With as much noise that is going around about synthetic ice, it is no surprise that people are asking questions about it. Since it is so easy to install and put to use millions of people all around the world have created their own personal ice skating rinks at their homes, or offices…or wherever they can fit one. Of course, if you have ever seen or been on this type of flooring you will already know most of the facts about its appearance and properties, but the people that have never seen it or been around it..but are curious as to whether or not it is a great way to ice skate.
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What is Synthetic Ice, Anyway?
Synthetic ice is made out of a special type of plastic that allows it to be versatile, durable, and weather-resistant. Polymer plastic is ideal for the creation of customized plastics because they can be manipulated on a molecular level and become bound with agents and additives that are necessary to be in place so that the people that skate across the surface can experience as much of an ice-like experience as possible.
In simple terms, synthetic ice is made out of plastic. Very special plastic that allows it to be very similar to frozen water.
How Synthetic Ice Came To Life
Back in the 1960s, a group of developers came out with the first synthetic ice flooring to ever hit the public eye. In its time, it was sort of an enigma, but as developments continued to surge forward it was easy to see that the first states of artificial ice flooring were very flawed.
Back in those times, the synthetic ice had to be constantly coated and sprayed with an additive lubricant that contained concentrations of silicone. In order for ice skates to be able to flow across the surface, everything had to be lubricated and maintained.
Since the gliding agent, what they referred to it as at the time, was silicone-based it left a residue on the flooring that became dangerous to the skaters.
Ice Skates and Ice
When ice skates travel across the frozen water they cause heat and friction. This heat causes the ice to melt under the ice skate blades. When the ice melts it creates a tiny bead of water right where the ice skate blades travel that allows it to produce enough lubrication for the ice skate blades to glide seamlessly across the surface without interruption. The goal of the synthetic ice developers is to create a flooring that does the exact same thing. Thanks to the modern-day technology that is available to them, they have been able to come pretty close.
Hockey Tiles and Synthetic Ice
The difference between hockey tiles and synthetic ice is that hockey tiles are dryland surface flooring that is best for shoes or inline skates, and synthetic ice is created specifically for ice skates. Both are made out of specially formulated polymer plastics, but they have different properties and characteristics.
Conclusion
To answer the original question of whether or not synthetic ice is cold the truth is; depending on where it is. If the synthetic ice is outside where it freezing, then, yes it will be cold. If it is inside where the temperatures are even living temperatures, it will be that temperature. Synthetic ice is made out of plastic, so it will be the same temperature as the ambient surroundings.
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