Dual core golf ball compositions

• US 6,180,722 B1
• Filed: 09/25/1998
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Pasqua, Samuel A., Dalton, Jeffrey L., Bissonnette, Laurent C., Ladd, Derek A., Harris, Kevin M., Gosetti, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttner, David J.
• Application Number:
  US09/160,101
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 473/373, 473/374, 525/193
• US Class Current: 525/193
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/30 Maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• 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 37/00621 Centre hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00622 Surface hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0066 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0069 Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0075 Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0076 Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/18 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. compression moulding around inserts or for coating articles B29C43/206 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0042 Producing plain balls hollow balls B29D22/04
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/54 Balls
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/545 Football balls
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 285/00 Macromolecular compounds obtained by polymerising monomers on to preformed graft polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/098 Metal salts of carboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 51/04 grafted on to rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/00 Compositions of block copolymers containing at least one sequence of a polymer obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/02 : of vinyl-aromatic monomers and conjugated dienes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 9/00 : Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of conjugated diene hydrocarbons

Abstract

A dual core golf ball and methods for preparing portions thereof including a core having at least one core layer, a mantle having at least one layer including an amount of reinforcing polymer component and a resilient polymer component disposed concentrically adjacent the core, and a cover layer disposed concentrically adjacent the mantle, wherein the at least one mantle layer is sufficiently rigid to inhibit the resilient polymer component from substantially altering shape prior to crosslinking. The invention also includes an elastomeric composition for the mantle that includes a resilient polymer component having a predominantly 1,4-cis content, a free-radical initiator, and a reinforcing polymer component having a sufficiently low viscosity at a mixing temperature to permit substantially uniform dispersion of the polymer component with the resilient polymer component and having a crystalline melting point sufficiently low to permit mixing while avoiding substantial crosslinking.

Claims

1. A multi-layer golf ball comprising:

a center comprising a first resilient polymer component and a first metal acrylate crosslinking agent present in an amount from greater than 12 to about 35 parts per hundred of the polymer;

a mantle having at least one layer disposed concentrically about the center, which layer comprises a second resilient polymer component, a reinforcing polymer component having a crystalline melting temperature from about 35°

C. to 120°

C. present in an amount from about 1 to 40 parts per hundred of the total polymer, wherein the second resilient polymer component is present in an amount from about 60 to 99 parts per hundred of the total polymer and wherein the mantle layer is sufficiently rigid prior to crosslinking to inhibit the second resilient polymer component in the mantle from substantially altering shape; and

a cover having at least one layer disposed concentrically about the mantle.

2. The ball of claim 1 wherein the at least one mantle layer further comprises a second metal acrylate crosslinking agent present in an amount from about 36 to 50 parts per hundred of the total polymer.

3. The ball of claim 1 wherein the center further comprises a filler including at least one of a coloring agent, a metal, or sulfate, oxide, carbonate, or silicate thereof, or ground rubber, wherein the filler is present in an amount from about 0.5 to 80 parts per hundred of the polymer.

4. The ball of claim 1 wherein the mantle further comprises a filler including at least one of a coloring agent, a metal, or sulfate, oxide, carbonate, or silicate thereof, or ground rubber, present in an amount from about 1 to 20 parts per hundred of the polymer in the mantle.

5. The ball of claim 1, wherein the first and second resilient polymer components each have a molecular weight average of about 50,000 to 1,000,000.

6. The ball of claim 1, wherein the second resilient polymer component is present in an amount from about 70 to 90 parts per hundred of the polymer in the mantle.

7. The ball of claim 1, further comprising at least one organic peroxide present in at least one of the center or mantle in an amount from about 0.05 to 5 parts per hundred of the polymer present in the center or mantle.

8. The ball of claim 2, wherein each crosslinking agent comprises a metallic salt selected from the group consisting of an unsaturated fatty acid, a monocarboxylic acid, and mixtures thereof.

9. The ball of claim 1, wherein the uncrosslinked mantle layer has a flexural modulus of greater than about 3.5 MPa.

10. The ball of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing polymer component comprises at least one of an acrylic polyol, a trans-polyisoprene, a trans-polybutadiene, a 1,2-polybutadiene, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, a polyethylene or copolymer thereof, ionomer resin, or a trans-polyoctenamer.

11. The ball of claim 1, wherein the center has a first geometric center and the center and mantle together form a golf ball core having a second geometric center and wherein the first geometric center is disposed within about 40 mils on average from the second geometric center.

12. The ball of claim 1, wherein the center and the mantle together form a golf ball core, wherein the core has a moment of inertia, the center and the mantle each have a Shore D hardness, and the value of the moment of inertia divided by a ratio of the center hardness divided by the mantle hardness is greater than about 65 g•

cm².

13. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the crosslinked mantle has a loss tangent of less than about 0.15 at −

60°

C. and less than about 0.05 at 30°

C. and a dynamic modulus greater than about 100 MPa at −

60°

C. and greater than about 50 MPa at 30°

C., each when measured at 1 Hz and one percent strain.

14. A multi-layer golf ball comprising:

a center comprising a first resilient polymer component, a first crosslinking agent, and a first filler present in an amount from about 5 to 80 parts per hundred of the polymer;

a mantle having at least one layer disposed concentrically about the center, which layer comprises a second resilient polymer component, a reinforcing polymer component, a second crosslinking agent present in an amount from about 36 to 50 parts per hundred of the polymer, and a second filler present in an amount from about 1 to 20 parts per hundred of the polymer, wherein the mantle layer is sufficiently rigid prior to crosslinking to inhibit the second resilient polymer component in the mantle from substantially altering shape and wherein the mantle layer has a lower density than the center and further wherein the uncrosslinked mantle layer has a flexural modulus of greater than about 3.5 MPa; and

a cover having at least one layer disposed concentrically about the mantle.

15. The ball of claim 14 wherein the first crosslinking agent is present in an amount from greater than 12 to about 35 parts per hundred of the polymer.

16. The ball of claim 14, wherein the reinforcing polymer component has a crystalline melting temperature from about 35 C. to 120 C. and is present in an amount from about 1 to 40 parts per hundred and further wherein the second resilient polymer component is present in an amount from about 60 to 99 parts per hundred of the total polymer.

17. The ball of claim 14 wherein the center further comprises a filler including at least one of a coloring agent, a metal, or sulfate, oxide, carbonate, or silicate thereof, or ground rubber, wherein the filler is present in an amount from about 5 to 80 parts per hundred of the polymer.

18. The ball of claim 14 wherein the mantle further comprises a filler including at least one of a coloring agent, a metal, or sulfate, oxide, carbonate, or silicate thereof, or ground rubber, present in an amount from about 1 to 20 parts per hundred of the polymer in the mantle.

19. The ball of claim 14, wherein the first and second resilient polymer components each have a molecular weight average of about 50,000 to 1,000,000.

20. The ball of claim 14, further comprising at least one organic peroxide present in at least one of the center or mantle in an amount from about 0.05 to 5 parts per hundred of the polymer in the center or mantle.

21. The ball of claim 14, wherein each crosslinking agent comprises a metallic salt selected from the group consisting of an unsaturated fatty acid, a monocarboxylic acid, and mixtures thereof.

22. The ball of claim 14, wherein the reinforcing polymer component comprises at least one of a block copolymer ether/ester, an acrylic polyol, a trans-polyisoprene, a trans-polybutadiene, a 1,2-polybutadiene, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, a polyethylene or copolymer thereof, ionomer resin, or a trans-polyoctenamer.

23. The ball of claim 14, wherein the center has a first geometric center and the center and mantle together form a golf ball core having a second geometric center and the first geometric center is disposed within about 40 mils on average from the second geometric center.

24. The ball of claim 14, wherein the center and the mantle together form a golf ball core having a moment of inertia, the center and the mantle each have a Shore D hardness, and the value of the moment of inertia divided by a ratio of the center hardness divided by the mantle hardness is greater than about 65 g•

cm2.

25. A golf ball comprising:

a core comprising a cis-polybutadiene polymer component to impart resilience, a reinforcing polymer component having a crystalline melting temperature from about 35°

C. to 120°

C., and a crosslinking agent present in an amount from about 36 to 50 parts per hundred of the total polymer, wherein the reinforcing component comprises at least one of trans-polyisoprene, balata, or trans-polybutadiene present in an amount from about 1 to 40 parts per hundred and the cis-polybutadiene is present in an amount from about 60 to 99 parts per hundred of the total polymer, wherein at least a portion of the uncrosslinked core is sufficiently rigid prior to crosslinking to inhibit the polybutadiene polymer component from substantially altering shape; and

a cover having at least one layer disposed concentrically about the core, wherein the cover has a Shore D hardness greater than about 40.

26. The ball of claim 25 wherein the core further comprises filler present in an amount sufficient to increase the density of the core.

27. The ball of claim 25 wherein the core further includes a center comprising a 1,4-cis-polybutadiene polymer component to impart resilience to the ball and a second crosslinking agent present in an amount from greater than 12 to about 35 parts per hundred of the polymer.

28. The ball of claim 25 wherein the center further comprises a filler including at least one of a coloring agent, a metal, or sulfate, oxide, carbonate, or silicate thereof, or ground rubber, wherein the filler is present in an amount from about 1 to 80 parts per hundred of the polymer in the center.

29. The ball of claim 27, wherein the polybutadiene polymer component comprises a molecular weight average of about 50,000 to 1,000,000.

30. The ball of claim 27, wherein the polybutadiene polymer component in the center is present in an amount from about 70 to 90 parts per hundred of the polymer.

31. The ball of claim 27, wherein the center further comprises at least one organic peroxide present in an amount from about 0.05 to 5 parts per hundred of the polymer.

32. The ball of claim 27, wherein each crosslinking agent comprises a metallic salt selected from the group consisting of an unsaturated fatty acid, a monocarboxylic acid, and mixtures thereof.

33. The ball of claim 25, wherein the uncrosslinked core has a flexural modulus of greater than about 3.5 MPa.

34. The ball of claim 25, wherein the reinforcing polymer component further comprises at least one of an acrylic polyol, a 1,2-polybutadiene, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, a polyethylene or copolymer thereof, ionomer resin, or greater than about 10 phr to 40 phr by weight of a trans-polyoctenamer.

35. The ball of claim 25, wherein the golf ball has a center having a first geometric center and the core has a second geometric center and the first geometric center is disposed within about 40 mils on average from the second geometric center.

36. The ball of claim 25, wherein the core has a moment of inertia, the center and the mantle each have a Shore D hardness, and the value of the moment of inertia divided by the value of the center hardness divided by the mantle hardness is greater than about 65 g•

cm2.

37. A golf ball comprising:

a center comprising cis-polybutadiene polymer having a molecular weight average from about 200,000 to 500,000 to impart resilience, an acrylate crosslinking agent present in an amount from greater than 17 to about 27 parts per hundred of the polymer, and filler present in an amount from about 30 to 60 parts per hundred of the polymer;

a mantle disposed concentrically about the center comprising from about 10 to 30 parts trans-polyisoprene polymer and 70 to 90 parts of cis-polybutadiene polymer, an acrylate crosslinking agent present in an amount from about 36 to 45 parts per hundred of the total polymer in the mantle, and filler present in an amount from about 3 to 10 parts per hundred of the total polymer in the mantle, wherein the mantle layer is sufficiently rigid prior to crosslinking to inhibit the cis-polybutadiene polymer in the mantle from substantially altering shape; and

a cover having at least one layer disposed concentrically about the mantle.

38. A multi-layer golf ball comprising:

a golf ball core having a moment of inertia which comprises a center having a first Shore D hardness comprising a first resilient polymer component, a first crosslinking agent, and a first filler present in an amount from about 5 to 80 parts per hundred of the polymer; and

a mantle having a second Shore D hardness and having at least one layer disposed concentrically about the center, which layer comprises a second resilient polymer component, a reinforcing polymer component, a second crosslinking agent present in an amount from about 36 to 50 parts per hundred of the polymer, and a second filler present in an amount from about 1 to 20 parts per hundred of the polymer, wherein the mantle layer is sufficiently rigid prior to crosslinking to inhibit the second resilient polymer component in the mantle from substantially altering shape and wherein the mantle layer has a lower density than the center; and

a cover having at least one layer disposed concentrically about the mantle, wherein the moment of inertia of the core divided by the value of the first Shore D hardness divided by the second Shore D hardness is greater than about 65 g•

cm².

39. A multi-layer golf ball comprising:

a golf ball core having a moment of inertia which comprises a center having a first Shore D hardness and a mantle having at least one mantle layer having a second Shore D hardness disposed concentrically about the center, the mantle comprising a resilient polymer component and a reinforcing polymer component having a crystalline melting temperature from about 35 C. to 120°

C., the mantle being sufficiently rigid prior to crosslinking to inhibit the second resilient polymer component from substantially altering shape and wherein the mantle layer has a lower density than the center; and

a cover having at least one cover layer disposed concentrically about the mantle, wherein the moment of inertia of the core divided by a ratio of the value of the first Shore D hardness divided by the second Shore D hardness is greater than about 65 g•

cm².