Champion athletes at the winter Olympics in Russia received medals featuring inserts made from Sabic's Lexan polycarbonate. The clear panels were individually created by skilled craftsmen of the Moscow-based Adamas Ltd. jewelry plant.
Sheets of Lexan Margard were used to design an intricate representation of the landscape of Sochi, where the event was held. Each medal took up to 18 hours to create.
The Lexan polycarbonate is 50 percent lighter and has 250 times the impact resistance of glass and 30 times that of acrylic. The material also has excellent all-weather performance characteristics and maintains its transparency over time, ensuring the medals continue to perform long after the athletes have taken the medal stand.
A record 1,300 medals were manufactured by Adamas, the official supplier to this year's event. Organizers said the design reflected the “eternal values of Russia” and also the “innovative approach to the games.”