Let the Games begin: Plastics take an Olympic role at Rio

From flame-retardants and flooring to faster turf – plastics are playing an Olympic part in the Rio 2016 Games. Here, BP&R looks at how polymers have been used in preparation for the world’s foremost sporting event.

Recycled PVC used for stadium construction

The legacy of the London Olympics four years ago lives on, with the temporary structures that were dismantled after the 2012 Games playing a part in this summer’s events.

Several stadiums built or restored for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil were constructed using recycled PVC and these will now be utilised for events during Rio 2016.   

Radiflam RV300UKHF 3010 BK will be supplied for the seating venues

Italian engineering polymers specialist, Radici Group, is playing its part in the Games by supplying its flame-retardant thermoplastics for the construction of stadium seating, components and accessories (such as, armrests, bolts and supports) across five of the Olympic venues.

Radiflam RV300UKHF 3010 BK, a polyamide 6 flame-retardant 30 percent-glass-fibre filled grade, was specified for its maximum performance in terms of mechanical resistance, flame retardancy, aesthetic appearance and resistance to prolonged UV exposure.

Dow provides artificial turf for Olympic pitches

Building on the success of the London 2012 Olympic Games experience, the innovative artificial turf solution based on The Dow Chemical Company’s polyethylene (PE) and polyurethane (PU) technologies will be the official playing surface for hockey competitions during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, at the Deodoro Olympic Park.

Dow is working once again with Polytan STI, a global leading manufacturer and supplier for outdoor and indoor sports surfaces, to deliver a higher-performing, more reliable and faster artificial turf for the world’s best hockey players in Rio. Dow and Polytan STI worked together on London 2012’s Riverbank Arena, which it says helped set the new standard for hockey’s most important competitions.

In addition, Dow has also introduced new microfoaming technology to minimise Rio’s carbon footprint by introducing a more sustainable profile to plastic films and packages.

Mythra will construct all 18 swimming pools using PVC

Italian company, Mythra, has constructed all 18 Olympic swimming pools in Rio. Mythra uses hard PVC to laminate the front side of the pools panels for waterproofing means, which reduces the risk of corrosion. Liquid PVC is also used to seal panel joints to create resilience to thepanel’s surface. The concrete slab flooring to the pool is also waterproofed using a reinforced PVC membrane produced specifically for swimming pools.

Winners to be adorned with recycled plastic

Those taking to Rio’s podium will be adorned with plastics when they receive their medals, as half of the plastic used to produce the ribbons comes from recycled plastic bottles.