Golf ball compositions formed from single catalyzed polymers

• US 6,476,130 B1
• Filed: 10/03/2000
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Rajagopalan, Murali, Harris, Kevin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttner, David J.
• Application Number:
  US09/677,871
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 525/72, 525/74, 525/193, 525/221, 473/355, 473/365, 473/373, 473/374, 473/377, 473/378, 473/385
• US Class Current: 525/74
• 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 37/0034 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0037 Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0047 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0052 Liquid cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0053 Thread wound
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0056 Hollow; Gas-filled
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0065 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0075 Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/04 Rigid cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/12 Special coverings , i.e. outer layer material balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball covers A63B37/0023
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 222/06 Maleic anhydride
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 255/00 Macromolecular compounds obtained by polymerising monomers on to polymers of hydrocarbons as defined in group C08F10/00
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 8/00 Chemical modification by after-treatment graft polymers, block polymers, crosslinking with unsaturated monomers or with polymers C08F251/00 - C08F299/00; of conjugated diene rubbers C08C
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/08 Copolymers of ethene C08L23/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0815 Copolymers of ethene with aliphatic 1-olefins
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0876 Neutralised polymers, i.e. ionomers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/10 : Homopolymers or copolymers of propene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/26 : modified by chemical after-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2314/06 : Metallocene or single site catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 : Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/04 : Macromolecular compounds according to groups C08L7/00 - C08L49/00, or C08L55/00 - C08L57/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 51/06 : grafted on to homopolymers or copolymers of aliphatic hydrocarbons containing only one carbon-to-carbon double bond
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/005 : adapting radio receivers, transmitters andtransceivers for operation on two or more bands, i.e. frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 : using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence

Abstract

Golf ball compositions, which contain olefinic polymers produced by use of single-site catalysts. Such polymers can be functionalized with a post-polymerization reaction. The single-site catalyzed polymers may be blended with ionomers, other grafted or non-grafted single-site catalyzed polymers, thermoplastics, non-single-site polymers, or other non-ionomeric polymers. The compositions can be foamed or unfoamed. Golf balls that employ at least one layer of these compositions in any of the golf ball cover, core, or a mantle situated between the cover and the core provide ball properties and performance similar to and in some cases better than the state of the art ionomer based golf balls.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising a cover, a core, and optionally a mantle situated between the cover and the core, wherein at least one of the cover, the core, and the mantle comprises at least one layer formed of a blend comprising:

a first component of at least one non-metallocene single-site catalyzed polymer; and

a second component of at least one ionomer, non-ionomeric polymer, thermoset polymer, thermoplastic elastomer, or non-single-site catalyzed polymer.

2. The golf ball golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover has a thickness of at least about 0.03 inch and at least about 60 percent dimple coverage, the core has a PGA compression of at least about 40, wherein the single-site catalyzed polymer blend has a hardness of at least about 15 Shore A, a flexural modulus of at least about 500 psi, a specific gravity of at least about 0.7, a dynamic shear storage modulus at 23°

C. of at least about 10⁴ dynes/cm², a loss tangent of no more than about 1, and wherein the golf ball has a compression of at least about 50.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the layer comprises from about 5 to about 75 phr of the first component, and the second component is present in an amount of about 95 to about 25 phr.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the second component comprises a thermoplastic elastomer.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the single-site catalyzed polymer is a single-site catalyzed polymer that has been functionalized by grafting an ethylenically unsaturated monomer thereon using a post-polymerization reaction.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the second component comprises a non-ionomeric polymer.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the second component comprises a base rubber and a crosslinking agent.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the second component comprises one or more polysilicones, polysiloxanes, polytrimethylene terephthalate, poly(silanes) and poly(silazanes), saponified polymers, main-chain heterocyclic polymers, and polyamides, polyimides, polyesters, polyethers, polycarbonates, and poly(furan tetracarboxylic acid diimides), or mixtures thereof.

9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the second component comprises poly(butyl acrylate), poly(2-ethylbutyl acrylate), poly(heptyl acrylate), poly(2-methylbutyl acrylate), poly(3-methylbutyl acrylate), poly(N-octadecylacrylamide), poly(octadecyl methacrylate), poly(butoxyethylene), poly(methoxyethylene), or mixtures thereof.

10. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the second component comprises one or more of poly(ethylethylene), poly(heptylethylene), poly(hexyldecylethylene), poly(isopentylethylene), poly(1,1-dimethyltrimethylene), poly(1,1,2-trimethyltrimethylene), poly[1,1-bis(trifluoromethoxy)difluoroethylene], poly(pentyloxyethylene), poly(1,1-dichloroethylene), poly(cyclopentylacetoxyethylene), poly(4-[(2-butoxyethoxy)methyl]styrene), poly(4-dodecylstyrene), poly(4-tetradecylstyrene), poly[oxy(allyloxymethyl)ethylene], poly[oxy(ethoxymethyl)ethylene], poly(oxyethylethylene), poly(oxytetramethylene), poly(oxytrimethylene), poly(oxycarbonylpentamethylene), poly(oxycarbonyl-3-methylpentamethylene), and poly(oxycarbonyl-1,5-dimethylpentamethylene).

11. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the layer forms at least a portion of the core.

12. The golf ball of claim 11 wherein the second component comprises a base rubber and a crosslinking agent.

13. The golf ball of claim 12 wherein the core further comprises a filler.

14. The golf ball of claim 12 wherein the base rubber comprises 1,4-polybutadiene having a cis-structure of at least about 40%.

15. The golf ball of claim 12 wherein the rubber comprises one or more of natural rubber, polyisoprene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, and 1,4-polybutadiene, and wherein the crosslinking agent comprises a metal salt of an unsaturated fatty acid.

16. The golf ball of claim 12 wherein the core is a wound core.

17. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the layer forms at least a portion of the mantle.

18. The golf ball of claim 17 wherein the second component comprises a base rubber and a crosslinking agent.

19. The golf ball of claim 18 wherein the core further comprises a filler.

20. The golf ball of claim 18 wherein the base rubber comprises 1,4-polybutadiene having a cis-structure of at least about 40%.

21. The golf ball of claim 18 wherein the rubber comprises one or more of natural rubber, polyisoprene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, and 1,4-polybutadiene, and wherein the crosslinking agent comprises a metal salt of an unsaturated fatty acid.

22. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the layer forms at least a portion of the cover.

23. The golf ball of claim 22 wherein the second component comprises an ionomer.

24. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein one single-site catalyzed polymer is functionalized by one or more of sulfonation, carboxylation, addition of an amine or hydroxy, or by grafting an ethylenically unsaturated monomer onto the at least one single-site catalyzed polymer using a post-polymerization reaction.

25. The golf ball of claim 24, wherein the ethylenically unsaturated monomer comprises an olefinic monomer having a functional group selected from the group consisting of sulfonic acid, sulfonic acid derivatives, chlorosulfonic acid, vinyl ethers, vinyl esters, primary amines, secondary amines, tertiary amines, epoxies, isocyanates, mono-carboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids, partially or fully ester derivatized mono-carboxylic acids, partially or fully ester derivatized dicarboxylic acids, anhydrides of dicarboxylic acids, cyclic imides of dicarboxylic acids, epoxies, isocyanates, and ionomeric derivatives thereof.

26. The golf ball of claim 24, wherein the ethylenically unsaturated monomer comprises maleic anhydride.

27. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the single-site catalyzed polymer has a formula of:

wherein R₁ is hydrogen;

R₂ is hydrogen or lower alkyl selected from the group consisting of CH₃, C₂H₅, C₃H₇, C₄H₉, and C₅H₁₁;

R₃ is hydrogen or lower alkyl selected from the group consisting of CH₃, C₂H₅, C₃H₇, C₄H₉, and C₅H₁₁;

R₄ is selected from the group consisting of H, CH₃, C₂H₅, C₃H₇, C₄H₉, C₅H₁₁, C₆H₁₃, C₇H₁₅, C₈H₁₇, C₉H₁₉, C₁₀H₂₁, and phenyl, in which from 0 to 5 H within R₄ can be replaced by substituents selected from the group consisting of COOH, SO₃H, NH₂, F, Cl, Br, I, OH, SH, epoxy, isocyanate, silicone, lower alkyl esters and lower alkyl ethers, with the proviso that R₃ and R₄ can be combined to form a bicyclic ring;

R₅ is hydrogen, lower alkyl including C₁-C₅, carbocyclic, aromatic or heterocyclic;

R₆ is hydrogen, lower alkyl including C₁-C₅, carbocyclic, aromatic or heterocyclic; and

wherein x ranges from 100 to 50 weight per cent of the polymer, y ranges from 0 to 50 weight per cent of the polymer and z ranges from 0 to 49 weight per cent of the polymer.

28. The golf ball of claim 25, wherein the functionalized single-site catalyzed polymer is foamed.

29. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the single-site catalyzed polymer blend further comprises microspheres.

30. The golf ball of claim 29, wherein the microspheres comprise one or more of polymeric, ceramic, metal, or glass microspheres.

31. The golf ball of claim 29, wherein the microspheres have a diameter of up to about 1,000 micrometers.

32. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein the polymer blend further comprises density increasing or density decreasing fillers.

33. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein the polymer blend further comprises coloring agents, reaction enhancers, crosslinking agents, dyes, lubricants, fillers, excipients, and/or process aids.

38. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein the filler is a density increasing or density decreasing filler.

34. A golf ball comprising a cover, a core, and, optionally, a mantle situated between the cover and the core, wherein at least one of the core, the cover, and the mantle comprises at least one layer formed of a non-metallocene single-site catalyzed polymer and a filler.

35. The golf ball of claim 34 wherein the filler comprises microspheres.

36. The golf ball of claim 34 wherein the microspheres comprise one or more of polymeric, ceramic, metal, or glass microspheres.

37. The golf ball of claim 34 wherein the microspheres have a diameter of up to about 1,000 micrometers.

39. A method of manufacturing golf balls comprising:

providing a core;

optionally providing a mantle disposed outside the core; and

providing a cover over the core and optional mantle,

wherein at least one of the cover, the core, and the optional mantle comprises at least one layer formed of a single-site catalyzed polymer blend comprising a first component of at least one single-site catalyzed polymer and a second component of at least one ionomer, non-ionomeric polymer, thermoset polymer, thermoplastic elastomer, or non-single-site catalyzed polymer.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the single-site catalyzed polymer blend is disposed in the core and the core is provided by injection molding or compression molding the single-site catalyzed polymer blend.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising combining microspheres with the single-site catalyzed polymer blend before the layer is formed.

42. The method of claim 39, further comprising combining at least one blowing agent into the single-site catalyzed polymer blend before the layer is formed.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein the single-site catalyzed polymer blend is in the mantle, and the mantle is provided by injection molding or compression molding the single-site catalyzed polymer blend about the core.