Polyurea and polyurethane compositions for golf equipment

• US 7,786,243 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2009
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2002
• 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:
  US12/371,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20090149278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 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 37/0051 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

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, an intermediate layer, and a cover, wherein at least one layer comprises a composition comprising:

a prepolymer comprising a reaction product of an isocyanate and an amine-terminated component, wherein the amine-terminated component 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

a curative blend comprising amine-terminated curing agents.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the curative blend comprises 3,5-dimethylthio-2,4-toluenediamine, 3,5-dimethylthio-2,6-toluenediamine, 3,5-diethylthio-2,4-toluenediamine, 3,5-diethylthio-2,6-toluenediamine, and mixtures thereof.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the curative blend comprises trimethyleneglycol-di-p-aminobenzoate;

polytetramethyleneoxide-di-p-aminobenzoate, and mixtures thereof.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein curative blend comprises N,N′

-dialkylamino-diphenylmethane.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the isocyanate is selected from the group consisting of 2,2′

-, 2,4′

-, and 4,4′

-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), 3,3′

-dimethyl-4,4′

-biphenyl diisocyanate (TODI), toluene diisocyanate (TDI), polymeric MDI, carbodimide-modified liquid 4,4′

-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, para-phenylene diisocyanate (PPDI), meta-phenylene diisocyanate (MPDI), triphenylmethane-4,4′

-, and triphenylmethane-4,4″

-triisocyanate, napthylene-1,5,-diisocyanate, 2,4′

-, 4,4′

-, and 2,2-biphenyl diisocyanate, polyphenyl polymethylene polyisocyanate (PMDI), and mixtures thereof.

6. A golf ball comprising a core, an inner cover layer, and an outer cover layer, wherein the outer cover layer is formed of a composition comprising:

a prepolymer, wherein the prepolymer comprises an isocyanate and an amine-terminated component, wherein the amine-terminated component 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

a curative blend.

7. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein the inner cover layer comprises a thermoplastic material.

8. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein the thermoplastic material comprises an ionomer resin.

9. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein the curative blend comprises 3,5-dimethylthio-2,4-toluenediamine, 3,5-dimethylthio-2,6-toluenediamine, 3,5-diethylthio-2,4-toluenediamine, 3,5-diethylthio-2,6-toluenediamine, and mixtures thereof.

10. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein the curative blend comprises trimethyleneglycol-di-p-aminobenzoate;

polytetramethyleneoxide-di-p-aminobenzoate, and mixtures thereof.

11. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein the curative blend comprises N,N′

-dialkylamino-diphenylmethane.

12. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein at least one layer comprises a composition comprising:

a polyurea prepolymer comprising a reaction product of an isocyanate and an amine-terminated component, wherein the amine-terminated component 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

an amine-terminated curing agent.

13. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the at least one layer is a cover layer.

14. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the cover comprises an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer, and wherein the outer cover layer comprises the composition.

15. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein the inner cover layer comprises an ionomer resin.

16. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the amine-terminated curing agent comprises 3,5-dimethylthio-2,4-toluenediamine, 3,5-dimethylthio-2,6-toluenediamine, 3,5-diethylthio-2,4-toluenediamine, 3,5-diethylthio-2,6-toluenediamine, and mixtures thereof.

17. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the amine-terminated curing agent comprises trimethyleneglycol-di-p-aminobenzoate;

polytetramethyleneoxide-di-p-aminobenzoate, and mixtures thereof.

18. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the amine-terminated curing agent comprises N,N′

-dialkylamino-diphenylmethane.

19. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the composition further comprises a pigment.

20. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the at least one layer is a cover cast from the composition.