A high-performance polyethylene resin developed by the Performance Plastics Division of The Dow Chemical Company will be used to make the artificial grass for the hockey pitches at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The use of linear low density DOWLEX polyethylene resins in the yarn component of the artificial turf pitches will help to create soft, safe and world-class playing surfaces for the 76 matches scheduled to take place at the Olympic
Hockey Centre from July 29 to August 11, 2012.
In July 2010, Dow announced its official Worldwide Olympic Partnership as part of The Olympic
Partners Program (TOP). As the official Chemistry Company of the Olympic Movement, Dow is partnered with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and National Olympic Committees around the world through 2020.
“In keeping with Dow’s goal of providing solutions that help make the Olympic Games safer, and which help improve sports performance, we are very proud that DOWLEX PE Resins will play its own part in the London 2012 Olympic Games,” said Karin Katzer, Hygiene & Medical, Dow Performance Plastics.
DOWLEX PE Resins’ low density offers exceptional tear and splitting resistance, and provides for playing surfaces that will be soft enough for the 380 hockey competitors to safely slide, tackle and fall without turf abrasions. The grade of DOWLEX polyethylene resin that will be featured at the London 2012 Olympic Games is also particularly suited for the creation of yarn fibers that combine softness, resilience, and mechanical toughness.
The artificial grass for the London 2012 Olympic hockey pitches are the result of an outstanding multiparty technical collaboration. DOWLEXTM Polyethylene Resins will be used by Tapex, one of the world’s leading sports yarn manufacturers, which will be providing yarn for hockey pitches. In combination with other components, the yarn will be converted into rolls of POLIGRAS® Olympia hockey turf by Advanced Polymer Technology Australasia. The design, installation and maintenance of the turf at the Olympic Hockey Centre will be provided by Sports Technology International (STI), appointed to do so by the London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG).
Dow has a proven track record of innovation in polyolefin materials for artificial turf system
components, offering a broad range of solutions to help sport surface professionals create tailor-made surfaces that can address the requirements of specific sports. Technology advances by Dow have helped to boost the adoption of artificial grass surfaces in sports like field hockey, soccer, tennis and American football in recent decades, often leading to changes in the way games are played.
In the case of field hockey, the use of artificial turf surfaces has increased the speed of the game considerably and helped players to control the ball more easily, making the sport faster. Most international competitions, including the Olympic Games field hockey tournament since Beijing 2008, are now played on surfaces that use DOWLEX PE Resins.