GOLF BALL INCORPORATING MELT PROCESSABLE HIGHLY-CROSSLINKED RUBBER-CONTAINING IONOMER(S)

• US 20190321690A1
• Filed: 04/18/2018
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Bulpett, David A., Comeau, Brian, Blink, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 10,773,132 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0039 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0048 Melt flow rate [MFR]
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00621 Centre hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00622 Surface hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0063 Hardness gradient
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0076 Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0078 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0087 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0092 Hardness distribution amongst different ball layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0093 Moisture vapour transmission rate [MVTR]
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/03 containing three or more polymers in a blend
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/035 containing four or more polymers in a blend
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0876 Neutralised polymers, i.e. ionomers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0884 Epoxide containing esters
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/16 Elastomeric ethene-propene or ethene-propene-diene copolymers, e.g. EPR and EPDM rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/26 modified by chemical after-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 51/06 grafted on to homopolymers or copolymers of aliphatic hydrocarbons containing only one carbon-to-carbon double bond

Abstract

Golf ball incorporating layer(s) of a mixture consisting of: i) ionomer(s); ii) ethylene propylene rubber(s)(EPR(s)); iii) polymeric epoxy crosslinker(s); and iv) compatibilizing polymer(s). The ionomer(s) and EPR(s) may be included in a blend in a wt % ratio of from about 85:15 to 55:45; the at least one polymeric epoxy crosslinker and compatibilizing polymer may be included in amounts, based on 100 parts of the blend, of from about 2.0 to about 10.0 parts; and from about 1.0 to about 10.0 parts, respectively. Each ionomer, EPR, polymeric epoxy crosslinker, and compatibilizing polymer has a density less than 1.0 g/cm³. The mixture is melt processable/moldable without meanwhile sacrificing target CoR, DCM compression, Shore D hardness, and Shore C hardness.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising at least one layer consisting of a mixture of:

i) at least one ionomer;

ii) at least one ethylene propylene rubber;

iii) at least one polymeric epoxy crosslinker; and

iv) at least one compatibilizing polymer.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the at least one ionomer and the at least one ethylene propylene rubber are included in a blend in a wt % ratio of from about 85:

15 to 55;

45; and

wherein the at least one polymeric epoxy crosslinker is included in the mixture in an amount of from about 2.0 to about 10.0 parts based on 100 parts of the blend; and

at least one compatibilizing polymer is included in the mixture in an amount of from about 1.0 to about 10.0 parts based on 100 parts of the blend.

3. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the at least one ionomer and the at least one ethylene propylene rubber are included in a blend in a wt % ratio of from about 65:

35 to 70;

30; and

wherein the at least one polymeric epoxy crosslinker is included in the mixture in an amount of from about 3.0 to about 5.0 parts based on 100 parts of the blend; and

at least one compatibilizing polymer is included in the mixture in an amount of from about 1.5 to about 2.5 parts based on 100 parts of the blend.

4. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein each ionomer, ethylene propylene rubber, polymeric epoxy crosslinker, and compatibilizing polymer has a density that is less than 1.0 g/cm³.

5. The golf ball of claim 4, wherein the at least one layer has a Shore D material hardness that is within 10 Shore D hardness points of a Shore D material hardness of the ethylene propylene rubber.

6. The golf ball of claim 4, wherein the at least one layer has a Shore D material hardness that differs from a Shore D material hardness of the ethylene propylene rubber by greater than 10 Shore D hardness points and by less than 30 Shore D hardness points.

7. The golf ball of claim 4, wherein each ethylene propylene rubber, polymeric epoxy crosslinker, and compatibilizing polymer has a % moisture absorption that is less than a % moisture absorption of each ionomer.

8. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein each ethylene propylene rubber, polymeric epoxy crosslinker, and compatibilizing polymer has a moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR) that is less than 1.0 g·

mm/m²·

day@38°

C.

9. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the at least one layer is an inner cover that is surrounded by an outer cover layer comprised of a thermoset polyurethane.

10. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the at least one layer is an inner cover that is disposed about a spherical subassembly and is surrounded by an outer cover layer comprised of a thermoplastic polyurethane.

11. The golf ball of claim 4, wherein the at least one layer is an outer cover layer having a Shore D material hardness of from 45 to 65 and is formed about a spherical subassembly.

12. The golf ball of claim 4, wherein the at least one layer has a material hardness of from about 45 Shore D to about 65 Shore D and surrounds a core having a surface hardness of from about 70 Shore C to about 92 Shore C;

and an outer cover layer has a material hardness of from about 40 Shore D to about 65 Shore D.

13. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the core is a single core having a geometric center hardness that is less than or equal to the surface hardness of the single core.

14. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the core comprises an inner core surrounded by an outer core layer.

15. A golf ball comprising at least one layer comprising a mixture consisting of:

i) at least one ionomer;

ii) at least one ethylene propylene rubber;

iii) at least one polymeric epoxy crosslinker; and

iv) at least one compatibilizing polymer.

16. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the at least one ionomer and the at least one ethylene propylene rubber are included in a blend in a wt % ratio of about 85:

15 to 55;

45; and

wherein the at least one polymeric epoxy crosslinker is included in the mixture in an amount of from about 2.0 to about 10.0 parts based on 100 parts of the blend; and

at least one compatibilizing polymer is included in the mixture in an amount of from about 1.0 to about 10.0 parts based on 100 parts of the blend.

17. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the at least one ionomer and the at least one ethylene propylene rubber are included in a blend in a wt % ratio of about 65:

35 to 70;

30; and

wherein the at least one polymeric epoxy crosslinker is included in the mixture in an amount of from about 3.0 to about 5.0 parts based on 100 parts of the blend; and

at least one compatibilizing polymer is included in the mixture in an amount of from about 1.5 to about 2.5 parts based on 100 parts of the blend.

18. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein each ionomer, ethylene propylene rubber, polymeric epoxy crosslinker, and compatibilizing polymer has a density that is less than 1.0 g/cm³.

19. The golf ball of claim 18, wherein the at least one layer has a Shore D material hardness that is within 10 Shore D hardness points of a Shore D material hardness of the ethylene propylene rubber.

20. The golf ball of claim 18, wherein the at least one layer has a Shore D material hardness that is within 10 Shore D hardness points of a Shore D material hardness of the ethylene propylene rubber.

21. The golf ball of claim 18, wherein each ethylene propylene rubber, polymeric epoxy crosslinker, and compatibilizing polymer has a % moisture absorption that is less than a % moisture absorption of each ionomer.

22. The golf ball of claim 21, wherein each ethylene propylene rubber, polymeric epoxy crosslinker, and compatibilizing polymer has a moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR) that is less than 1.0 g·

mm/m²·

day@38°

C.

23. The golf ball of claim 22, wherein the at least one ionomer is a blend of a lithium ionomer and a sodium ionomer, and the ethylene propylene rubber is an ethylene-based hexane plastomer;

and the polymeric epoxy crosslinker is a random terpolymer of ethylene, acrylic ester and gylycidyl methacrylate; and

the compatibilizing polymer is an anhydride-modified high density ethylene propylene rubber.

24. The golf ball of claim 22, wherein the at least one layer is an inner cover that is Surrounded by an outer cover layer comprised of a thermoset polyurethane.

25. The golf ball of claim 22, wherein the at least one layer is an inner cover that is disposed about a spherical subassembly and is surrounded by an outer cover layer comprised of a thermoplastic polyurethane.

26. The golf ball of claim 18, wherein the at least one layer is an outer cover layer having a Shore D material hardness of from 45 to 75 and is formed about a spherical subassembly.

27. The golf ball of claim 18, wherein the at least one layer has a material hardness of from about 50 Shore D to about 75 Shore D and surrounds a core having a surface hardness of from about 70 Shore C to about 92 Shore C;

and an outer cover layer surrounds the at least one layer and has a material hardness of from about 40 Shore D to about 65 Shore D.

28. The golf ball of claim 27, wherein the core is a single core having a geometric center hardness that is less than or equal to the surface hardness of the single core.

29. The golf ball of claim 27, wherein the core comprises an inner core surrounded by an outer core layer.