Biodegradable Tennis Ball Core with Bacterial Nutrient Additive
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tennis balls are not biodegradable, leading to significant waste and environmental concerns, as they take approximately 400 years to decompose.
Innovation Solution
A tennis ball composition that includes a rubber core made from natural and/or synthetic rubber, combined with a biodegradability-enabling additive. This additive comprises an organic compound in a carrier material, which serves as a nutrient for specific bacteria strains found in landfills and marine environments, facilitating biodegradation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If conventional rubber materials are used for tennis ball cores, then air retention performance is maintained, but biodegradability is lost (decomposition takes 400 years)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines conventional rubber materials with biodegradability-enabling additives to create a composite core material that maintains the air retention properties of rubber while introducing biodegradable components. The additive system includes multiple ingredients working together to enable bacterial degradation without compromising the core's functional performance during its service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the rubber core by incorporating specific additives (0.1-5 weight-% of biodegradability-enabling additive) that change the material's long-term behavior. These parameter changes allow the core to maintain its physical properties during use while altering its end-of-life degradation characteristics to reduce the 400-year decomposition timeline.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If biodegradability-enabling additives are incorporated into the rubber core, then biodegradation is accelerated (less than 4 years), but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The biodegradability-enabling additive is incorporated into the rubber compound during the initial mixing stage of core manufacturing, before the core is formed and assembled into the tennis ball. This preliminary incorporation ensures uniform distribution of the additive throughout the core material and integrates the biodegradability function into the existing manufacturing workflow without requiring separate post-processing steps.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The biodegradable tennis ball exhibits enhanced air retention performance and accelerated biodegradation, reducing waste and environmental impact, with the biodegradation process completed in less than 4 years according to ASTM 5511 standards.
Implementation Method 1
the organic compound is a nutrient substrate for at least one active landfill or marine environment strain of bacteria
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a sports ball comprising a rubber core and optionally a felt, the rubber core defining an internal volume and an outer surface, the felt being provided on the outer surface of the rubber core, and the rubber core comprising: natural and/or synthetic rubber; and a biodegradability-enabling additive comprising at least one organic compound in a carrier material, wherein the organic compound is a nutrient substrate for an active landfill or marine environment strain of bacteria. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing a tennis ball including: a) mixing natural rubber and butadiene rubber with further ingredients and the biodegradability-enabling additive; b) extruding a portion of the mixture; c) utilizing the extruded portion for forming a shellpart; d) assembling a core by attaching at least two shellparts to each other; e) inflating the core; and f) providing a felt on the surface of the core.