Uploaded May 2017 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
For our materials science challenge video, we will discuss the history and evolution of materials used in the construction of surfboards. Beginning with the wooden boards of the Polynesians, the surfboard has undergone drastic changes in shape, material, and construction with the general trend of new surfboard design being to create shorter and more maneuverable boards. Changes to the design of the surfboard have been driven by the pursuit to surf more smoothly and have more control while riding larger waves. Less dense, yet durable, materials has achieved this by making boards smaller and lighter. However, there has been a trade off in recent years in that the lightest materials are also the hardest to shape and some materials have negative environmental impacts. Depending on the priorities of the manufacturer, the cores of modern surfboards are mainly crafted from polyurethane, polystyrene, or expanded polystyrene. These materials will be the primary focus of our video, in which we will compare the advantages and disadvantages of each. We will compare the structure of the modern materials used to create surfboards and examine how the structure relates to various properties including their densities, strength (relative durability), and the manufacturing methods used to shape them.
Works cited
polyurethane.americanchemistry.com/Introduction-to-Polyurethanes
http://www.civil.utah.edu/~bartlett/Geofoam/3a%20-%20JACKON%20presentasjon%20EPS%202011%20Lillestrom%20-%20final%202011-03-28%20RWA.pdf
foamular.com/assets/0/144/172/174/98cf58e1-c3d2-4b6c-beb5-2063215bea18.pdf
matweb.com/search/datasheet.aspx?matguid=c5a801717ccb46dc89f40f205452882e&ckck=1
plasticseurope.org/what-is-plastic/types-of-plastics-11148/polystyrene.aspx
Pictures
http://chemistry2.csudh.edu/rpendarvis/chgrorient.gif
http://chemistry2.csudh.edu/rpendarvis/chgrorient.gif
oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/chemicals/ethylbenzene
danielstrading.com/education/markets/energies/crude-oil-futures
instituteforenergyresearch.org/topics/encyclopedia/natural-gas
http://www.th.all.biz/img/th/catalog/36673.jpeg
insulationcorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/rawexpanded-beads.png
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/11fcUilExgI/maxresdefault.jpg
achfoam.com/ACH/media/ACH/images/Packaging2/Image_0896.jpg
vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/schools/images/3/3d/Amount_of_buoyancy.GIF/revision/latest?cb=20060611190820
exo.net/~pauld/activities/surfing/surfboardtorque.gif
Videos
youtube.com/watch?v=3xlIxJMc8IY
youtube.com/watch?v=m5i-3RtWjyc
youtube.com/watch?v=Gd4eZww4xEA
For our materials science challenge video, we will discuss the history and evolution of materials used in the construction of surfboards. Beginning with the wooden boards of the Polynesians, the surfboard has undergone drastic changes in shape, material, and construction with the general trend of new surfboard design being to create shorter and more maneuverable boards. Changes to the design of the surfboard have been driven by the pursuit to surf more smoothly and have more control while riding larger waves. Less dense, yet durable, materials has achieved this by making boards smaller and lighter. However, there has been a trade off in recent years in that the lightest materials are also the hardest to shape and some materials have negative environmental impacts. Depending on the priorities of the manufacturer, the cores of modern surfboards are mainly crafted from polyurethane, polystyrene, or expanded polystyrene. These materials will be the primary focus of our video, in which we will compare the advantages and disadvantages of each. We will compare the structure of the modern materials used to create surfboards and examine how the structure relates to various properties including their densities, strength (relative durability), and the manufacturing methods used to shape them.
Works cited
polyurethane.americanchemistry.com/Introduction-to-Polyurethanes
http://www.civil.utah.edu/~bartlett/Geofoam/3a%20-%20JACKON%20presentasjon%20EPS%202011%20Lillestrom%20-%20final%202011-03-28%20RWA.pdf
foamular.com/assets/0/144/172/174/98cf58e1-c3d2-4b6c-beb5-2063215bea18.pdf
matweb.com/search/datasheet.aspx?matguid=c5a801717ccb46dc89f40f205452882e&ckck=1
plasticseurope.org/what-is-plastic/types-of-plastics-11148/polystyrene.aspx
Pictures
http://chemistry2.csudh.edu/rpendarvis/chgrorient.gif
http://chemistry2.csudh.edu/rpendarvis/chgrorient.gif
oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/chemicals/ethylbenzene
danielstrading.com/education/markets/energies/crude-oil-futures
instituteforenergyresearch.org/topics/encyclopedia/natural-gas
http://www.th.all.biz/img/th/catalog/36673.jpeg
insulationcorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/rawexpanded-beads.png
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/11fcUilExgI/maxresdefault.jpg
achfoam.com/ACH/media/ACH/images/Packaging2/Image_0896.jpg
vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/schools/images/3/3d/Amount_of_buoyancy.GIF/revision/latest?cb=20060611190820
exo.net/~pauld/activities/surfing/surfboardtorque.gif
Videos
youtube.com/watch?v=3xlIxJMc8IY
youtube.com/watch?v=m5i-3RtWjyc
youtube.com/watch?v=Gd4eZww4xEA
