Lava chalk is the newest in billiard chalk technology. It's principles are based on friction, the most important job of a great billiard chalk. Friction helps to hold your tip to the cue ball for that critical moment of impact when you still have control of your shot. Lava maximizes friction and optmizes chalk retention, but how?
Straight from the Earth‰۪s molten core at a toasty 2000 degrees, the key ingredient for this chalk is literally lava. It‰۪s a basaltic magma that ends up as a rock called scoria. Scoria is then taken, crushed and pulverized from a slag to a powder. It is then carefully calibrated into a master blend to maximize the effects of the lava for biliard chalk.
Why is lava good for the end of a pool cue?
Viscosity and paramagnetism. Simply put, every rock we use is the result of lava, which only flows at incredibly high temperatures. It takes these thermal extremes because of its high iron content. Once the lava transforms into rock, it reacts on a subatomic level with water, essentially gluing hydrogen bonds together and trapping moisture. The effect of this process is called paramagnetism, which creates viscosity thousands of times higher than water. Viscosity equals friction and friction is the single purpose of billiard chalk.
What about the color?
It‰۪s the iron. Basaltic lava starts out black, almost like oil, until it finally erupts. When it hits the atmosphere, it oxidizes and turns reddish brown, exactly like rust.
A coloring agent could easily have been added to create the familiar blue everyone knows, but the manufacturer figured Mother Nature knew what she was doing and why add chemicals to something that gets on a player's hands. It also looks really cool!
Lava Chalkå¨ is for real. Try it and see for yourself.
