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Competition Plastic

In table tennis, balls are classified into training balls and balls for competitions (or official tournaments). So far, both kinds of table tennis balls were made of celluloid, which were very common and popular. However, the official regulations of the ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) have changed substantially: Since 2014, it is prohibited to use celluloid balls in official, higher-league competitions. Only the new plastic balls, also called poly balls, are permitted. Both, celluloid and plastic balls, are made of plastics which are formed by so called macromolecules. These are very large molecules whose spatial arrangement repeats itself over and over again. Molecules are particles, which stick together by means of chemical bonds. Those molecules present in plastics are huge, hence called macromolecules. Macromolecules of plastics mainly consist of hydrogen and carbon compounds and are industrially produced since quite some time.

The reasons for prohibiting celluloid balls and introducing plastic balls lie in the material celluloid itself: Celluloid is a plastic material, a thermoplastic to be exact, and celluloid is made of Celluloid is made of camphor and cellulose nitrate. If you heat those celluloid balls, they´ll become easier to deform and, eventually, they melt and even go up in flames. Since celluloid is easily inflammable, those balls are manufactured and transported under strict safety regulations. Hence, they are classified as dangerous and hazardous goods which, in addition to the health hazard, also causes additional costs.

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