Golf ball layers formed of polyurethane-based and polyurea-based compositions incorporating block copolymers

• US 7,211,624 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2004
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wu, Shenshen, Rajagopalan, Murali, Harris, Kevin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttner; David J.
• Application Number:
  US10/900,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20040262808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 525/92.00C
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/60 Apparatus used in water
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0051 Materials other than polybutadienes; Constructional details
• 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 37/12 Special coverings , i.e. outer layer material balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball covers A63B37/0023
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 297/00 Macromolecular compounds obtained by successively polymerising different monomer systems using a catalyst of the ionic or coordination type without deactivating the intermediate polymer
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 8/30 Introducing nitrogen atoms or nitrogen-containing groups
• 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 18/69 Polymers of conjugated dienes hydrogenated polymers of conjugated dienes C08G18/6208
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/758 containing two or more cycloaliphatic rings
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• 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 53/005 Modified block copolymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/02 of vinyl-aromatic monomers and conjugated dienes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/025 modified

Abstract

Golf equipment having improved cut and shear resistance that includes a polyurea-based composition or polyurethane-based composition, preferably saturated and/or water resistant, formed of a prepolymer, a functionalized block copolymer, and optionally further cured or chain extended with a curing agent, where the prepolymer is incorporated at the terminal end of the functionalized block copolymer.

Claims

1. A method for forming a golf ball composition comprising the steps of:

forming a prepolymer comprising an isocyanate and at least one of a hydroxy-terminated component or an amine-terminated component;

providing a block copolymer, wherein the block copolymer comprises at least one functional group at a terminal end of the block copolymer;

reacting excess prepolymer with the block copolymer to form an intermediate prepolymer comprising a hydrophobic block and isocyanate groups;

chain extending the intermediate prepolymer with a curing agent to form the composition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic block comprises an A_x-B_y block, wherein x and y are independently 1 or greater, and wherein A comprises an olefin and B comprises a diene.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the olefin comprises styrene and the diene comprises butadiene.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic block comprises an A_x-B_y-A_z block, wherein x and y are independently 1 or greater, and wherein A comprises an olefin or an acrylate and B comprises a diene.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the olefin comprises styrene and the diene comprises butadiene.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing a block copolymer further comprises the steps of:

providing a block copolymer comprising an A_x-B_y block or A_x-B_y-A_z block, wherein A comprises an olefin or acrylate, B comprises a diene, and x, y, and z are independently 1 or greater;

providing a coupling agent comprising at least one hydroxy group, amino group, thiol group, epoxy group, anhydride group, or mixture thereof;

functionalizing the block copolymer with the coupling agent to provide a functionalized block copolymer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming the prepolymer comprises forming the reaction product of an isocyanate and an amine-terminated component.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the curing agent is an amine-terminated curing agent.

9. A method for forming a golf ball component comprising the steps of:

forming a prepolymer comprising an isocyanate and at least one of a hydroxy-terminated component or an amine-terminated component;

providing a block copolymer comprising an acrylate-diene block, an olefin-diene-acrylate block, an acrylate-diene-acrylate block, or a mixture thereof wherein the block copolymer comprises at least one functional group at a terminal end of the block copolymer;

reacting the prepolymer with the block copolymer to form the composition;

forming the composition into a golf ball component.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the block comprises an acrylate-diene block.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the diene comprises butadiene.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the diene comprises butadiene.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the olefin is selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, styrene, and mixtures thereof.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of providing a block copolymer further comprises the steps of:

providing a coupling agent comprising at least one hydroxy group, amino group, thiol group, epoxy group, anhydride group, or mixture thereof,

functionalizing the block copolymer with the coupling agent to provide a functionalized block copolymer.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of forming the composition into a golf ball component comprises providing a core and forming the composition about the core.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of forming the composition about the core comprises casting the composition.

17. A method for forming a golf ball component comprising the steps of:

forming a prepolymer comprising an isocyanate and at least one of a hydroxy-terminated component or an amine-terminated component;

providing a block copolymer comprising an Ax-By-Az block and at least one functional group at a terminal end of the Ax-By-Az block, and wherein the Ax-By-Az block comprises an olefin-diene-acrylate block or an acrylate-diene-acrylate block, wherein x, y, and z are independently 1 or greater;

reacting the prepolymer with the block copolymer to form the composition;

forming the composition into a golf ball component.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of providing a block copolymer further comprises:

providing a coupling agent comprising at least one hydroxy group, amino group, thiol group, epoxy group, anhydride group, or mixture thereof,

functionalizing the block copolymer with the coupling agent to provide a functionalized block copolymer.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of forming the prepolymer further comprises obtaining a reaction product of an isocyanate and an amine-terminated component.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the prepolymer consists essentially of urea linkages.