What are pool and snooker balls made of?

Question

What are pool and snooker balls made of?

Answer 1

It's a hard,plastic-like substance called Crystallate or Aramith (depending on how old your club is)...they used to be ivory.

Answer 2

bakelite and crystalate, i think it used to be celluloid nitrate.

Answer 3

Maybe ivory, but I'm not sure. Could also be some kind of synthetic material...

Answer 4

Historically, snooker balls were made exclusively from heavy ivory. Thankfully, these quickly became a thing of the past and were replaced before the Second World War by lighter Crystalate balls made from the crushed shin bones of cows. Crystalate balls were subsequently replaced by Super Crystalate balls, made from entirely synthetic material. These were then replaced by the Aramith balls utilised in today's game. Aramith balls are ideally suited to the demands of the modern game, as they are more reactive to spin and power shots, thereby presenting greater opportunities for enhanced cue ball control.

Answer 5

Balls are currently being made out of synthetic resins.  Cheaper balls will use polyesther resins, while better balls like Aramiths and Brunswick's Centenials are made out of phenolic.  The phenolic resin is harder and much more durable than the polyesther resins used, but also much more expensive.  Not only are better sets made out of phenolic, but they're better made.  A perfect sphere is one of the most difficult natural shapes to make, and good sets are made to very exacting standards using colored resins so that the color on even the number penetrates deep into the ball.  Additionally on top end sets every single ball will be weighed and measured to be sure they're all within strict tolerances and matched within a set.

Answer 6

used to be ivory but ivory is mostly illegal to use on things now.. to cut down on elephant poching.. you can still get ivory but it is way more expensive nowadays and only harvested from culled elephants(when they have to kill a few) or from fossils of mamoths ivory.. now pool balls are usually some type of acrylic, among other things..

Answer 7

USED TO BE IVORY

Answer 8

sawdust.

LOL