Polyurethane compositions for golf balls

• US 7,041,769 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2003
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wu, Shenshen, Gasper, Kelly J., Kondos, Constantine A., Rajagopalan, Murali
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttner, David J.
• Application Number:
  US10/339,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20030212240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 524/386, 524/765, 524/767, 528/61, 528/65, 528/85, 473/378
• US Class Current: 528/61
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0091 Density distribution amongst the different ball layers
• 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: 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 18/3206 aliphatic
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/3234 cycloaliphatic
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4277 Caprolactone and/or substituted caprolactone
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4854 Polyethers containing oxyalkylene groups having four carbon atoms in the alkylene group
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/73 acyclic
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/758 containing two or more cycloaliphatic rings

Abstract

Polyurethane and polyurea compositions for golf balls with improved stability of the curative blend, wherein the curative blend includes a pigment, a curing agent, and a compatible freezing point depressing agent so that the curative blend has a lower freezing point than the curing agent by itself and the blend does not lose pigment dispersion upon solidification and subsequent thawing.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein the cover is formed from a composition comprising:

a saturated polyurethane prepolymer formed from the reaction product of a saturated isocyanate and a saturated polyol; and

a saturated curative blend formed from at least one saturated curing agent and at least one compatible saturated freezing point depressing agent, wherein the saturated curative blend comprises a pigment contained in a grind vehicle.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the at least one curing agent has a first freezing point and the curative blend has a second freezing point, and wherein the second freezing point is less than the first freezing point by about 5°

F. or greater.

3. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the at least one curing agent has a first freezing point and the curative blend has a second freezing point, and wherein the second freezing point is less than the first freezing point by about 10°

F. or greater.

4. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the at least one curing agent has a first freezing point and the curative blend has a second freezing point, and wherein the second freezing point is less than the first freezing point by about 15°

F. or greater.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the freezing point depressing agent has a freezing point of about 10°

F. or less.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the freezing point depressing agent has a freezing point from about −

10°

F. to about 100°

F.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the freezing point depressing agent comprises hydroxy-terminated freezing point depressing agents selected from the group consisting of 1,3-propanediol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 2-methyl-1,4-butanediol, 1,2-butanediol, 1,3-butanediol, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, 1,5-pentanediol, polytetramethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and mixtures thereof.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the freezing point depressing agent is present in an amount of about 8 percent or greater by weight of the curative blend.

9. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the freezing point depressing agent is present in an amount of about 10 percent or greater by weight of the curative blend.

10. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the curative blend has a pigment dispersion of about 4 or greater on the Hegman scale.

11. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the curative blend has a pigment dispersion of about 5 or greater on the Hegman scale.

12. A golf ball comprising a core and a light stable cover, wherein the cover is formed from a composition comprising:

a polyurethane prepolymer formed from the reaction product of an isocyanate and a polyol; and

a pigment dispersed in a curative blend comprising at least one curing agent having a first freezing point and at least one freezing point depressing agent having a second freezing point of about −

10°

F. to about −

100°

F., wherein the pigment is contained in a grind vehicle.

13. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the curative blend has a pigment dispersion of about 4 or greater after a freeze/thaw cycle.

14. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the second freezing point is less than the first freezing point by about 10°

F. or greater.

15. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the freezing point depressing agent is present in an amount of about 10 percent or greater by weight of the curative blend.

16. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the cover layer is formed from casting, injection molding, or reaction injection molding.

17. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the cover has a thickness of about 0.02 inches to about 0.035 inches.

18. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the polyol is selected from the group consisting of saturated polyether polyols, saturated polycaprolactone polyols, saturated polyester polyols, saturated polycarbonate polyols, saturated hydrocarbon polyols, aliphatic polyols, and mixtures thereof.

19. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the at least one curing agent is selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol;

diethylene glycol;

polyethylene glycol;

propylene glycol;

2-methyl-1,3-propanediol;

2,-methyl-1,4-butanediol;

dipropylene glycol;

polypropylene glycol;

1,2-butanediol;

1,3-butanediol;

1,4-butanediol;

2,3-butanediol;

2,3-dimethyl-2,3-butanediol;

trimethylolpropane;

cyclohexyldimethylol;

triisopropanolamine;

tetra-(2-hydroxypropyl)-ethylene diamine;

diethylene glycol di-(aminopropyl)ether;

1,5-pentanediol;

1,6-hexanediol;

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

1,4-cyclohexyldimethylol;

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

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

trimethylolpropane;

polytetramethylene ether glycol; and

mixtures thereof.

20. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the composition further comprises at least one catalyst, at least one light stabilizer, at least one defoaming agent, at least one acid functionalized moiety, at least one fragrance component, or combinations thereof.

21. A golf ball comprising a core and a light stable cover, wherein the cover is formed from a composition comprising:

a polyurethane prepolymer formed from the reaction product of an isocyanate and a polyol; and

a pigment dispersed in a solvent free curative blend comprising a curing agent and a freezing point depressing agent, wherein the freezing point depressing agent has a freezing point of about −

10°

F. to about −

120°

F., and wherein the pigment is contained in a grind vehicle.

22. The golf ball of claim 21, wherein the curative blend has a freezing point of about −

10°

F. to about −

100°

F.

23. The golf ball of claim 22, wherein the curative blend has a freezing point of about −

30°

F. to about −

70°

F.

24. The golf ball of claim 21, wherein the polyurethane prepolymer is saturated.

25. The golf ball of claim 21, wherein the freezing point depressing agent is included in the curative blend in an amount of about 5 percent or greater by weight of the curative blend.

26. The golf ball of claim 25, wherein the freezing point depressing agent is included in the curative blend in an amount of about 8 percent or greater by weight of the curative blend.