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GOLF BALLS COMPRISING IONOMERS FORMED FROM POST-NEUTRALIZATION OF IN SITU Na/Zn IONOMERS WITH Li OR Ca CATIONS

Inactive Publication Date: 2010-12-16
ACUSHNET CO
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]The present invention is also directed to a method for manufacturing a golf ball having decreased compression, increased COR, or both, comprising the steps of first, providing a partially-neutralized in situ ionomer neutralized to less than about 70% by a first cation and a second cation; and second, further neutralizing the partially-neutralized in situ ionomer with a third cation, different from the first and second cations, to produce a further-neutralized ionomer, where the first and second cations comprise Na or Zn and the third cation comprises Ca or Li, and the further-neutralized ionomer provides decreased compression of at least 2 Atti points, increased COR of at least 0.004, or both, compared to a golf ball comprising a layer formed from a conventional ionomer. The further-neutralized ionomer can provide decreased compression, increased COR, or a combination thereof, compared to a comparative golf ball that is not further neutralized with the third cation. Thus the golf balls made from a present invention produce soft and resilient golf balls.

Problems solved by technology

Higher neutralization (>70 wt %) has been generally considered impractical for use in golf balls, without the addition of long chain fatty acids or their salts as flow modifiers and cation sources, because of difficulties in melt processing.

Method used

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Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

example 1

[0035]Preparation of Further-Neutralized Ionomer and Comparative Ionomer: an in situ ionomer, such as IOTEK® EX5402 from Exxon (a partially-neutralized ethylene-acrylic acid ionomer with Zn / Na counter cations) was fed into a twin-screw extruder followed by the addition of a sufficient amount of lithium hydroxide monohydrate and stearic acid as a melt flow modifier. The composition was mixed well in the extruder with the use of 2- and 3-lobe kneading mixing elements, achieving about 90 to 100% neutralization.

[0036]The resulting further-neutralized pellets were molded into a 1.0-inch-diameter solid sphere (i.e., a golf ball core) for comparative testing to a conventional partially-neutralized (<70 wt %) ionomer. The results of this comparison test (for 2-week-aged samples) are presented in Table 1, below.

TABLE 1ComparativeFurther-NeutralizedCharacteristicIonomerIonomerCompression (Atti)138134COR (at 125 ft / s0.7430.753incoming velocity)

[0037]The further-neutralized ionomer exhibited a ...

example 2

[0038]Preparation of Further-Neutralized Ionomers: an in situ ionomer, such as IOTEK® EX5402 from Exxon (a partially-neutralized ethylene-acrylic acid ionomer with Zn / Na counter cations) was fed into a twin-screw extruder followed by the addition of a suitable amount of calcium hydroxide and zinc stearate (a melt flow modifier). The composition was mixed well in the extruder with the use of 2 and 3 lobe kneading mixing elements, achieving about 90 to 100% neutralization.

[0039]The resulting further-neutralized pellets were molded into a 1.0-inch-diameter solid sphere for a comparative testing along with a partially-neutralized in situ ionomer. Test results for each composition is presented in Table 2, below.

TABLE 2Further-ComparativeNeutralizedFurther-Ionomer 1Ionomer 1ComparativeNeutralizedCharacteristic(IOTEK ®)(IOTEK ®)Ionomer 2Ionomer 2Compression154139156141(Atti)COR (at0.7410.7630.7460.784125 ft / sincomingvelocity)

[0040]As in Table 1 above, the further-neutralized ionomers in Ta...

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Abstract

The present invention is directed to compositions and methods relating to golf balls. In one embodiment, a golf ball can include a core and / or intermediate layer formed from a partially-neutralized in situ ionomer that is neutralized to a first level by a first cation, and is subsequently neutralized by a second, different cation to produce a further, more highly-neutralized ionomer. The further-neutralized ionomer exhibits decreased compression (softer) and / or increased COR (faster) compared to a comparative golf ball that contains a core or layer that is formed from an ionomer that is not subsequently neutralized with a second cation.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]Golf ball core and cover layers are typically constructed with polymer compositions including, for example, polybutadiene rubber, polyurethanes, polyamides, ionomers, and blends thereof. Ionomers, particularly ethylene-based ionomers, have become a common choice of polymers for golf ball layers because of their toughness, durability, and wide range of hardness values. Conventional ionomers, which are typically formed, for example, from a copolymer of ethylene and an α,β-ethylenically unsaturated mono- or dicarboxylic acid, involve partial (<70 wt %) neutralization of at least one of the acid groups present in an acid copolymer. Higher neutralization (>70 wt %) has been generally considered impractical for use in golf balls, without the addition of long chain fatty acids or their salts as flow modifiers and cation sources, because of difficulties in melt processing. There remains a need, therefore, for developing novel ionomeric compositions tha...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): A63B37/00
CPCA63B37/0003A63B37/005A63B37/0051A63B37/0078A63B37/0087C08L2205/02C08L23/0876C08L2666/06
Inventor RAJAGOPALAN, MURALISULLIVAN, MICHAEL J.
Owner ACUSHNET CO
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