Polyurea and polyurethane compositions for golf equipment

• US 7,491,787 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2005
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• 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, Bulpett, David A., Rajagopalan, Murali
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTTNER, DAVID J
• Application Number:
  US11/256,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20060036056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 528/64
• 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 37/0024 Materials other than ionomers or polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0027 Polyurea
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0035 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0075 Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0093 Moisture vapour transmission rate [MVTR]
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/12 Special coverings , i.e. outer layer material balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball covers A63B37/0023

Abstract

Golf equipment having improved cut and shear resistance that includes a polyurea composition, preferably saturated and/or water resistant, formed of a polyurea prepolymer and a curing agent, wherein the polyurea prepolymer includes an isocyanate and an amine-terminated compound, and wherein the curing agent includes a hydroxy-terminated curing agent, amine-terminated curing agent, or a mixture thereof.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

a core;

a layer disposed about the core to create an inner ball; and

a cover cast onto the inner ball, wherein the cover comprises a polyurea material comprising;

a prepolymer comprising the reaction product of at least one isocyanate and at least one amine-terminated compound, wherein the amine-terminated compound is selected from the group consisting of amine-terminated hydrocarbons, amine-terminated polyethers, amine-terminated polyesters, amine-terminated polycaprolactones, amine-terminated polycarbonates, amine-terminated polyamides, and mixtures thereof; and

at least one amine-terminated curing agent.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the amine-terminated compound comprises primary amines, secondary amines, triamines, or combinations thereof.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover has a thickness of about 0.02 inches to about 0.035 inches.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the layer has a first Shore D hardness and the cover has a second Shore D hardness, and wherein the ratio of second Shore D hardness to the first Shore D hardness is about 0.7 or less.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has a diameter of about 1.55 or greater.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the layer comprises at least one thermoplastic or thermoset non-ionomeric material.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the inner ball further comprises a moisture barrier layer.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the inner ball is surface treated.

9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the amine-terminated curing agent is a secondary diamine curing agent.

10. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises at least one density-adjusting filler.

11. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover has a difference in yellowness index of about 12 or less after 5 days of ultraviolet light exposure.

12. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover has a difference in b chroma dimension of about 6 or less after 5 days of ultraviolet light exposure.

13. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer comprises an ionomeric material.

14. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the at least one amine-terminated 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;

N,N′

-diisopropyl-isophorone diamine;

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

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

derivatives of 4,4′

-bis-(sec-butylamino)-dicyclohexylmethane;

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;

polyoxypropylene diamine;

propylene oxide-based triamine;

3,3′

-dimethyl-4,4′

-diaminocyclohexylmethane; and

mixtures thereof.

15. A golf ball comprising:

a core;

an intermediate layer having a hardness of about 60 Shore D or greater; and

a cover formed of a polyurea material comprising a prepolymer formed from the reaction product of at least one isocyanate and at least one amine-terminated compound and an amine-terminated curing agent, wherein the cover has a hardness of about 30 Shore D to about Shore 60 Shore D, and

wherein the amine-terminated compound is selected from the group consisting of amine-terminated hydrocarbons, amine-terminated polvethers, amine-terminated polyesters, amine-terminated polycaprolactones, amine-terminated polycarbonates, amine-terminated polyamides, and mixtures thereof.

16. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the ratio of the cover hardness to the intermediate layer hardness is about 0.7 or less.

17. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the cover has a thickness of about 0.2 inches to about 0.035 inches.

18. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the intermediate layer comprises an ionomeric material.

19. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a thermoset non-ionomeric material, a thermoplastic non-ionomeric material, or mixtures thereof.

20. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the amine-terminated curing agent is a secondary diamine curing agent.

21. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the at least one amine-terminated 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;

N,N′

-diisopropyl-isophorone diamine;

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

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

derivatives of 4,4′

-bis-(sec-butylamino)-dicyclohexylmethane;

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;

polyoxypropylene diamine;

propylene oxide-based triamine;

3,3′

-dimethyl-4,4′

-diaminocyclohexylmethane; and

mixtures thereof.

22. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the cover has a difference in yellowness index of about 12 or less after 5 days of ultraviolet light exposure.

23. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the cover has a difference in b chroma dimension of about 6 or less after 5 days of ultraviolet light exposure.

24. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the composition further comprises at least one density-adjusting filler.