HIGHLY NEUTRALIZED POLYMER MATERIAL WITH HEAVY MASS FILLERS FOR A GOLF BALL

• US 20090011858A1
• Filed: 07/22/2008
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: KENNEDY, THOMAS J. III, BINETTE, MARK L.
• Application Number:
  US12/177,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20090011858A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/373
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0041 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0045 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0065 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0066 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0091 Density distribution amongst the different ball layers

Abstract

Disclosed herein is novel thermoplastic material and a golf ball utilizing the thermoplastic material. The golf ball (10) preferably comprises a core (12), a cover (16) and optionally a boundary layer (14). At least one of the core (12), cover (16) or boundary layer (14) of the golf ball (10) comprises the thermoplastic material. The thermoplastic material comprises a partially to highly neutralized blend of copolymers additionally comprising a fatty acid or fatty acid salt, and a heavy mass filler in an amount ranging from 10 parts by weight to 50 parts by weight of the material, with the heavy mass filler having a density greater than the copolymer. The golf ball component of the invention has soft feel and resilience that is maintained or improved.

Claims

1. A material for use in a golf ball, the material comprising:

a copolymer of an alpha-olefin and an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid;

an alpha-olefin and an alkyl acrylate;

a fatty acid or salt of a fatty acid in an amount of 10 to 60 parts by weight of material; and

a heavy mass filler in an amount ranging from 10 parts by weight to 50 parts by weight of the material, the heavy mass filler having a density greater than the copolymer, the heavy mass filler selected from the group consisting of barium sulfate, zinc sulfide, tungsten carbide, zinc oxide, zinc powder, titanium oxide and aluminum oxide;

wherein the material is partially to highly neutralized from 10 to 100 percent neutralized.

2. The material according to claim 1 wherein the fatty acid salt is a metal stearate selected from the group consisting of calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, zinc stearate, barium stearate, aluminum stearate, lithium stearate and sodium stearate.

3. The material according to claim 1 further comprising a second fatty acid or fatty acid salt.

4. A golf ball comprising:

a core;

a cover layer formed over the core,

wherein at least one of the core and the cover layer comprises a blend of

     1) a copolymer of an alpha-olefin and an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid,

     2) an alpha-olefin and an alkyl acrylate,

     3) a fatty acid or salt of a fatty acid, and

     4) a heavy mass filler in an amount ranging from 10 parts by weight to 50 parts by weight of the material, the heavy mass filler having a density greater than the copolymer;

wherein the blend is partially to highly neutralized from 10 to 100 percent neutralized.

5. The golf ball according to claim 4 wherein the heavy mass filler is present in an amount ranging from 20 parts by weight to 30 parts by weight of the material.

6. The golf ball according to claim 4 wherein the wherein the heavy mass filler is selected from the group consisting of barium sulfate, zinc sulfide, tungsten carbide, zinc oxide, zinc powder, titanium oxide and aluminum oxide.

7. The golf ball according to claim 4 wherein the fatty acid salt is a metal stearate.

8. The golf ball according to claim 7 wherein the metal stearate is selected from the group consisting of calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, zinc stearate, barium stearate, aluminum stearate, lithium stearate and sodium stearate.

9. A golf ball comprising:

a core;

a boundary layer formed over the core; and

a cover formed over the core, the cover composed of a fast chemical reaction polyurethane material formed from reactants comprising diisocyanate and a polyol;

wherein the core or the boundary layer are composed of a thermoplastic material comprising

a copolymer of an alpha-olefin and an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid,

an alpha-olefin and an alkyl acrylate,

a fatty acid or salt of a fatty acid,

a heavy mass filler in an amount ranging from 10 parts by weight to 50 parts by weight of the material, the heavy mass filler having a density greater than the copolymer,

wherein the thermoplastic material is neutralized from 50% to 100%.

10. A polymer blend for a golf ball comprising:

50 parts of a high acid ionomer;

50 parts of a metallocene catalyzed ethylene alpha-olefin copolymer;

7 to 10 parts magnesium hydroxide;

approximately 67 parts of an oleic acid; and

to 65 parts barium sulfate.

11. The polymer blend according to claim 10 wherein a core for a golf ball is composed of the polymer blend, and the core has a coefficient of restitution greater than 0.775 and an Instron compression ranging from 0.095 to 0.110.

12. The polymer blend according to claim 10 wherein the polymer blend is 90 to 100% neutralized.

13. The polymer blend according to claim 10 wherein the barium sulfate is 15 to 30 weight percent of the polymer blend.