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Golf ball cover compositions and method of making same

  • US 6,121,384 A
  • Filed: 12/18/1998
  • Issued: 09/19/2000
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1995
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A golf ball comprising a cover and a core, said cover optionally comprising more than one layer and said core optionally comprising more than one layer, wherein at least one of said cover layers comprises a saponified polymer prepared by a process which comprises:

  • a) forming a polymer comprising (1) a first monomeric component comprising a first olefinic monomer having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms;

    (2) a second monomeric component comprising an unsaturated carboxylic acid based acrylate class ester having from 4 to 22 carbon atoms; and

    (3) an optional third monomeric component comprising at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, an anhydride monomer, an unsaturated monocarboxylic acid, a second olefin having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, and a vinyl ester or a vinyl ether of an alkyl acid having from 4 to 21 carbon atoms;

    b) applying a sufficient amount of heat to said polymer to convert said polymer to a substantially molten state;

    c) forming a mixture by adding an inorganic metal base to said molten polymer such that the viscosity of the mixture remains substantially unchanged from the viscosity of the molten polymer;

    followed byd) saponifying said mixture to produce a polymer salt adapted for forming improved golf ball cover layers, wherein a sufficient amount of the inorganic metal base is added to said molten polymer in forming said mixture to obtain a degree of saponification of said polymer ranging between about 1 and 50 percent.

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