Infographic on the chemistry of the world cup. The ball is made of a butyl rubber bladder with a nylon lining and polyurethane panels on top. The shirts are commonly made of polyester. The World Cup trophy is hollow and made of gold, with a green base made of malachite, a copper carbonate hydroxide mineral. Finally, the vanishing spray referees use contains butane, which expands when released from the can, with surfactants creating foam which disappears as the butane evaporates.
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The 2018 World Cup kicks off today! Here’s some of the chemistry you can look out for over the next month; polymers make up the ball and the shirts, and chemistry also has a part to play in the vanishing spray that referees will be using during the games. 

There’s more on the chemistry behind football shirts and the World Cup ball here.

 

 

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