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

• US 7,429,629 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Issued: 09/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wu, Shenshen, Harris, Kevin M., Rajagapalan, Murali
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTTNER, DAVID J
• Application Number:
  US11/785,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20070197724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 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 golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein at least a portion of the golf ball is cast from a composition comprising the reaction product of:

a prepolymer comprising the reaction product of;

a first prepolymer and a functionalized block copolymer, wherein the prepolymer is capped by isocyanate end groups, and wherein the functionalized block copolymer comprises a hydrophobic Ax-By block or A_x-B_y-A_z block, wherein A comprises an olefin or an acrylate, B comprises a diene, and x, y, and z are independently 1 or greater; and

a curing agent,

wherein the first prepolymer consists essentially of the following linkages;

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the functionalized block copolymer comprises at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of hydroxy groups, amino groups, thiol groups, and combinations thereof.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the first prepolymer comprises an isocyanate and a polyamine.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the A_x-B_y-A_z block comprises olefin-diene-olefin.

5. The golf ball of claim 4, wherein the olefin-diene-olefin is styrene-butadiene-styrene.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the portion has a moisture vapor transmission rate of about 0.01 to about 0.09 g/(m²×

day) at 38°

C. and 90 percent relative humidity.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the portion of the golf ball is a cover layer.

8. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein at least a portion of the golf ball is cast from a composition comprising the reaction product of:

an isocyanate-containing compound; and

a functionalized block copolymer comprising the reaction product of;

an acrylate-diene block, an olefin-diene-acrylate block, an acrylate-diene-acrylate block, or a mixture thereof; and

a coupling agent.

9. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the coupling agent comprises at least one amino group.

10. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the coupling agent is selected from the group consisting of hydroxy groups, amino groups, thiol groups, and combinations thereof.

11. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the isocyanate-containing component comprises the reaction product of an isocyanate and an amine-terminated component.

12. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the isocyanate-containing component comprises the reaction product of an isocyanate and a hydroxy-terminated component.

13. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the portion of the golf ball comprises a cover layer.

14. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the cover comprises an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer disposed about the inner cover layer, and wherein the outer cover layer comprises the composition.

15. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein the inner cover layer comprises a thermoplastic material.

16. A golf ball comprising a core, an intermediate layer, and a cover, wherein the cover is cast from a composition comprising:

a prepolymer comprising;

a first prepolymer formed from the reaction product of an isocyanate and an amine-terminated compound; and

a block copolymer comprising functional groups at each terminal end and a hydrophobic A_x-B_y block or A_x-B_y-A_z block, wherein A comprises an olefin or an acrylate, B comprises a diene, and x, y, and z are independently 1 or greater; and

an amine-terminated curing agent.

17. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the curing agent is selected from the group consisting of ethylene diamine;

hexamethylene diamine;

1-methyl-2,6-cyclohexyl diamine;

2,2,4- and 2,4,4-trimethyl-1,6-hexanediamine;

4,4′

-bis-(sec-butylamino)-dicyclohexylmethane and derivatives thereof;

1,4-bis-(sec-butylamino)-cyclohexane;

1,2-bis-(sec-butylamino)-cyclohexane;

4,4′

-dicyclohexylmethane diamine;

1,4-cyclohexane-bis-(methylamine);

1,3-cyclohexane-bis-(methylamine);

diethylene glycol bis-(aminopropyl) ether;

2-methylpentamethylene-diamine;

diaminocyclohexane;

diethylene triamine;

triethylene tetramine;

tetraethylene pentamine;

propylene diamine;

1,3-diaminopropane;

dimethylamino propylamine;

diethylamino propylamine;

imido-bis-propylamine;

monoethanolamine, diethanolamine;

triethanolamine;

monoisopropanolamine, diisopropanolamine;

isophoronediamine;

4,4′

-methylenebis-(2-chloroaniline);

3,5-dimethylthio-2,4-toluenediamine;

3,5-dimethylthio-2,6-toluenediamine;

3,5-diethylthio-2,4-toluenediamine;

3,5-diethylthio-2,6-toluenediamine;

4,4′

-bis-(sec-butylamino)-diphenylmethane and derivatives thereof;

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

1,2-bis-(sec-butylam ino)-benzene;

N,N′

-dialkylamino-diphenylmethane;

trimethyleneglycol-di-p-aminobenzoate;

polytetramethyleneoxide-di-p-aminobenzoate;

4,4′

-methylenebis-(3-chloro-2,6-diethyleneaniline);

4,4′

-methylenebis-(2,6-diethylaniline);

meta-phenylenediamine;

paraphenylenediamine;

N,N′

-diisopropyl-isophoronediamine;

polyoxypropylene diamine;

propylene oxide-based triamine;

3,3′

-dimethyl-4,4′

-diaminocyclohexylmethane; and

mixtures thereof.

18. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the A_x-B_y block comprises an olefin-diene block.

19. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the A_x-B_y-A_z block comprises olefin-diene-olefin.

20. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the A_x-B_y-A_z block comprises olefin-diene-acrylate.