMMUNITY; EUROPEAN UNION; UK;
WESTERN EUROPE; WORLD
Accession no.784125
Item 36
Journal of Reinforced Plastics & Composites
19, No.11, 2000, p.848-62
DAMPING OF MOISTURE-ABSORBED
COMPOSITE RACKETS
Chou P J C; Ding D; Chen W-H
Feng Chia,University; Taiwan,Industrial Technology
Research Institute
The influence of moisture absorption on damping of tennis
rackets is characterised. Three thermoset and one
thermoplastic matrix composites are used for the rackets.
The first is a carbon/epoxy system, and the second is similar
except that the epoxy is a PU-modified type. The third is an
interleaved composite that adds nylon 6 non-woven fabrics
in between the carbon/epoxy plies. The last is a thermoplastic
composite made from commingled yarns that mix carbon
and nylon 6 filaments. Based on these materials, four
prototypes of tennis rackets with identical shape are
fabricated. Two environments representing extreme
hygroscopic conditions are applied to the rackets. One is a
dried condition that forces the rackets to expel moisture, the
other is a wetted condition that allows the rackets to be fully
saturated. Under these conditions the vibration tests are
conducted by using the impulse method. The time-response
of the rackets excited by a hammer is acquired, and the
corresponding frequency response function is calculated in
real time. The resonant frequency and the damping ratio are
measured for each racket under the dried and wetted
conditions. How the vibration behaviour depends on the
material systems and how the rackets respond to the
hygroscopic conditions are discussed. 10 refs.
TAIWAN
Accession no.784041
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