Celluloid-Free Table Tennis Ball Resin Composition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current table tennis balls made from materials other than celluloid fail to reproduce the playing characteristics of celluloid balls, particularly in terms of impact resistance, hardness, and elasticity, leading to poor performance and potential cracking during play.
Innovation Solution
A celluloid-free thermoplastic resin composition with a flexural modulus of 1650 MPa or more, Charpy impact strength of 20 kJ/m² or more, and a density of less than 1.20 g/cm³, comprising a rubber-reinforced thermoplastic resin with poly(butadiene-styrene) and an ethylene-carbon monoxide-(meth) acrylic ester copolymer, is used to create table tennis balls that mimic the playing characteristics of celluloid balls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If celluloid is used as table tennis ball material, then playing characteristics (bounce, sound, feel) are excellent, but flammability and stability are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the hazardous nitrate component from celluloid while retaining the cellulose base material. By using cellulose acetate butyrate instead of traditional celluloid, the invention removes the flammability issue while preserving the desirable playing characteristics of celluloid balls.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the material by using cellulose acetate butyrate with specific acetyl and butyryl substitution ratios. This parameter change transforms the material from highly flammable celluloid to a stable, safe alternative that maintains the required mechanical properties for table tennis ball performance.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional thermoplastic resin is used, then manufacturing is easier, but impact resistance and hardness are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite material system by combining cellulose acetate butyrate base resin with specific additives including impact modifiers and processing aids. This composite approach maintains the thermoplastic processability required for easy manufacturing while significantly enhancing impact resistance and hardness to meet performance standards.
3Reliability
If material composition is changed to improve safety, then playing characteristics deteriorate, but if celluloid is used, then safety is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent copies the successful playing characteristics of celluloid balls by carefully selecting cellulose acetate butyrate as the base material and adjusting its chemical parameters. This copying approach replicates the bounce, sound, and feel properties of celluloid while using a fundamentally safer chemical composition that does not contain the hazardous nitrate component.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a table tennis ball that can faithfully reproduce the playing characteristics of celluloid table tennis balls without using celluloid, and a thermoplastic resin composition for table tennis balls that can provide a table tennis ball having an excellent balance of elastic modulus, impact resistance, and density. The table tennis ball is composed of a celluloid-free thermoplastic resin or thermoplastic resin composition having a flexural modulus according to ISO 178 of 1650 MPa or more, a Charpy impact strength according to ISO 179 of 20 kJ/m2 or more, and a density according to ISO 1183 of less than 1.20 g/cm3, has a diameter of 39.0 mm or more, and weighs 2.0 to 3.5 g.