science

Polytan

Polytan is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Polytan rather than just read about it. In short: Polytan GmbH is a German manufacturer of artificial turf systems and synthetic sport surfaces. It is based in Burgheim, Bavaria, and is a subsidiary of Sport Group Holding GmbH.

Polytan — illustration

Key takeaways

Polytan belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Polytan to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Polytan from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Polytan GmbH is a German manufacturer of artificial turf systems and synthetic sport surfaces. It is based in Burgheim, Bavaria, and is a subsidiary of Sport Group Holding GmbH.

History Polytan was founded in 1970 as Firl + Schretter Sportstättenbau in Neuburg an der Donau and, initially, installed polyurethane-bound in-situ synthetic surfaces for sports facilities. In 1995, Polytan started to develop synthetic turf systems and acquired a production facility for synthetic turf and polyurethane in Grefrath (North Rhine-Westphalia). In 2003, a coating and extrusion plant for synthetic turf was installed at the production facility in Grefrath. In the same year, the company acquired a FIFA license to be able to provide turfs for official games. As organisations as FIFA and UEFA increasingly accepted artificial turfs for professional sports in the 2000s, Polytan installed turfs in stadiums and arenas in various countries. From 2007 to 2009, Polytan bought production and installation companies in Australia, Germany and France. In 2019, the first sustainable artificial turf, LigaTurf Cross GT zero, was introduced. Since ECHA has proposed a ban on the synthetic application of microplastics, which is still being discussed by the EU Commission, in 2020, Polytan has started to put additional effort into developing and installing sustainable tracks and turf systems made from recycled materials and Brazilian sugarcane. With Poligras Paris GT zero, Polytan developed the world's first CO2-neutral artificial turf for the field hockey arena for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Products Polytan manufactures, distributes and installs high-speed tracks, all-weather courts, tennis courts and shock-absorbent surfaces, as well as synthetic turf systems and multifunctional playing fields. Polytan has been producing and installing CO2-neutral artificial turfs since 2019. The LigaTurf Cross GT zero is used for professional training facilities, amateur and professional clubs, sports schools and municipal sports facilities. Poligras Paris GT zero is a CO2-neutral artificial turf used for field hockey.

Company Structure Polytan GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sport Group Holding. The managing directors of Polytan GmbH are Gregor Gaisböck and Mathias Schmidt. Polytan has 550 employees (as of 2023) and achieved revenue of 300 million euro in 2022. Polytan's headquarters are in Burgheim, with additional locations in Berlin and Halle. An additional location is in France (Polytan France). Outside Europe, Polytan has branches in Melbourne (Australia), Hong Kong and Wellington (New Zealand).

References

External links Synthetic Grass

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Polytan

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Polytan claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Polytan before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Polytan ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Polytan

In research: Polytan appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Polytan in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Polytan is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Artificial turf, Companies based in Bavaria, German companies established in 1969, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Polytan outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Polytan in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Polytan means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Polytan out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Polytan in simple terms?

Polytan GmbH is a German manufacturer of artificial turf systems and synthetic sport surfaces. It is based in Burgheim, Bavaria, and is a subsidiary of Sport Group Holding GmbH.

Why does Polytan matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Polytan?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Polytan.