What are Paintballs made of?
When you are on the pitch, you may be wondering exactly what you are getting into when you expose yourself to an opponent with a marker. Luckily, you can rest assured you’re lighting yourself up with non-toxic, biodegradable materials, but if you’re wondering about the science behind it all, we’ve got you covered.
Paintballs actually consist of two parts: the shell and the filler. The shell compromises the exterior which breaks on impact, and the filling itself is the dye and solvent that make the trademark splatter on contact.
WHAT IS THE SHELL MADE OF?
The shell of paintballs is almost invariably constructed of gelatin. Think of them as a large supplement capsule, the material holds the filling well and will break with a heavy impact. Say, being pushed by a burst of CO2 in your mask.
The origin of paintballs is a little less certain: they were made of thin glass. However, these were mainly used to mark livestock and trees and were not used for sports.
Gelatin has a number of interesting properties, but the main one that will affect most players is the fact that once dropped it has a tendency to absorb water. This can cause swelling even with a limited amount of contact time.
The swelling can cause jams in the marker or cause the bullet to break in the barrel which results in confusion.
Basically, if you’ve dropped your paintball… let it go. Retrieving it might seem cheap, but once they hit the ground, you really don’t want to use them anymore.
You will also need to keep them out of the sun and prolonged exposure to the air. This can cause the jelly to harden, meaning you won’t get a satisfying splat when you hit your opponent and will instead have to rely on them noticing the hit.
This excessive drying can also cause the paintball to warp, leading to breakage of the barrel and compromising the accuracy of the shot.
For this reason, many players buy their paintballs just before their next time on the field. You just don’t want them to sit for too long or they will “go wrong”.
WHAT IS FILLING MADE OF?
Filling is the liquid contained within the paintball.
The consistency of these is much more varied than the shell, which is practically invariably jelly. Most modern paintballs are made using water-soluble dyes contained within the polyethylene glycol.
PEG freezes at a lower temperature even than water, something like -15 ° C which makes the myth of “frozen paintballs” maiming someone much less likely than it appears on the surface.
While it’s possible that some of the earliest paintballs around may be frozen, modern ones are more likely to warp and shrink and just gum the barrel rather than transform into a deadly bullet.
In addition to the PEG filling, there are also some very inexpensive variations that use an oil-based filling. There isn’t much for them to recommend, so you should avoid them if possible.
Oil-based filling is harsh on equipment, makes it more difficult to wash clothing and other wearable tools, and can have an effect on the local environment. These cheap variations are why many camps require you to buy your own paint instead of allowing you to bring your own.
ARE PAINTBALLS TOXIC?
For the most part, you will find that paintballs are completely non-toxic. You don’t have to worry if you get crap in your mouth during a game or whatever, and they’re made entirely of food grade materials, so eating one won’t hurt too much either.
Eating a lot of them is inconsiderate, as you are likely to have a laxative effect. This is the main reason why you should always keep them away from children. The “rubbery” texture and bright colors can make them attractive.
There is one area where care should be taken, however. Paintballs can be very toxic to cats and dogs. They are “osmotically active,” which means they pull water from the intestinal tract and can cause severe imbalances in electrolytes.
This can prove to be fatal. If your dog or cat has ingested paintball, it is best to seek veterinary treatment immediately.
HOW CAN I WASH PAINTBALL PAINT?
If you’re wearing regular clothes, instead of specific gear, while on the pitch, then you want to know the best way to wash the paint after you inevitably hit.
Your best bet is to try to use clothing that is durable and water resistant in any case, as this can prevent it from being permeated. If you choose wisely, you will often be able to wash it off right away with water.
If you’re using more normal clothing, however, you won’t need to take dramatic measurements. The easiest way is to simply wash them as you would anything else, even if you may want to wash the clothing yourself.
First treat it with any pre-stain that you normally find useful. Put the clothes in the washer and run a normal cycle, but don’t throw it in the dryer right after.
Instead, let it air dry and see if any stains remain. Sometimes you end up with something stubborn, but don’t pop bleach and steel wool just yet.
If the stain is particularly difficult to remove, soak the distressed clothes for half an hour in an aqueous solution with a little ammonia and dish soap . Afterwards, wash it again and let it air dry. This should remove even the most stubborn paintball stains.
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CONCLUSION
Paintballs are easily cleanable and virtually non-toxic to humans, although animals that consume a large amount suffer from toxicity. The best part is that they’re biodegradable too, so you don’t have to worry about getting them when you’re done with a session in the woods. Hopefully, we’ve shown you exactly what paintballs are made of and some of the unique properties inherent in their construction.
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