what are ping pong balls made of
Table tennis balls are usually made of celluloid or plastic, and there are differences in performance and production processes between different materials:
Celluloid
Composition: It is a mixture of nitrocellulose (usually made by reacting cotton with chemicals such as nitric acid), camphor and other additives. Among them, nitrocellulose provides basic strength and molding ability, while camphor acts as a plasticizer, giving the material a certain degree of flexibility and elasticity, making it easy to process and use.
Characteristics: It has good elasticity and strike feel, produces high ball speed and spin, and has been the standard material for making table tennis balls for a long time. However, it is highly flammable and poses a major safety hazard during production, transportation and storage. since July 1, 2014, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITF) has banned the use of celluloid table tennis.
Plastic
Ingredients: Today's table tennis balls are mainly made of cellulose acetate or polystyrene plastic. Cellulose acetate is a cellulose ester compound produced by reacting cellulose with acetic anhydride, etc. It has good plasticity, transparency and chemical stability. Polystyrene, on the other hand, is a thermoplastic resin made from styrene monomer through polymerization reaction, which is lightweight, transparent and rigid.
Characteristics: Plastic table tennis balls are environmentally friendly and safe, not flammable like celluloid. However, there are differences in the elasticity, weight and hardness of different plastic table tennis balls, which affects the ball's flight speed, spin and feel. For example, acetate table tennis balls are closer to celluloid table tennis balls in terms of elasticity and feel, and can better continue the players' previous hitting habits; while polystyrene table tennis balls may differ in certain properties, requiring players to gradually adapt.
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