Kobe Steel has developed a new titanium alloy used in the face of Mizuno Corporation's JPX E300 driver. The alloy is commonly called "Nama Titan" (Raw Titanium), because after the sheet is cold-rolled, it is processed and formed without heating and heat-treatment. The JPX E300 driver, which went on sale last month, is sold only in Japan.
The new Ti-15Mo-3Al alloy has an unmatched low modulus of elasticity leading to a high coefficient of restitution (COR). With the new material containing 15% molybdenum and 3% aluminum, strength is maintained while the lowest modulus level ever for this strength was achieved by heat-treatment of the club head in the manufacturing process.
In the conventional process, titanium bar and sheet are hot forged and pressed to form golf club heads. However, Mizuno has omitted the heat-treatment process to fully utilize the material characteristics of the new titanium alloy. By introducing a new club head design and new face material, Mizuno has created a driver with a carry that is 10 yards longer, compared with its existing drivers having a head speed of 43 m/s, the average for amateur golfers.
Kobe Steel has developed more titanium alloys than any other Japanese titanium manufacturer, not only for golf clubs, but also for aircraft, auto components, and other applications. Leveraging its edge as an integrated titanium manufacturer from ingot melting to final products, Kobe Steel continues to meet user needs by developing materials for their varied requirements.
http://www.kobelco.co.jp