iskandar taib wrote: ABS isn't just ABS. There are probably thousands of different ABS formulations. There's stuff you can add to the ABS - other polymers, plasticizers, etc. If there were only one type of ABS it wouldn't have taken so long to develop orange balls - they would have had to tweak the formula until they found one that worked. Whatever it is it's either a trade secret or it's been patented. And you can bet they continue to test new ones.
As to why less spin. The new balls are larger in diameter. And they're heavier. So 1) you get less RPM for a given tagential speed and 2) if you generate the same sideways force (via the Coanda effect) there is more mass to be acted upon. See if you can find some of the old 38mm balls, THAT was a huge change. Those balls would probably be uncontrollable with today's bats.
Iskandar
Yes, Exactly,
The typical ABS formula for a variety of consumer goods is known to produce a resulting material with specific gravity of 1.10. Meanwile celluloid material for making table tennis balls since early 1900's is a high-density material of 1.40 -1.45. We now looking to produce a better ABS material with density of 1.35 at minimum. It is a tricky task though.
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