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A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6
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The Rio 2016 Olympic Games were just as inspiring as
ever, watching the human form do things that seem
completely impossible and against all laws of phys-
ics and gravity. Mastering the sheer willpower, courage,
and years of training it takes to compete at the highest lev-
els of sport is beyond the grasp of most of us, and is what
makes viewing these events so enjoyable. But what about
the medals themselves? Now here’s something that metal-
lurgists and materials scientists of all disciplines will likely appreciate more than
other people.
Interestingly, the last Olympic “gold” medal actually made of pure gold was
awarded in 1912. Now, the National Olympic Committee (NOC) permits signif-
icant freedom to the host city with
regard to the exact medal compo-
sition and design, although certain
rules must be followed. Gold med-
als must be awarded for first place,
measure at least 60 mm in diameter
and 3 mm thick, contain a minimum
of 92.5% silver, and be covered
with at least six grams of pure gold.
Further, although the host city is
allowed to design the medals, the
NOC has the final say on approval.
Each host city also must mint its
own medals.
In Rio, the medals theme
focused on sustainability with this
year being the first time the awards were made with more than 30% recycled
precious metal for both silver and bronze. The silver was recycled from mirrors
and x-ray sheets, while the copper used in the bronze medals was salvaged and
repurposed from the local mint’s old, discarded machinery. In addition, the gold
used in the medals is free of mercury in order to prevent pollution and to be
more health-conscious for the miners. Finally, the medal cases are made of cer-
tified recycled wood that comes from a sustainable environmental management
area in Brazil.
In other news regarding materials innovations, the U.S. Department of
Energy announced in mid-August that it will invest $16 million to accelerate
design of new materials by using supercomputers. Two four-year projects, one
led by DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the other by Lawrence Berke-
ley National Laboratory, intend to use the superfast computers at DOE’s labs by
“developing software todesign fundamentally new functional materials destined
to revolutionize applications in alternative and renewable energy, electronics,
and a wide range of other fields.” Teams include experts from universities as well
as other national labs.
According to the DOE, researchers are expected to develop sophisticated
open-source software to capture the physics of relevant systems, which can then
be used by the broader research community and industry to accelerate design of
new functional materials. Who knows? Results may prove important enough to
win a Nobel Prize, a medal still made of pure gold.
GOING FOR THE GOLD
2016 Olympic medals are made of mercury-
free gold and recycled silver and bronze,
and come with sustainable, recycled wood-
en cases. Courtesy of Tomaz Silva/Brazil
Agency.