Polyurethane compositions for golf balls

• US 7,186,777 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• 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:
  US10/876,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20040229995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 524/765
• 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 cover and a core, wherein at least one of the cover or the core comprises a composition comprising a polyurea prepolymer and a storage-stable solvent-free pigment dispersion.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the pigment dispersion comprises:

at least one pigment; and

a blend of at least two active hydrogen-containing materials.

3. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the at least two active hydrogen-containing materials have different freezing points.

4. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the at least two active hydrogen-containing materials comprise a first active hydrogen-containing material having a first freezing point and a second active hydrogen-containing material having a second freezing point less than the first freezing point.

5. The golf ball of claim 4, wherein the first active hydrogen-containing material is a curing agent.

6. The golf ball of claim 4, wherein the second active hydrogen-containing material comprises 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, or mixtures thereof.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the pigment dispersion measures about 4.0 or greater on the Hegman scale.

8. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the at least one pigment is dispersed within a vehicle, the first active hydrogen-containing material, the second active hydrogen-containing material, or a combination thereof.

9. A golf ball comprising a cover and a core, wherein at least one of the cover or the core comprises a composition comprising a polyurea prepolymer and a solvent-free pigment dispersion, wherein the pigment dispersion comprises a curing agent, a freezing point depressing agent, and a pigment, and wherein the pigment dispersion measures about 5 or greater on the Hegman scale.

10. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the pigment dispersion measures about 7 or greater on the Hegman scale.

11. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the pigment dispersion has a particle size of about 38 microns or less.

12. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the pigment dispersion comprises titanium dioxide, red iron oxide, yellow iron oxide, carbon black, ultramarine blue, phthalocyanine blue, phthalocyanine green, carbazole violet, naphthol red, or mixtures thereof.

13. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the freezing point depressing agent has a freezing point of about 20°

F. or less.

14. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the freezing point depressing agent has a freezing point of about −

10°

F. to about −

120°

F.

15. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the curing agent has a first freezing point and the pigment dispersion has a second freezing point that is lower than the first freezing point by about 15°

F. or more.

16. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the second freezing point differs from the first freezing point by about 20°

F. or more.

17. A golf ball comprising a core, an intermediate layer, and a cover, wherein the cover is formed from a composition comprising a polyurea prepolymer and a solvent-free pigment dispersion, wherein the pigment dispersion comprises a curing agent, a freezing point depressing agent, and a pigment.

18. The golf ball of claim 17, 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.

19. The golf ball of claim 17, wherein 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 17, wherein the freezing point depressing agent is present in an amount of about 8 percent or greater by weight of the pigment dispersion.

21. The golf ball of claim 20, wherein the freezing point depressing agent is present in an amount of about 10 percent or greater by weight of the pigment dispersion.

22. The golf ball of claim 17, wherein the curing agent has a first freezing point and the pigment dispersion has a second freezing point, and wherein the second freezing point is less than the first freezing point by about 10°

F. or greater.

23. The golf ball of claim 17, wherein the polyurea prepolymer comprises an isocyanate and a polyamine.