Discovery of Rubber

1
Fundamentals of Indoor Sports Floors
From Rubber to Polypropylene!
2
Rubber
3
Vinyl
4
Polyurethane
5
Polypropylene
6
Synthetics Do What Concrete Cant
MAXIMUM SHOCK ABSORPTION ENERGY RETURN.
Energy IN vs. Energy OUT
7
Synthetics Reduce Injury and Fatigue
Surface Related Injuries Abrasions Slip and
Fall Muscle Pulls Torn Tendons Torn
Ligaments Impact Injuries
8
Synthetics Are Multipurpose
9
Synthetics Save Money

• INSTALLATION
• Hardwood Expensive
• Synthetic VALUE

MAINTENANCE NO Annual Recoats
NO 7 to 10 yr Resands
10
Synthetics are part of a Sustainable Design

• Rapidly Renewable
• Clean Production
• Clean Installation
• VOC Compliant
• Long Life
• Recyclable

11
Britney Spears- Princess of Pop
12
Tom Jones- King of Cool
13
Both Ride on Vulcanized Rubber
14
It All Started With Rubber

• Locomotive springs
• Conveyor belts.
• Seals for sewers.
• Flooring
• Inflatable boats.
• Clothing.

15
Vulcanized Rubber
Vulcanized Rubber Rubber Sulfur Heat
Natural Rubber from Hevea Tree
16
Christopher Columbus Discovery of Rubber- 1499

• Discovered rubber on his third voyage to the New
  World from 1498-1500.

17
Charles Goodyear - 1839

• No formal education.
• Hardware dealer and inventor.
• Accidentally discovered Vulcanization.
• Died of Lead Poisoning.

18
Thomas Hancock - 1843

• Stole idea from Goodyear.
• Awarded patent rights.
• Developed machinery.
• Vulcan- Roman God of Fire.

VULCANITE
19
Sir Henry Wickham -1876
Expedition to Amazon
20
Henry Ridley

• Director of Singapore Botanic Gardens.
• Encouraged rubber planting.

21
Waldo Semon 1933

• Accidentally invented vinyl at BF Goodrich trying
  to bond rubber to steel.
• Grandfather fought in the Civil War and fought
  the Sioux with Custer.
• Great-grandfather crossed the country for the
  California gold rush.
• First job was working in Bill Codys Wild West
  Show.
• 116 Patents.
• Invented SBR (Government Rubber- Styrene) Helped
  save the world.
• Invented synthetic rubber bubblegum.
• Died in 1999.

SBR POLYVINYL CHLORIDE
22
Characteristics of PVC
Pliable and moldable. Inexpensive to make (sea
water and petroleum). Chlorine makes it an
inherent fire retardant. 60 of vinyl is used by
the construction industry.
23
Walter Diemer - 1928

• Invented conventional bubblegum.
• Accountant for Fleer.

BUBBLE GUM
24
Otto Bayer - 1939
INVENTED POLYURETHANES Germany needed rubber
substitutes during World War II. Invented high
quality bristle brushes.
POLYURETHANE
25
Giulio Natta - 1954
Awarded the Nobel Prize at Milan Polytechnic for
the introduction of polypropylene resins through
the polymerization of polypropylene to produce
stereo regular polymers.
POLYPROPYLENE
26
More Durable than Tom Jones
Tom Jones circa 2002
27
Outperform Even Britney Spears!
28
F - Numbers
FL
FF
LEVELNESS
FLATNESS
FF 25 / FL 20
Flatness always comes first. F 25 means FF 25
29
F Numbers Are Linear
The higher the number the better.
FF 20 is twice as flat as FF 10
30
What Was Wrong With Straightedge?
How to Interpret 1/8 in 10? Unscientific and
Non-repeatable . Almost Never Achieved.
31
Straightedge Doesnt Control The Floor
All These Floors Meet 1/8 in 10
32
What F-Number 1/8 in 10
FF 25 1/4 defect in 10 FF 50
1/8 defect in 10 FF 100 1/16 defect in 10
33
How F-Numbers Are Measured
Dipstick
34
ASTM E-1155
Not over expansion joints OK over saw
cuts Minimum 30 readings Leave out 2
border Exclude handwork areas
35
How Readings Are Taken
Q readings for flatness Z readings for
levelness
36
Problems For Us
We go over expansion joints We include the 2
border We include handwork areas Readings taken
immediately after pour Saw cuts warp Our Spec is
1/8 in 10
37
The End - Go Forth and Prosper!!