The Tokyo Olympics kicked off as scheduled on July 23, 2021. Due to the postponement of the new crown pneumonia epidemic for one year, this Olympic Games is destined to be an extraordinary event and it is also destined to be recorded in the annals of history. As a chemical worker, we must not only pay attention to the performance of Chinese athletes, but also pay attention to our own industry. Let’s take a look at the following. What new materials have been used in this Olympic Games?
Polyurethane
1. Polyurethane weightlifting equipment
In 2019, the International Weightlifting Federation and Zhangkong Barbell Manufacturing Co., Ltd. of Botou City, Hebei Province signed the sole supplier contract for weightlifting equipment for the Tokyo Olympics, and Zhangkong's barbell won the "ticket" for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
According to the relevant person in charge, Zhang Kong Barbell Company eliminated the rubber material of the barbell sheet and chose tear-resistant, long-life, and beautiful-looking polyurethane materials. The improved barbell achieves a second bounce static, the maximum beating amplitude is only 10 cm, the technical parameters are 50% higher than the national standard, and the product qualification rate has increased from 60% to 95%. The axis curvature of the barbell bar produced in accordance with the "standard" is within 0.2 mm, the weight error of the barbell plate is controlled within 5 grams, and the evaluation of various technical parameters has reached the world's leading level.
2. Polyurethane runway
In 1963, the American company 3M broke through the technological barrier and laid the track and field track. Due to the good performance of the runway, it soon attracted attention from various countries. At the 19th Olympic Games held in Mexico in 1968, the polyurethane plastic track was officially adopted. Since then, the International Olympic Committee has officially designated the plastic track as one of the prerequisites for international competitions. The plastic track is clean and beautiful, easy to maintain, and not affected by the weather. Moreover, the elasticity of the plastic can increase the rebounding force of the athlete when kicking the ground, ensuring the elevated position of the knee, thereby increasing the stride.
Polycarbonate (PC)
1. PC Sunshine Board
The main stadium of the Tokyo Olympics-the New National Stadium. The stadium integrates the stands, roof, lounge and main arena, and can accommodate at least more than 10,000 people. After careful design, the gymnasium is composed of an open view from above-the milky white sheet of the roof and the all-steel structure of the stands.
From the point of view of materials, the unique and feather-like undulating roof and the pillars distributed at equal intervals around the gymnasium adopt an all-steel structure, and part of the stadium awning is made of sun panels.
The material of the sunshade roof is made of PC sun panels, the purpose is to provide a venue with shelter function for the people watching the ceremony in the stands.
New type of heat dissipation material
As a heatstroke prevention and cooling measure for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, special road surfaces with cooling effects will be adopted on the roads involved in marathon and race walking events. Special pavements are coated with heat-insulating materials that reflect infrared rays on the road surface. Former marathon Olympian Toshihiko Seko and others conducted a trial run on the national highway in Shibuya, Tokyo in August. It is reported that the road surface temperature is 5 to 6 degrees lower than that of ordinary roads.
Recycled plastic
1. The award platform is made of recycled plastics
The winners of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games will be on special podiums because these podiums are made of 24.5 tons of waste household plastic.
The Olympic Organizing Committee has collected nearly 400,000 bottles of washing powder in large retailers and schools across Japan. These household plastics are recycled into filaments and 3D printing is used to make 98 Olympic podiums. It is said that this is the first time in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games that the public has participated in the collection of waste plastics to make a podium.
2. Eco-friendly beds and mattresses
The Tokyo Olympics is the main card for environmental protection, and many facilities use environmentally friendly materials. The 26,000 beds in the Olympic Village are all made of cardboard, and the beddings are almost all made of recycled materials. They are put together like big "carton boxes". This is the first time in the history of the Olympic Games.
In the athlete's bedroom, the cardboard bed frame can bear about 200 kilograms. The material of the mattress is polyethylene, which is divided into three parts: shoulders, waist and legs. The hardness can be adjusted according to the body shape, and the best comfort is tailored for each athlete.
3. Recycled plastic torchbearer clothing
The white T-shirts and pants worn by the torchbearers of the Tokyo Olympics when carrying the Olympic flame are made of recycled plastic bottles collected by Coca-Cola.
Daisuke Obana, the design director of the Tokyo Olympics, said that the plastic bottles of soft drinks are recycled to make the uniforms of the torchbearers. The materials selected are in line with the sustainable development goals advocated by the Olympics.
This uniform with recycled plastic is also unique in design. T-shirts, shorts and trousers have a red diagonal belt that extends from front to back. This diagonal belt is similar to the belt often worn by Japanese track and field relay athletes. This torchbearer costume for the Tokyo Olympics not only embodies traditional Japanese sports elements, but also embodies the concept of sustainable development.
Polyether polyol
The Tokyo Olympic venues use polyether polyols (used to produce low-density to high-density foams as sealants) to fill the gaps between building materials, reduce the risk of deformation caused by concrete expansion at high temperatures, and keep the stadiums safe and stable.
Adhesive
The high-durability acrylic emulsion adhesive used for interior wall coatings in the Tokyo Olympic venues has excellent long-term durability and substrate adhesion. Elastomer wall coatings can provide solutions for the exterior, with excellent dirt resistance and a balance of mechanical properties. In water-based coating systems, glycol ethers can meet the requirements of low volatile organic compounds (VOC) while optimizing the stability and performance of the coating.
