Polyurethane compositions for golf balls

• US 8,227,565 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2011
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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:
  US13/026,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20110136974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 528/65
• 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

A method of forming golf balls with at least a portion formed from polyurethane and polyurea compositions employing a curative blend that 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 method of forming a golf ball comprising the steps of:

providing a core;

providing a layer disposed about the core;

providing a curative blend formed from a saturated curing agent, a compatible saturated freezing point depressing agent, and a grind vehicle comprising a pigment, wherein the saturated curing agent has a first freezing point and the curative blend has a second freezing point less than the first freezing point;

forming a composition comprising;

a prepolymer formed from the reaction product of a saturated isocyanate and a saturated polyol or saturated polyamine; and

the curative blend; and

disposing a cover formed from the composition about the layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing a layer comprises providing a layer comprising ionomer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second freezing point is less than the first freezing point by about 5°

F. or greater.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second freezing point is less than the first freezing point by about 10°

F. or greater.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing a curative blend comprises selecting a freezing point depressing agent having a freezing point from about −

10°

F. to about −

100°

F.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing a curative blend comprises selecting a freezing point depressing agent comprising 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, or mixtures there of.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the freezing point depressing agent has a freezing point of about 10°

F. or less.

8. A method of forming a golf ball comprising:

providing a core;

providing an intermediate later comprising a thermoplastic material;

forming a composition comprising;

a saturated prepolymer formed from the reaction product of a saturated isocyanate and a saturated polyol, saturated polyamine, or a mixture thereof; and

a curative blend formed from a saturated curing agent, a compatible saturated freezing point depressing agent present in an amount of about 8 percent or greater by weight of the curative blend, and a pigment, wherein the pigment is dispersed in a grind vehicle; and

forming a cover from the composition disposed about the intermediate layer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the saturated freezing point depressing agent has a freezing point of about −

10°

F. to about −

120°

F.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the saturated curing agent has a first freezing point and the curative blend has a second freezing point that is less than the first freezing point by about 5°

F. or greater.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the saturated curing agent has a first freezing point and the curative blend has a second freezing point that is less than the first freezing point by about 10°

F. or greater.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the saturated freezing point depressing agent is present in an amount of about 10 percent or greater by weight of the curative blend.

13. A method of forming a golf ball comprising the steps of:

providing a core;

providing a layer disposed about the core;

providing a curative blend formed from a curing agent, a compatible freezing point depressing agent, and a pigment dispersed in a grind vehicle;

forming a composition comprising;

a prepolymer formed from the reaction product of a isocyanate and a polyol or polyamine; and

the curative blend; and

forming a cover from the composition about the layer, wherein the cover has a thickness of from about 0.02 inches to about 0.035 inches.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the curative blend has a freezing point of about −

30°

F. to about −

70°

F.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of providing a curative blend comprises selecting a freezing point depressing agent 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.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of providing a curative blend comprises selecting a freezing point depressing agent having a freezing point from about −

10°

F. to about −

100°

F.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the curing agent has a first freezing point and the curative blend has a second freezing point that is less than the first freezing point by about 5°

F. or greater.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second freezing point is less than the first freezing point by about 10°

F. or greater.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of providing a layer comprises providing a layer comprising a thermoplastic material.