PICKLEBALL PADDLES THE NEXT  GENERATION   Part 2/4

COMPOSITE MATERIAL:

· Composite material is two or more physically and chemically different materials which when are mixed together without a chemical reaction, form a new material that has have improved properties over the individual materials.

· One of the materials used in “composites” is called the “reinforcing phase,” and comes in the form of fibers, sheets or particles.

· Other material used in “composites” with reinforcing material is  called the “matrix phase.

· An example of “Composites,” (aka Fiber-Reinforced Polymer “FRP”), are made from a polymer matrix (plastic) that is reinforced with an engineered, man-made or natural fiber(like glass, carbon or aramid) or other reinforcing material.

· The matrix protects the fibers from environmental and external damage and transfers the load between the fibers.

· The fiber in turn, provide strength and stiffness to reinforce the matrix – help it resist cracks and fractures.

· As it relates to pickleball you can now understand the importance of choising the right  the paddle core that will best suite your style and skill level of play.

SYNTHETIC:

· Synthetic material is an artificial substance made by chemical reaction, copying a natural product: “synthetic fibres;” “artificial;”

· Synthetic materials are produced by mixing materials with a chemical reaction to produce a new material that has different characteristics from its constituents.

· Synthetic materials  include most composite materials (fiberglass, Kevlar, carbon fiber composites), plastics ( except natural rubber),& some metallurgical alloys (stainless steel).

· Common synthetic materials are nylon, acrylic, polyester, carbon fiber, rayon and spandex. Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC.

· Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) Polymers are most common kind of synthetic polymers, which are widely used in households.

· LDPE is a kind of thermoplastic

SYNTHETIC POLYMERS:

Synthetic polymers are those which are human-made polymers.

POLYMERS

· Polymer is the term used to describe plastics, which are synthetic polymers.

· Generally, plastics are flexible and durable.

· There are a variety of polymers mixed with harden agents to construct an inexpensive durable material to perform many different tasks in the manufacturing industry.

· Polymers are common mediums used for fiber reinforced plastics.

· Typically, most common polymer-based composite materials, including fibreglass, carbon fibre, and Kevlar, include at least two parts, the substrate and the resin.

· Polyethylene is considered to be as one of the simplest polymer.

· Polyethylene has ethene or ethylene as the monomer unit whereas the linear polymer is known as the high density polyethylene-HDPE.

· Some of the uses of Polymers are given below:

ü The polymer called Polyethylene is used in plastic bags and film wraps.

ü Polyethylene is utilized in the bottles, electrical insulation, toys, etc

ü Polyvinyl Chloride( PVC) is used in siding, pipes, flooring purposes.

ü The synthetic polymer Polystyrene is used in cabinets and in packaging.

ü Polyvinyl acetate is used in adhesives and latex paints.

Most of the following information was researched on the Pro-Lite Pickleball Paddle Brand Website for public consumption.

PICKLEBALL PADDLE CORE MATERIALS

ü The cores are typically made of either, nomex, polymer or aluminum honeycomb.

ü The most common core is the polymer honeycomb core.

ü Polymer is softer w/larger honeycomb cells - good material that holds up well.

ü Because it’s a softer material it is quieter and has great power but you’ll sacrifice some control compared to Nomex and aluminum.

ü Nomex and aluminum cores are also comprised of honeycomb cells.

ü Nomex is is a harder material which will perform longer due to the density of the material and smaller honeycomb size.

ü Nomex core is the inner layer of a pickleball paddle made of a cardboard type material that has been dipped in resin.

ü The resin serves to harden the cardboard to create an extremely durable material which is usually manufactured in a honey comb design which offers the built in advantage of low weight, combined with great structural strength.

ü These Nomex paddles are louder than the polymer core paddles and have slightly less power but fantastic control.

ü Aluminum has very similar performance to the Nomex core, aluminum cores have honeycomb construction.

ü However, primarily due to the weight and density of this material, they don’t have the kind of power you’ll find with polymer.

ü It’s greatest feature is the superior control – the downsides are noise and the ability to dent.

END PART TWO