Golf balls containing interpenetrating polymer networks

• US 8,353,788 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2008
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kuntimaddi, Manjari, Wu, Shenshen, Harris, Kevin M., Rajagopalan, Murali, Bulpett, David A., Lutz, Mitchell E.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US12/211,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20090011861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 473351-378
• US Class Current: 473/371
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00221 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0024 Materials other than ionomers or polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/003 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0034 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0037 Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness
• 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 37/0076 Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/06 Elastic cores
• 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 2270/00 Compositions for creating interpenetrating networks
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/04 Macromolecular compounds according to groups C08L7/00 - C08L49/00, or C08L55/00 - C08L57/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/06 Homopolymers or copolymers of unsaturated hydrocarbons; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/22 Macromolecular compounds not provided for in C08L2666/16 - C08L2666/20
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/04 Polyurethanes

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a golf ball that contains an interpenetrating polymer network, or IPN, including at least two polymeric components. These IPNs may be present in any golf ball layer, although in an intermediate or cover layer in one preferred embodiment. The present invention is also directed to methods of forming a golf ball containing an IPN in one or more of the layers.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising a core, a cover, and an intermediate layer, wherein the cover layer comprises a non-ionomeric interpenetrating polymer network formed from a first polymeric component comprising polyurethane and a second polymeric component comprises polybutadienediacrylate copolymer, wherein the IPN exhibits a Δ

T_g between the first and the second polymeric components at least about 5% less than the Δ

T_g between a polymer blend comprising the same polymeric components, and wherein at least one of first and second polymeric components is a crystallizable polymeric component that exhibits an area under a melting endotherm of at least about 2% less than the area under the melting endotherm of a homopolymer of the same crystallizable polymeric component.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the crystallizable polymeric component exhibits an area under a melting endotherm of at least about 10% less than the area under the melting endotherm of the homopolymer of the same crystallizable polymeric component.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the polyurethane comprises the reaction product of a urethane prepolymer and a hydroxy-terminated curing agent.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the polybutadienediacrylate copolymer comprises the reaction product of a butadiene monomer or a polybutadiene resin, a diacrylate crosslinking agent, and an initiator.

5. The golf ball of claim 4, wherein the initiator comprises peroxide.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the IPN exhibits only one observable T_g for the first and second polymeric components.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the IPN exhibits a Δ

T_g between any the first and second polymeric components at least about 20% less than the Δ

T_g between a polymer blend comprising the same polymeric components.

8. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the IPN exhibits only one observable T_g for the first and second polymeric components.

9. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the IPN exhibits a Δ

T_g between the first and second polymeric components at least about 50% less than the Δ

T_g between a polymer blend comprising the same polymeric components.

10. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the IPN exhibits only one observable T_g for the first and second polymeric components.