Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • K Show
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • Processor of the Year
    • Best Places to Work
      • 2023 winners
    • Women Breaking the Mold
    • Rising Stars
    • Diversity
    • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • Pellets and Politics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • Bioplastics Live
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Resin Prices
    • Resin Prices Overview
    • Commodity Thermoplastics
    • High Temperature Thermoplastics
    • Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Thermosets
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
News
July 25, 2014 02:00 AM

DuPont resins help take Nike golf balls 'Fore!'ward

Mike Scott
RUBBER && PLASTICS NEWS
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    Nike Inc.
    Nike Inc.'s next general RZN golf ball uses new material technology developed by DuPont Co.

    WILMINGTON, DEL. — It may be difficult to imagine just how much science, not to mention rubber and plastic components, go into a golf ball. But global giant DuPont Co. believes that it has found the holy grail of golf balls with a new product comprised of ionomer resin technology.

    DuPont's science is at the core of Nike Inc.'s next generation RZN golf ball (known as the resin black ball), which was designed to deliver more energy at impact for faster ball speed, longer distance and a more stable ball flight. Released commercially this spring and retailing at more than $40 per dozen, the Nike Golf RZN ball has “broken the linear relationship between soft and fast,” according to Janice Granato, DuPont global golf ball segment director.

    “For years, you have had soft balls, which are great around the green, and harder balls, which are perfect for distance,” she said. “But we have taken it a step further and now have the most advanced ball available.”

    DuPont “broke the paradigm,” she said, with a new resin composition for golf ball cores that provides compression (softness) and speed for golf balls. Nike's proprietary Speedlock RZN core technology uses this science of DuPont's engineered advanced ionomer resin technology to achieve both distance and control.

    These balls are based on a patented, advanced ionomer technology that enables unprecedented levels of ionic crosslinking to deliver a combination of high resilience and low compression previously reserved for thermoset polybutadiene rubbers.

    DuPont has been involved in developing the material science of golf balls for more than 50 years, helping to pioneer “cut resistant durability” in the 1960s and evolving into high-performing balls over the past decade, Granato said. The company provides material science for virtually all golf ball manufacturers, and has professionals dedicated to golf ball technology in three locations around the U.S.

    “It's a huge challenge because a significant breakthrough in new (golf ball technology) science can take many, many years,” she said. “This industry moves so quickly that we have to come up with new and exciting material science on an annual basis.”

    Nike Inc.

    The Nike RZN ball uses multiple layers to improve performance.

    Nike was the partner for DuPont for this particular golf ball project, but the company has deep relationships with others. Advertising campaigns have been developed and will be seen through the summer.

    The advanced performance resin technology also offers the potential for improved sustainability in golf as up to 30 percent of the core material's weight is from renewably sourced content.

    In a statement, Nike said the key to this design is core technology based on an interlocking design—with a surface area similar to that of a waffle iron—so the compression layer forms a tighter bond and helps promote better energy transfer at impact.

    “We knew we hadn't pulled 100 percent of the energy that we could out of the existing RZN core,” said Rock Ishii, senior director, Nike Golf product development. “Working in partnership with DuPont, we were able to develop a softer and faster RZN material ... that means more distance, especially with fairway woods, irons and wedges, and softer feel and sound around the greens.”

    The depth of technology with golf balls would shock any consumer, Granato said.

    “That little white golf ball has many layers—multiple mantel layers, outer and inner cores. With each one of those layers, the golf ball manufacturers are responsible for the design science, and we are responsible for the material science,” she said. “It's an amazing combination of science and art. These are made of compressive materials that are very resilient from a thermoplastic standpoint.

    “Our goal is not to compare against other materials but to provide what the market in general needs for golf balls. We try to come up with the material science to make it more fun for anyone—including a duffer like me — to play golf.”

    Most golfers representing Nike Golf, including Europeans Rory McIlroy, winner of this year's British Open, and Paul Casey, have used the ball in 2014.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Clean Vision to spend $50M on West Virginia pyrolysis plant
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    PP resin prices saw a big drop in May
    2
    Orion steps up production at South Carolina compounding plant
    3
    EPA standing pat on pyrolysis regulations for now
    4
    Germany's Stratec buys medical molder Natech to boost US presence
    5
    Sustainable materials a focus of Primex expansion
    SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Tire Business
    • Urethanes Technology
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • K Show
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
          • 2023 winners
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • Pellets and Politics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • Bioplastics Live
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Resin Prices
      • Resin Prices Overview
      • Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temperature Thermoplastics
      • Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Recycled Plastics
      • Thermosets
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified