Yes, this is about boosters, again...

[DukeGaGa]

Just watched an interesting video on Bilibili, but since it's in Chinese I'll just do a quick summary here: we've got a booster patent file explaining how it's made, what's in it, and why it works.

And here it is, enjoy, if you know how to read Chinese. If you don't however, I'll see if I can find some time over the next few days to translate this file. Oh and btw it's already released into public domain, so no need to worry about downloading or sharing this.

tt booster patent.pdf

drive.google.com

 

[mihalichtheone]

It would be very interesting if someone translated this. Thanks a lot.

 

[brokenball]

I used googe translate. The file is too big to copy as text.

 

[hclnnkhg]

It would be very interesting if someone translated this. Thanks a lot.

Vitamin E is the key component!

 

[dingyibvs]

I posted about this article in the previous booster thread. The active ingredient is sodium bicarb, which gradually releases CO2 to keep the air bubbles in the sponge expanded and pressurized. The oil and wax should just be the solvent.

 

[hclnnkhg]

My summary of the patent. Things in quotes are what I am not sure about.

----------

The raw ingredients by weight portion of a environmentally-friendly non-toxic booster for sponges of table tennis rubbers

In the form of paste:

Antioxidants 0.02-0.1
Sodium bicarbonate 0.2-0.5
Wax 3-5
Oil 8-15

In the form of liquid:

Antioxidants 0.2~0.5
Sodium bicarbonate 0.2-0.5
Wax 3-8
Oil 70-80

----------

Oil includes one, or the combination of more than one of the following material, in any proportion:

Sea buckthorn seed oil, soybean oil, grape seed oil, Macadamia nut oil, jojoba oil, meadowfoam seed oil, shea butter, olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, sweet almond dulcis (sweet almonds) oil, persea graticis oil, hemp seed oil, camelia chinensis (camelina) seed oil, hydrogenated coco-glycerin esters, hydrogenated sunflower oil, theobroma cacao seed butter

Wax includes one, or the combination of more than one of the following material, in any proportion:

Beeswax, candelilla wax, carnauba wax, beeswax, sunflower wax, jojoba wax

Antioxidant includes one, or the combination of more than one of the following material, in any proportion:

Vitamin E, tert-Butylhydroquinone

----------

Steps to make a booster paste:

1. Homogenise antioxidant, Sodium bicarbonate and oil in a homogeniser for 20 minutes, then stir 20 minutes, seal and leave it for 3 days, filter the mixture with filter paper (300-400 mesh/inch)

2. Melt & homogenise wax and remaining oil by heating them to 90 degC, and cool it down to 50 degC before mixing with the product of step 1

3. Inject into mould and get paste product.

Steps to make a booster liquid:

1. same as step 1 above

2. same as step 2 above

3. Cool to room temperature and get liquid product.

-----------

Effect of this booster: when this is put on table tennis sponges, the oil will diffuse into the sponge, "forming a better adhesive surface"; wax will form a membrane; sodium bicarbonate slowly decompose and produce gas, forming bubbles within the wax.

------------

Examples (all of them are regular commercial products):

Ex 1 booster paste with the following ingredients:

Vitamin E 0.02 "price" (probably a typo of"portion")
Sodium bicarbonate 0.5
Beeswax 5
Olea europaea fruit oil 13

Ex 2 booster paste with the following ingredients:

Vitamin E 0.1
Sodium bicarbonate 0.2
Beeswax 3
Olea europaea fruit oil 8

Ex 3 booster paste with the following ingredients:

Vitamin E 0.05
Sodium bicarbonate 0.3
Beeswax 4
Olea europaea fruit oil 15

Steps to make a Ex 1,2,3: same as above (booster paste) except Vitamin E = antioxidant, Beeswax = wax, Olea europaea fruit oil = oil; filter with 300 mesh/inch filter paper

Ex 4 booster liquid with the following ingredients:

Vitamin E 0.3
Sodium bicarbonate 1
Beeswax 8
Olea europaea fruit oil 70

Ex 5 booster liquid with the following ingredients:

Vitamin E 0.5
Sodium bicarbonate 5
Beeswax 5
Olea europaea fruit oil 80

Ex 6 booster liquid with the following ingredients:

Vitamin E 0.2
Sodium bicarbonate 4
Beeswax 3
Olea europaea fruit oil 73

Steps to make a Ex 4,5,6: same as above (booster liquid) except Vitamin E = antioxidant, Beeswax = wax, Olea europaea fruit oil = oil; filter with 400 mesh/inch filter paper

----------

Testing of Ex 1-6:

Ex 1-6 are put on the sponge of a commercial rubber, left until completely absorbed by the sponge (the surface of the sponge is dry without oil). Measures the time for the rubber to become curled, and the time for curled rubber to become flat again.

Curl time (h):

Ex 1: 3
Ex 2: 3.5
Ex 3: 3
Ex 4: 4
Ex 5: 5
Ex 6: 4.5

Uncurl (effect lasting) time (d):

Ex 1: 17
Ex 2: 20
Ex 3: 19
Ex 4: 18
Ex 5: 15
Ex 6: 21

These samples have been tested by 10 national second-level athletes (people who have made quarter-finals in city-level or provincial-level tournaments, not the second team of CNT) and results shown that boosted rubbers play better.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Waiting for a comment from Igor

will he quote 1930s, or 1960s?

 

[brokenball]

I didn't read the pdf too carefully. It looks like a hoax.
What happens to all the residue left behind in the sponge? It isn't good if the residue stays in the sponge. It will make the sponge heavier. Salt crystals left behind won't help.
Also, some sponges are closed cell and others are open cell. The closed cell sponges won't absorb the booster. Closed cell foam is what they make dry suits out of. In other words, some sponges can't be boosted because they won't absorb the booster.

There is so much wasted time and money on boosters. It is better to just buy faster rubbers or blades then spend your time practicing/playing

 

[DukeGaGa]

My summary of the patent. Things in quotes are what I am not sure about.

----------

The raw ingredients by weight portion of a environmentally-friendly non-toxic booster for sponges of table tennis rubbers

In the form of paste:

Antioxidants 0.02-0.1
Sodium bicarbonate 0.2-0.5
Wax 3-5
Oil 8-15

In the form of liquid:

Antioxidants 0.2~0.5
Sodium bicarbonate 0.2-0.5
Wax 3-8
Oil 70-80

----------

Oil includes one, or the combination of more than one of the following material, in any proportion:

Sea buckthorn seed oil, soybean oil, grape seed oil, Macadamia nut oil, jojoba oil, meadowfoam seed oil, shea butter, olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, sweet almond dulcis (sweet almonds) oil, persea graticis oil, hemp seed oil, camelia chinensis (camelina) seed oil, hydrogenated coco-glycerin esters, hydrogenated sunflower oil, theobroma cacao seed butter

Wax includes one, or the combination of more than one of the following material, in any proportion:

Beeswax, candelilla wax, carnauba wax, beeswax, sunflower wax, jojoba wax

Antioxidant includes one, or the combination of more than one of the following material, in any proportion:

Vitamin E, tert-Butylhydroquinone

----------

Steps to make a booster paste:

1. Homogenise antioxidant, Sodium bicarbonate and oil in a homogeniser for 20 minutes, then stir 20 minutes, seal and leave it for 3 days, filter the mixture with filter paper (300-400 mesh/inch)

2. Melt & homogenise wax and remaining oil by heating them to 90 degC, and cool it down to 50 degC before mixing with the product of step 1

3. Inject into mould and get paste product.

Steps to make a booster liquid:

1. same as step 1 above

2. same as step 2 above

3. Cool to room temperature and get liquid product.

-----------

Effect of this booster: when this is put on table tennis sponges, the oil will diffuse into the sponge, "forming a better adhesive surface"; wax will form a membrane; sodium bicarbonate slowly decompose and produce gas, forming bubbles within the wax.

------------

Examples (all of them are regular commercial products):

Ex 1 booster paste with the following ingredients:

Vitamin E 0.02 "price" (probably a typo of"portion")
Sodium bicarbonate 0.5
Beeswax 5
Olea europaea fruit oil 13

Ex 2 booster paste with the following ingredients:

Vitamin E 0.1
Sodium bicarbonate 0.2
Beeswax 3
Olea europaea fruit oil 8

Ex 3 booster paste with the following ingredients:

Vitamin E 0.05
Sodium bicarbonate 0.3
Beeswax 4
Olea europaea fruit oil 15

Steps to make a Ex 1,2,3: same as above (booster paste) except Vitamin E = antioxidant, Beeswax = wax, Olea europaea fruit oil = oil; filter with 300 mesh/inch filter paper

Ex 4 booster liquid with the following ingredients:

Vitamin E 0.3
Sodium bicarbonate 1
Beeswax 8
Olea europaea fruit oil 70

Ex 5 booster liquid with the following ingredients:

Vitamin E 0.5
Sodium bicarbonate 5
Beeswax 5
Olea europaea fruit oil 80

Ex 6 booster liquid with the following ingredients:

Vitamin E 0.2
Sodium bicarbonate 4
Beeswax 3
Olea europaea fruit oil 73

Steps to make a Ex 4,5,6: same as above (booster liquid) except Vitamin E = antioxidant, Beeswax = wax, Olea europaea fruit oil = oil; filter with 400 mesh/inch filter paper

----------

Testing of Ex 1-6:

Ex 1-6 are put on the sponge of a commercial rubber, left until completely absorbed by the sponge (the surface of the sponge is dry without oil). Measures the time for the rubber to become curled, and the time for curled rubber to become flat again.

Curl time (h):

Ex 1: 3
Ex 2: 3.5
Ex 3: 3
Ex 4: 4
Ex 5: 5
Ex 6: 4.5

Uncurl (effect lasting) time (d):

Ex 1: 17
Ex 2: 20
Ex 3: 19
Ex 4: 18
Ex 5: 15
Ex 6: 21

These samples have been tested by 10 national second-level athletes (people who have made quarter-finals in city-level or provincial-level tournaments, not the second team of CNT) and results shown that boosted rubbers play better.

Nice translation.

The better translation for this "forming a better adhesive surface" should be:
when this is put on table tennis sponges, due to the oil used as one of the ingredients, it diffuses into the sponge fairly quickly, and forms a strong bond.

That “price” is not a typo though, because it’s actually a different word that looks similar. 价 is price, 份 is portion or part. In the context of this document it’s the meaning of “part”, like when you make bread you say xx part water, xx part milk, it’s to represent a ratio between the ingredients.

 

[DukeGaGa]

I didn't read the pdf too carefully. It looks like a hoax.
What happens to all the residue left behind in the sponge? It isn't good if the residue stays in the sponge. It will make the sponge heavier. Salt crystals left behind won't help.
Also, some sponges are closed cell and others are open cell. The closed cell sponges won't absorb the booster. Closed cell foam is what they make dry suits out of. In other words, some sponges can't be boosted because they won't absorb the booster.

There is so much wasted time and money on boosters. It is better to just buy faster rubbers or blades then spend your time practicing/playing

Everyone here knows that everything you don’t like is a hoax.

And what you stated is a known fact, boosting make rubbers heavier, and decreases the lifespan too.

 

[Choosikick]

I didn't read the pdf too carefully. It looks like a hoax.
What happens to all the residue left behind in the sponge? It isn't good if the residue stays in the sponge. It will make the sponge heavier. Salt crystals left behind won't help.
Also, some sponges are closed cell and others are open cell. The closed cell sponges won't absorb the booster. Closed cell foam is what they make dry suits out of. In other words, some sponges can't be boosted because they won't absorb the booster.

There is so much wasted time and money on boosters. It is better to just buy faster rubbers or blades then spend your time practicing/playing

Perhaps soda is used not in the form of crystals, but as a dense aqueous solution.

 

[Choosikick]

I also have doubts about how it will work. And for some reason there is confidence that it will be worse for Seamun.
But only practice is the criterion of truth. To understand whether it works or not, you just need to try it. The recipe is quite simple, the ingredients can be found in the kitchen, and tested on old rubber. Does anyone have a wish?

 

[Zwill]

Vitamin E is the key component!

Long pips players have been borrowing Vitamin D from the Sun too. Leaving their sheet on their car windshield for a couple of hot sunny days fills them up with a lot of Vitamin D which in return makes the ball drunk on every contact.

 

[Choosikick]

Long pips players have been borrowing Vitamin D from the Sun too. Leaving their sheet on their car windshield for a couple of hot sunny days fills them up with a lot of Vitamin D which in return makes the ball drunk on every contact.

No, this is due to UV light

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

No, this is due to UV light

new technology is called microwave light

 

[Zwill]

new technology is called microwave light

Hmm, I think that is more harmful for the health than sunlight! Better take this one to the ITTF!

 

[brokenball]

Perhaps soda is used not in the form of crystals, but as a dense aqueous solution.

The whole point is for the bicarb to break down into a gas. CO2. That would leave the Na residue behind.
When you let sea water dry it leaves some salt behind.

Long pips players have been borrowing Vitamin D from the Sun too. Leaving their sheet on their car windshield for a couple of hot sunny days fills them up with a lot of Vitamin D which in return makes the ball drunk on every contact.

There is no vitamin D in the light. People synthesize vitamin D from the UV part of the spectrum.
Sun light will make LP pips more brittle so The coefficient of friction drops. The problem is that the brittle pips tend to break.
I have put a sheet of 755 0X in the back of my car that faces south when parked at work, When the LP begins to smell it is time to remove them from the sun or they will get to be too brittle.

I have also thought about buying a Japanese anti and exposing it to the sun to create "frictionless" anti without the high price.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Hmm, I think that is more harmful for the health than sunlight! Better take this one to the ITTF!

Well, back to some serious note.
I heard from coaches who know some vets (so lets say hearsay), some vets put rubbers into the microwave for a few seconds to "boost"

I do not know if this is true or not (since I don't deal in the Vets space), but apparently, such microwave is quite common

 

[Zwill]

Well, back to some serious note.
I heard from coaches who know some vets (so lets say hearsay), some vets put rubbers into the microwave for a few seconds to "boost"

I do not know if this is true or not (since I don't deal in the Vets space), but apparently, such microwave is quite common

I can imagine it's temperature related. From my feeling below 18 degrees many rubbers start to become harder and less bouncy. Maybe a bit of microwave heating helps, but in that case it's temporary only. But I have never tried this so can't comment much.
Donic used to sell a rubber heater back in the day.

 

[Choosikick]

Well, back to some serious note.
I heard from coaches who know some vets (so lets say hearsay), some vets put rubbers into the microwave for a few seconds to "boost"

I do not know if this is true or not (since I don't deal in the Vets space), but apparently, such microwave is quite common

Maybe they do this to warm up the rubber and glue before removing it? Previously, very sticky rubber glue was rolled off the rubber with an iron.
Tony, who are the vets?