Bobsled at future Winter Olympics could see ice replaced by plastic

The Alpensia Sliding Centre in Pyeongchang that will host the bobsled and luge events at the 2018 Winter Olympics (Credit: Republic of Korea)

Work carried out by Purdue University researchers found that using high molecular weight polyethylene covered in a fine mist of water mimicked the performance of ice almost exactly.

The plastic is widely used as a low-friction material in artificial hip joints and as the bottom layer of racing skis. Conducted in collaboration with the international bobsled and luge federations, the three-year study noted that replacing ice with the plastic could also bring a number of environmental and cost benefits.

“These are enormously costly facilities, and some of them don’t have many people using it,” said Jan-Anders Mansson, a professor in materials and chemical engineering, and director of Purdue’s Composites Manufacturing and Simulation Centre. “So, they’re built for the Olympics and then they stand rather unused.”