Ball skin material and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a ball skin material and a preparation method thereof. The ball skin material is prepared from the following raw materials in parts by weight: 20 to 45 parts of SEBS (styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), 45 to 65 parts of softening oil, 20 to 45 parts of PP (polypropylene), 0.06 to 0.16 part of antioxidant, 0.03 to 0.08 part of stabilizer, 0.1 to 0.5 part of light stabilizer and 0.5 to 1.5 parts of toner. According to the ball skin material disclosed by the invention, the SEBS, the PP, the softening oil, the proper antioxidant, the proper stabilizer, the proper light stabilizer and the proper toner are uniformly mixed according to a specific weight part ratio and then are subjected to melt extrusion granulation at a high temperature, so that modified ball skin material particles can be obtained, and the ball skin material has better mechanical properties such as wear resistance, aging resistance and tear resistance; meanwhile, the production cost is reduced. The ball skin prepared by injection molding of the ball skin material particles can improve the elasticity, wear resistance and aging resistance of the ball.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of sports balls, and more specifically, to a ball cover material and a preparation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] As a key component of sports balls such as soccer, basketball, and rugby, the ball cover directly impacts the ball's performance, durability, and user experience. Traditional ball covers are often made of TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer). While TPE offers advantages such as flexibility, excellent processing properties, and environmental friendliness, it also suffers from limited heat resistance, poor compression set and resilience, and a non-wearable surface, limiting the performance of these balls. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present application is to provide a ball cover material with better mechanical properties and greater stability and a preparation method thereof, in view of the shortcomings of the above-mentioned TPE material in the prior art.

[0004] In order to solve the technical problem, the present application provides a ball cover material in the first aspect. The ball cover material is prepared from the following raw materials in parts by weight:

[0005]

[0006] In one embodiment of the ball cover material according to the first aspect of the present application, the softening oil is selected from a mixture of one or more types of saturated hydrocarbons.

[0007] In one embodiment of the ball cover material according to the first aspect of the present application, the softening oil is selected from a combination of one or more of straight-chain alkanes, branched-chain alkanes and cycloalkanes.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the ball cover material described in the first aspect of the present application, the ratio of the stabilizer and the antioxidant is antioxidant:stabilizer=2:1.

[0009] In one embodiment of the ball cover material according to the first aspect of the present application, the antioxidant is at least one of a hindered phenol antioxidant and a phosphite antioxidant.

[0010] In one embodiment of the ball cover material according to the first aspect of the present application, the stabilizer includes a heat stabilizer, and the light stabilizer includes at least one of an ultraviolet absorber and a hindered amine light stabilizer.

[0011] In order to solve the technical problem, the present application proposes a method for preparing the above-mentioned ball cover material in the second aspect, the preparation method comprising the following steps:

[0012] S1, drying the raw materials to remove residual moisture;

[0013] S2, mixing the dried raw materials uniformly according to the weight ratio;

[0014] S3, melt-blending the mixed raw materials at high temperature, and then extruding and pelletizing to obtain ball skin material particles;

[0015] S4. Drying the spherical skin material particles obtained by extrusion granulation to remove moisture and volatile substances on the surface of the particles.

[0016] In one embodiment of the method for preparing the ball cover material according to the second aspect of the present application, in step S1, the raw materials are dried at a temperature of 80-85° C. for 2-3 hours to remove residual moisture.

[0017] In one embodiment of the method for preparing the ball skin material according to the second aspect of the present application, in step S3, the mixed raw materials are added to a single-screw or twin-screw extruder, and the extrusion temperature is set to 190-230°C and the screw speed is set to 250-300rpm, so that the raw materials are melt-blended at high temperature and then extruded into granules.

[0018] In one embodiment of the method for preparing the ball skin material according to the second aspect of the present application, in step S4, the ball skin material particles obtained by extrusion granulation are dried at a temperature of 80-85° C. for 2-3 hours to remove moisture and volatile substances on the surface of the particles.

[0019] The ball cover material and preparation method disclosed herein have the following beneficial effects: The ball cover material according to the embodiments of the present invention optimizes existing TPE materials by uniformly mixing SEBS, PP, softening oil, and suitable antioxidants, stabilizers, light stabilizers, and colorants in specific weight proportions, followed by melt extrusion and granulation at high temperature. This modified ball cover material granules exhibit improved mechanical properties such as wear resistance, aging resistance, and tear resistance, while also reducing production costs. Ball covers made by injection molding using these ball cover material granules can enhance the ball's elasticity, wear resistance, and aging resistance, meeting market demand for high-quality sporting goods. The modified ball cover material has significant application value and broad market prospects. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely for the purpose of explaining this application and are not intended to limit this application. Furthermore, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application may be combined with each other unless there is a conflict.

[0021] This application proposes a ball cover material for use in the manufacture of sports ball products (e.g., soccer balls, basketballs, and rugby balls). The ball cover material of this application is modified and optimized based on existing TPE materials and is prepared from the following raw materials in parts by weight:

[0022]

[0023] SEBS is a linear triblock copolymer with polystyrene as the terminal segment and an ethylene-butene copolymer obtained by hydrogenating polybutadiene as the middle elastic block. Its full English name is Styrene Ethylene Butylene Styrene, abbreviated as SEBS. PP stands for polypropylene. SEBS is an elastomeric material with a rubber-like molecular structure, which can give the ball cover excellent elasticity. This allows the ball to effectively store energy when impacted (such as by kicking, hitting, or throwing) and release it instantly, providing excellent rebound performance. In addition, SEBS material has extremely high wear resistance, tear resistance, and puncture resistance, allowing the ball cover to withstand friction from court surfaces (especially rough surfaces such as artificial grass, concrete, and asphalt) and scratches from sharp objects, greatly extending the ball's service life. At the same time, SEBS material maintains good flexibility over a wide temperature range, especially at low temperatures. SEBS is inherently hydrophobic and has extremely low water absorption, which makes the ball cover extremely waterproof.

[0024] Softening oil can be selected from one or more mixings in various saturated hydrocarbons, and is preferably selected from one or more mixings in straight-chain alkanes, branched alkanes and cycloalkanes. The polystyrene blocks in the SEBS molecular chain form physical crosslinking points (hard segments), and polyolefin segments (ethylene-butylene soft segments) provide elasticity, but pure SEBS hardness is higher, can't meet the required soft touch of ball skin. Softening oil is as small molecule solvent, and the soft segment region of selective swelling SEBS increases molecular chain spacing, weakens interchain force, makes soft segment easier to move, thereby can reduce injection molding / extrusion temperature, make material easier to process, can also promote flexibility (avoiding cold environment to harden) under low temperature, strengthen resilience and deformation recovery ability.

[0025] PP is a rigid, semi-crystalline plastic. Its crystalline regions act as physical crosslinks, effectively inhibiting molecular chain slip. The addition of PP modulates the overall hardness and softness of the ball skin, enhancing its shape stability. Furthermore, PP exhibits superior melt flowability compared to SEBS, improving the blend's fluidity during injection molding or extrusion, while also reducing processing temperatures and pressures.

[0026] Antioxidants, stabilizers, and light stabilizers are primarily used to protect polymers from degradation during processing and long-term use, thereby maintaining the physical properties, elasticity, and appearance of the ball skin. Antioxidants prevent aging during processing and product use, stabilizers prevent product aging during use, and light stabilizers are used to prevent cracking and aging of the material in the external environment. The preferred ratio of stabilizer to antioxidant is antioxidant: stabilizer = 2:1. Specifically, the antioxidant may be at least one of a hindered phenol antioxidant and a phosphite antioxidant. Stabilizers include various types of heat stabilizers (such as phosphites). Light stabilizers include at least one of an ultraviolet absorber (UVA) and a hindered amine light stabilizer (HALS). Toner is a colorant primarily used to identify the color of the material to meet appearance requirements.

[0027] Specifically, the ball cover material according to the first embodiment (Example 1) of the present application is prepared from the following raw materials in parts by weight:

[0028]

[0029] The ball cover material according to the second embodiment (Example 2) of the present application is prepared from the following raw materials in parts by weight:

[0030]

[0031] The ball cover material according to the third embodiment (Example 3) of the present application is prepared from the following raw materials in parts by weight:

[0032]

[0033] The preparation method of the ball cover material mentioned in the present application comprises the following steps:

[0034] S1. Drying pretreatment: Dry the raw materials at 80-85°C for 2-3 hours to remove residual moisture;

[0035] S2. Raw material mixing: Add the dried SEBS, PP, and softening oil in a specific weight ratio into a high-speed mixer, and add appropriate amounts of antioxidant, stabilizer, light stabilizer, and color powder, and mix well;

[0036] S3, blending extrusion granulation: the mixed raw materials are added to a twin-screw extruder, and appropriate extrusion parameters are set (extrusion temperature 190-230 ° C, screw speed 250-300 rpm), and the extruder is started to melt and blend the raw materials at high temperature, and then extruded through a die and pelletized to obtain spherical skin material particles;

[0037] S4. Drying treatment: Dry the spherical skin material particles obtained by extrusion granulation at a temperature of 80-85° C. for 2-3 hours to remove moisture and volatile substances on the surface of the particles.

[0038] The modified ball skin material particles obtained by the above-mentioned preparation method of this application can be used for injection molding to produce a ball skin with better performance. This application conducted a performance test on the ball skin material particles prepared based on the raw material ratios of the above three examples. The results are shown in Table 1 below:

[0039] Table 1 - Ball skin material particle performance test results

[0040]

[0041] From the above test results, it can be seen that: the higher the proportion of softening oil, the lower the strength of the modified particles; the higher the proportion of PP, the higher the strength of the modified particles; the higher the proportion of softening oil, the stronger the chain segment activity and the higher the elongation of the modified particles; the higher the proportion of softening oil, the lower the tear strength of the modified particles; the higher the proportion of softening oil and the lower the proportion of PP, the better the fluidity of the modified particles.

[0042] The present application conducted performance tests on the ball skins made by injection molding using the ball skin material particles prepared based on the raw material ratios of the above three embodiments, including mechanical properties and aging resistance. The test results are shown in Table 2 below:

[0043] Table 2 - Ball performance test results

[0044]

[0045] The above test results show that: the higher the proportion of softening oil, the lower the ball skin hardness, and Example 2 is the softest; Example 1 has the lowest softening oil proportion and the lowest PP proportion, and the mildest anti-migration / anti-sedimentation yellowing; Example 2 has the highest softening oil proportion and although the light stabilizer is high, oil migration still causes a large color difference and a slightly larger ΔE; a high softening oil proportion results in a low friction coefficient and greater wear resistance, and Example 1 is the most wear-resistant; more softening oil enhances chain segment mobility and has the best folding resistance; Example 2 has the highest softening oil proportion and the shortest crack.

[0046] Performance test data from the modified particles and the ball covers made using them demonstrate that the ball cover materials according to the embodiments of this application exhibit improved mechanical properties, including wear resistance, aging resistance, and tear resistance. Ball covers made by injection molding using these particles can enhance the ball's elasticity, wear resistance, and aging resistance, meeting market demand for high-quality sporting goods and possessing significant application value and broad market prospects.

[0047] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A ball cover material, characterized in that: The ball skin material is prepared from the following raw materials in parts by weight:

2. The ball cover material according to claim 1, characterized in that: The softening oil is selected from a mixture of one or more of various saturated hydrocarbons.

3. The ball cover material according to claim 2, characterized in that: The softening oil is selected from one or more combinations of straight-chain alkanes, branched-chain alkanes and cycloalkanes.

4. The ball cover material according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ratio of the stabilizer to the antioxidant is 2:

1.

5. The ball cover material according to claim 4, characterized in that: The antioxidant is at least one of a hindered phenol antioxidant and a phosphite antioxidant.

6. The ball cover material according to claim 4, characterized in that: The stabilizer includes a heat stabilizer, and the light stabilizer includes at least one of an ultraviolet absorber and a hindered amine light stabilizer.

7. A method for preparing a ball cover material according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The preparation method comprises the following steps: S1, drying the raw materials to remove residual moisture; S2, mixing the dried raw materials uniformly according to the weight ratio; S3, melt-blending the mixed raw materials at high temperature, and then extruding and pelletizing to obtain ball skin material particles; S4. Drying the spherical skin material particles obtained by extrusion granulation to remove moisture and volatile substances on the surface of the particles.

8. The method for preparing a ball cover material according to claim 7, wherein: In step S1, the raw materials are dried at a temperature of 80-85° C. for 2-3 hours to remove residual moisture.

9. The method for preparing a ball cover material according to claim 8, wherein: In step S3, the mixed raw materials are added to a single-screw or twin-screw extruder, and the extrusion temperature is set to 190-230° C. and the screw speed is set to 250-300 rpm, so that the raw materials are melt-blended at high temperature and then extruded into granules.

10. The method for preparing a ball cover material according to claim 9, wherein: In step S4, the spherical skin material particles obtained by extrusion granulation are dried at a temperature of 80-85° C. for 2-3 hours to remove moisture and volatile substances on the surface of the particles.

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