EBONITE Products

Why Lane Oil Saturation Plays Only A Minor Part In Loss Of Ball Performance
Lane oil has a higher molecular weight than plasticizer. Because of this, plasticizer flows more freely throughout the coverstock than lane oil. Although bowling balls do absorb lane oil, the rate of lane oil absorption is ball dependent.

Oil is placed on a lane typically in the head and mid-lane section. The backend of the lane is relatively dry with the exception of small amounts of carrydown. Since the loss of hook is in the backend of the lane, how can oil, or oil saturation, cause ball death when virtually no oil is present where the loss of reaction occurs? Ebonite believes that lane oil absorption is not the primary reason for loss in ball performance. Instead, there are two different reasons for this loss of performance by most particle and reactive balls.

The Reactive Ball Death Theory
It’s more plasticizer saturation than lane oil absorption

The widely accepted theory is that since reactive balls absorb oil, they become saturated with oil and lose their reaction. Several products have been created to address oil absorption. Some claim to stop oil absorption in the first place. Remember without oil absorption friction will not be at its highest. Others use heat to sweat the oil out of the ball. Tests have confirmed that heat can distort, shrink, crack, and reduce performance on a coverstock.

Diagram 5 shows the effects of heat on a coverstock. Notice the sweating of plasticizer on the surface of the coverstock as heat is applied. During the heating process, the coverstock expands and is strained as plasticizer is expelled. This can cause cracking of the coverstock.

When the heat is removed, the coverstock begins to shrink at a higher rate than the expansion, causing the ball to be smaller than the original size. This increases stress and makes the coverstock brittle. These reasons are evidence enough for Ebonite to discourage the use of heat to restore performance to a bowling ball.

Diagram 5