Materials Chemistry

What are the Olympics athletics tracks made of?

Infographic on the materials science of athletics tracks. The 2020 Olympics use a specially designed track surface made from rubber, which returns to its original shape when it's deformed. Vulcanisation (treatment of rubber with sulfur) increases rubber's rigidity by forming crosslinks between rubber polymer chains. Rubber granules embedded in the layers form bonds with the vulcanised rubber matrix, improving elasticity and shock absorption. The texture of the track surface improves slip resistance and traction, while the honeycomb layer of the bottom layers also aids shock absorption. Other types of running track bind rubber particles with a polyurethane polymer over an asphalt base, and these track surfaces are commonly used for school and community tracks.
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The 2020 Olympics may have been a bit late arriving thanks to the pandemic, but there’ve been no signs of sluggishness from athletes on the track. World records have been tumbling over the past weeks, and one factor behind this could be the technology used in the track. I worked with Jess Wade on this graphic to take a closer look at the materials science behind the track surface.

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What are the Tokyo 2020 Olympic medals made of?

Infographic on Tokyo 2020 olympic medal compositions. The gold medal weighs 556 grams and is 98.8% silver and 1.2% gold. The silver medal weighs 550 grams and is 100% silver. The bronze medal weighs 450 grams and is 95% copper and 5% zinc. This year’s medals are the first to be made entirely from recycled metals. The metals used to make all of the approximately 5,000 medals were extracted from used electronic devices donated across Japan. This amounted to approximately 32 kg of gold, 3,500 kg of silver, and 2,200 kg of bronze extracted from 78,985 tons of donated devices.
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The delayed 2020 Olympics are currently taking place in Tokyo, and setting a number of firsts. Obviously, it’s the first Olympics to take place without a public audience in the stadiums to watch the events. However, it’s also the first Olympics at which the medals are made entirely from recycled metals. This graphic takes a closer look at their composition and how the metals to make them were amassed.

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The materials science of cycling – in C&EN

Click to view the full graphic on the C&EN site

May was National Bike Month, and at the end of June this year’s Tour de France kicks off, so what better time to look at the materials science of cycling? This month’s edition of Periodic Graphics in Chemical & Engineering News looks at the various alloys and polymers used to make bike frames, tires, and accessories. Visit the C&EN site to view the full graphic.

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