Polybutadiene and its role in the golf ball core : an honors thesis (HONRS 499)

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Authors
Cox, Kyle E.
Advisor
Morris, Robert J. (Robert Joseph), 1963-2016
Issue Date
2006
Keyword
Degree
Thesis (B.?)
Department
Honors College
Other Identifiers
Abstract

As the race for distance off the tee continues, golf ball manufacturers are constantly seeking out any possible way to improve their product. The one area in the game of golf that has prospered the most from technology is in the golf ball. More specifically speaking, the greatest advances have taken place in the development of the core of the ball. Polybutadiene is a synthetic type of rubber that is produced after Butadiene, a petrochemical, undergoes a solidification process called emulsion polymerization. New materials are constantly being tested in hopes of finding the next product that everyone will want. In an effort to find out more about the golf ball core, I give a brief overview of the production and history of Polybutadiene, as well as where manufacturers are letting technology take them today.