Thin-layer-covered golf ball with improved velocity

• US 6,486,261 B1
• Filed: 11/27/2000
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wu, Shenshen, Bulpett, David A., Bissonnette, Laurent, Hebert, Edmund A., Rajagopalan, Murali, Voorheis, Peter, Wrigley, Mark N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttner, David J.
• Application Number:
  US09/721,740
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 525/274, 525/332.6, 525/332.5, 473/374, 473/376, 473/377, 473/378
• US Class Current: 525/332.6
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0051 Materials other than polybutadienes; Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0066 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0074 Two piece balls, i.e. cover and core
• 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: A63B 37/0078 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0082 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0087 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/02 Special cores balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball cores A63B37/005
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/10 Prepolymer processes involving reaction of isocyanates or isothiocyanates with compounds having active hydrogen in a first reaction step
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/3215 containing aromatic groups or benzoquinone groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4854 Polyethers containing oxyalkylene groups having four carbon atoms in the alkylene group
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/30 Sulfur-, selenium- or tellurium-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/02 containing two or more polymers of the same C08L -group
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/08 Copolymers of ethene C08L23/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0876 Neutralised polymers, i.e. ionomers
• 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 75/04 : Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 9/00 : Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of conjugated diene hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 175/04 : Polyurethanes

Abstract

A golf ball comprising a center comprising a polybutadiene having a molecular weight of greater than 200,000 and a resilience index of at least about 40; and a cover layer comprising a polyurethane composition formed from a prepolymer having no greater than 7.5 percent by weight unreacted isocyanate groups.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

a center comprising a material formed from a conversion reaction of polybutadiene having a first amount of trans-isomer, a free radical source, and at least one cis-to-trans catalyst, wherein the material has a molecular weight of greater than about 200,000 and a resilience index of at least about 40; and

a cover layer comprising a polyurethane composition formed from a prepolymer having no greater than 7.5 percent by weight unreacted isocyanate groups.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the resilience index is greater than about 50.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the polyurethane composition comprises at least one isocyanate, at least one polyol, and at least one curing agent.

4. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the isocyanate comprises 4,4′

-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, polymeric 4,4′

-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, carbodiimide-modified liquid 4,4′

-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 4,4′

-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate, p-phenylene diisocyanate, toluene diisocyanate, isophoronediisocyanate, p-methylxylene diisocyanate, m-methylxylene diisocyanate, o-methylxylene diisocyanate, or a mixture thereof.

5. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the at least one polyol comprises a polyether polyol, hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene, polyester polyol, polycaprolactone polyol, polycarbonate polyol, or mixtures thereof.

6. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the curing agent comprises a polyamine curing agent, a polyol curing agent, or a mixture thereof.

7. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein the curing agent is a polyamine curing agent.

8. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the polyamine curing agent comprises 3,5-dimethylthio-2,4-toluenediamine, or an isomer thereof;

3,5-diethyltoluene-2,4-diaminie, or an isomer thereof;

4,4′

-bis-(sec-butylamino)-diphenylmethane;

1,4-bis-(sec-butylamino)-benzene, 4,4′

-methylene-bis-(2-chloroaniline);

4,4′

-methylene-bis-(3-chloro-2,6-diethylaniline);

trimethylene glycol-di-p-aminobenzoate;

polytetramethyleneoxide-di-p-aminobenzoate;

N,N′

-dialkyldiamino diphenyl methane;

p,p′

-methylene dianiline;

phenylenediamine;

4,4′

-methylene-bis-(2-chloroaniline);

4,4′

-methylene-bis-(2,6-diethylaniline);

4,4′

-diamino-3,3′

-diethyl-5,5′

-dimethyl diphenylmethane;

2,2′

, 3,3′

-tetrachloro diamino diphenylmethane;

4,4′

-methylene-bis-(3-chloro-2,6-diethylaniline);

or mixtures thereof.

9. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein the curing agent is a polyol curing agent.

10. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the polyol curing agent comprises ethylene glycol;

diethylene glycol;

polyethylene glycol;

propylene glycol;

polypropylene glycol;

lower molecular weight polytetramethylene ether glycol;

1,3-bis(2-hydroxyethoxy)benzene;

1,3-bis-[2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethoxy]benzene;

1,3-bis-{2-[2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy}benzene;

1,4-butanediol;

1,5-pentanediol;

1,6-hexanediol;

resorcinol-di-(β

-hydroxyethyl)ether;

hydroquinone-di-(β

-hydroxyethyl)ether;

trimethylol propane, or mixtures thereof.

11. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the prepolymer has from about 2.5 percent up to 7.5 percent by weight unreacted isocyanate groups.

12. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover layer has a thickness of less than about 0.05 inches.

13. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the center has a Mooney viscosity from about 40 to about 80.

14. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the Mooney viscosity from about 45 to about 60.

15. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the polybutadiene has a vinyl-isomer content of less than about 2 percent by weight.

16. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the polybutadiene has a cis-isomer content of at least about 95 percent by weight.

17. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the center has an outer diameter of at least about 1.55 inches.

18. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the polyurethane is thermoplastic or thermoset.

19. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the reaction occurs at a temperature sufficient to form a polybutadiene reaction product having a second amount of trans-isomer greater than the first amount of trans-isomer.

20. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cis-to-trans catalyst further comprises at least one of an organosulfur compound, an inorganic sulfur compound, an aromatic organometallic compound, a metal-organosulfur compound, tellurium, selenium, elemental sulfur, a polymeric sulfur, or an aromatic organic compound.

21. The golf ball of claim 20, wherein the organosulfur component comprises at least one of 4,4′

-diphenyl disulfide, 4,4′

-ditolyl disulfide, or 2,2′

-benzamido diphenyl disulfide.

22. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cis-to-trans catalyst is present in an amount from about 0.1 to 10 parts per hundred of polybutadiene.

23. The golf ball of claim 1, further comprising an intermediate layer between the center and the cover layer, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a material formed from a conversion reaction of polybutadiene having a first amount of trans-polybutadiene, a free radical source, and a cis-to-trans catalyst comprising at least one organosulfur component, wherein the intermediate layer has an outer diameter of at least about 1.58 inches, and wherein the center has an outer diameter of less than about 1.55 inches.

24. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer, the inner cover layer disposed between the center and the outer cover layer.

25. The golf ball of claim 24, wherein at least one of the inner and outer cover layer has a thickness of less than about 0.05 inches.

26. The golf ball of claim 24, wherein the inner cover layer comprises an ionomer resin, a polyurethane, a polyetherester, a polyetheramide, a polyester, a dynamically vulcanized elastomer, a functionalized styrenebutadiene elastomer, a metallocene polymer nylon, acrylonitrile butadiene-styrene copolymer, or blends thereof.

27. The golf ball of claim 24, wherein the inner cover has an outer diameter of at least about 1.55 inches.

28. The golf ball of claim 24, wherein the inner cover has an outer diameter of about 1.58 to about 1.64 inches.

29. A golf ball comprising:

a center comprising a material formed from a conversion reaction of polybutadiene having a first amount of trans-isomer, a free radical source, and at least one cis-to-trans catalyst, wherein the material has a molecular weight of greater than about 300,000 and a resilience index of at least about 40;

a outer core layer surrounding the center, the outer core layer having an outer diameter of at least about 1.51 inches;

an inner cover layer surrounding the outer core layer; and

an outer cover layer disposed about the inner cover layer, the outer cover layer comprising a polyurethane composition formed from a prepolymer having less than 7.5 percent by weight unreacted isocyanate groups.

30. The golf ball of claim 29, wherein the polyurethane is thermoplastic or thermoset.

31. The golf ball of claim 29, wherein the resilience index is greater than about 50.

32. The golf ball of claim 29, wherein the polyurethane composition comprises an isocyanate, at least one polyol, and at least one curing agent.

33. The golf ball of claim 32, wherein the isocyanate comprises 4,4′

-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, polymeric 4,4′

-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, carbodiimide-modified liquid 4,4′

-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 4,4′

-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate, p-phenylene diisocyanate, toluene diisocyanate, isophoronediisocyanate, p-methylxylene diisocyanate, m-methylxylene diisocyanate, o-methylxylene diisocyanate, or a mixture thereof.

34. The golf ball of claim 32, wherein the at least one polyol comprises a polyether polyol, hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene, polyester polyol, polycaprolactone polyol, polycarbonate polyol, or mixtures thereof.

35. The golf ball of claim 32, wherein the curing agent comprises a polyamine curing agent, a polyol curing agent, or a mixture thereof.

36. The golf ball of claim 35, wherein the curing agent is a polyamine curing agent comprising 3,5-dimethylthio-2,4-toluenediamine, or an isomer thereof;

3,5-diethyltoluene-2,4-diamine, or an and isomer thereof;

4,4′

-bis-(sec-butylamino)-diphenylmethane;

1,4-bis-(sec-butylamino)-benzene, 4,4′

-methylene-bis-(2-chloroaniline);

4,4′

-methylene-bis-(3-chloro-2,6-diethylaniline);

trimethylene glycol-di-p-aminobenzoate;

polytetramethyleneoxide-di-p-aminobenzoate;

N,N′

-dialkyldiamino diphenyl methane;

p,p′

-methylene dianiline;

m-phenylenediamine;

4,4′

-methylene-bis-(2-chloroaniline);

4′

-methylene-bis-(2,6-diethylaniline);

4,4′

-diamino-3,3′

-diethyl-5,5′

-dimethyl diphenylmethane;

2,2′

,3,3′

-tetrachloro diamino diphenylmethane;

4,4′

-methylene-bis-(3-chloro-2,6-diethylaniline);

or mixtures thereof.

37. The golf ball of claim 35, wherein the curing agent is a polyol curing agent comprising ethylene glycol;

diethylene glycol;

polyethylene glycol;

propylene glycol;

polypropylene glycol;

lower molecular weight polytetramethylene ether glycol;

1,3-bis(2-hydroxyethoxy)benzene;

1,3-bis-[2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethoxy]benzene;

1,3-bis-{2-[2-(2-hydroxy)ethoxy]ethoxy}ethoxy benzene;

1,4-butanediol;

1,5-pentanediol;

1,6-hexanediol;

resorcinol-di-(-hydroxyethyl)ether;

hydroquinone-di-(hydroxyethyl)ether;

trimethylol propane, or mixtures thereof.

38. The golf ball of claim 29, wherein the prepolymer has from about 2.5 percent up to 7.5 percent by weight unreacted isocyanate groups.

39. The golf ball of claim 29, wherein at least one of the inner and outer cover layers has a thickness of less than about 0.05 inches.

40. The golf ball of claim 29, wherein the center has a Mooney viscosity of from about 40 to about 80.

41. The golf ball of claim 29, wherein the polybutadiene has a vinyl-isomer content of less than about 2 percent by weight.

42. The golf ball of claim 29, wherein the polybutadiene has a cis-isomer content of at least about 95 percent by weight.

43. The golf ball of claim 29, wherein the center has an outer diameter of no greater than about 1.55 inches.

44. The golf ball of claim 29, wherein the reaction occurs at a temperature sufficient to form a polybutadiene reaction product having a second amount of trans-isomer greater than the first amount of trans-isomer.

45. The golf ball of claim 29, wherein the cis-to-trans catalyst further comprises at least one of an organosulfur compound, an inorganic sulfur compound, an aromatic organometallic compound, a metal-organosulfur compound, tellurium, selenium, elemental sulfur, a polymeric sulfur, or an aromatic organic compound.

46. The golf ball of claim 45, wherein the organosulfur component comprises at least one of 4,4′

-diphenyl disulfide, 4,4′

-ditolyl disulfide, or 2,2′

-benzamido diphenyl disulfide.

47. The golf ball of claim 29, wherein the cis-to-trans catalyst is present in an amount from about 0.1 to 10 parts per hundred of polybutadiene.

48. The golf ball of claim 29, wherein the inner cover layer comprises an ionomer resin, a polyurethane, a polyetherester, a polyetheramide, a polyester, a dynamically vulcanized elastomer, a functionalized styrenebutadiene elastomer, a metallocene polymer, nylon, acrylonitrile butadiene-styrene copolymer or blends thereof.

49. The golf ball of claim 29, wherein the inner cover has an outer diameter of at least about 1.55 inches.

50. The golf ball of claim 49, wherein the inner cover has an outer diameter of about 1.58 to about 1.64 inches.