Sports Equipment

Designs of several sports equipment as well as sports

facilities depend on the combined concepts from
materials science, chemistry, physics, and engineering.
Polyurethanes
● Polyurethanes are polymers
made up of organic units
connected by urethane links.

● Polyurethanes have soft and

lightweight properties that
provide comfort to the user
when placed in shoes.
Sneakers and other running shoes
often use polyurethanes.
Polycarbonates
● Polycarbonates are used
usually in protective sports
equipment.

● Their great strength and

shatter-resistance make
them excellent materials
for helmets and goggles. Polycarbonates are used in the
manufacture of biking helmets.
Plastic Fibers
● Plastic fibers are plastic
polymers that are
synthesized in thin threads
of fibers.

● They can be modified into

elastic clothing material or
into tough, durable Plastic fibers are used for
materials. constructing swimming trunks.
Phenol Formaldehyde
● A synthetic polymer called
phenol formaldehyde,
sometimes also called as
phenolic, is used in today’s
billiard balls.

Phenol formaldehyde is used for

constructing billiards balls.
Phenol Formaldehyde
● It is a product from the
reaction between a white
crystalline material called
phenol and a colorless,
poisonous gas called
formaldehyde.

Phenol formaldehyde imparts notable

heat resistance and hardness.
Ethylene Copolymers
● Ethylene copolymers
contain partially neutralized
acid groups.

● These are used for

constructing golf balls.

Golf balls are made of

ethylene copolymers.
Butyl Rubber and Nylon
● Basketballs are composed
of several materials such as
butyl rubber and nylon.

● Inside it is a balloon-like
structure, sometimes called
bladder, and is made up of
the butyl rubber. Basketballs are made of different
elastic and durable materials.
Butyl Rubber and Nylon
● The bladder is bound to
several thousand meters of
strong nylon thread.

● These materials are

supposed to withstand
thousands of bounces.
Basketballs are made of different
elastic and durable materials.
Kevlar
● Kevlar is a heat-resistant
synthetic fiber.

● It has several applications

and is usually found in
bicycle tires, racing sails,
and bulletproof vests.
Bike tires have kevlar.
Nanocomposites
● High-performance tennis
balls are made up of
nanocomposites.

● Tennis balls made from the

said material retain their
original pressure and bounce
twice as long compared to
normal tennis balls. Tennis balls use nanocomposites.
 A type of plastic called polyurethane is used in the
1 production of shoes and other sporting equipment.

Another kind of plastic, polycarbonate, is commonly

2 used in protective sports equipment.

Suits used in competitions use woven spandex, a

3 synthetic fiber also referred to as elastane.
Complete the table for the characteristics of polymer and the
use or importance of each characteristic for sports equipment.
Characteristics Importance in Sports Equipment
elasticity

durability

water absorption

light weight

flexibility
Why do you think
polymers are
suitable for sports
equipment?