Materials for Sports
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addressing the potential conflict between the use of advanced materials and performance standards. Whereas materials research typically strives for technological innovation, the use of advanced materials in sports equipment can compromise athletic ability and is therefore limited because of sports regulations.1 Taking a historical perspective, C.J. McMahon, Jr., charts the materials evolution of the bicycle in a Historical Note. The story begins with an early bicyclelike machine made of a wooden beam and wooden wagon wheels, then continues with bikes made of stainless steel, titanium and aluminum alloys, and carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers. He notes the interesting flow of technology: Whereas bicycles were the precursors to cars and airplanes, materials now designed for these advanced industries have found their way back into the manufacture of bicycles. Edward Mark Lenoe, a professor at the United States Military Academy, has been teaching a course in mechanical engineering that seeks to introduce materials selection into the process. He found that theoretical and experimental studies of sporting equipment form a sound and compelling basis for developing student ability in applied mechanics and for gaining insight into the importance of materials choice. In Education Exchange, he presents the elements of this curriculum and gives some examples of studies performed by the students. The remainder of the articles and the rest of this introduction touch on how advanced materials enter into the design and performance of sports equipment, for instance to understand and optimize the "sweet spot" in golf-club heads, rackets, and bats. Whereas human performance and mechanical design have a strong role in the performance of sports equipment and in the achievements of athletes, so do materials have an important position in the field. The teaming of these varied players takes place in this is-
sue, demonstrating the interplay among materials, mechanics, design, and the human spirit.
Advanced Materials and Sports Performance Starting with naturally occurring materials such as wood, twine, gut, and rubber, society has progressed to the use of high-technology metals, polymers, ceramics, and synthetic hybrid materials including composites (see Figure 1) and cellular concepts.2 The optimum design of sports equipment requires the application of a number of disciplines not only for the enhanced performance but also to make the equipment safer and less expensive. Contributions originate from materials science, mechanical engineering, physics, anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics. Biomechanics is the science of how the body reacts to internal and external forces. It is thus an attempt to apply the basic laws of physics and mechanics to the joints, ligaments, and tissues of the body when subjected to loading (Figure 2).2 In designing sports equipment, various materials characteristics apply, including strength, density, ductility, fatigue resistance, toughness, and modulus (damping), as well as cost. The requirements of sporting an
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