Biodegradable Golf Ball Composition with Hollow Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional golf balls are not water-soluble and non-degradable, causing environmental pollution and harm when used in water golf, and existing water-soluble golf balls have poor solubility and complex production methods, making them unsuitable for large-scale industrial production.
Innovation Solution
A golf ball-forming composition comprising polyvinyl alcohol resin, fillers, natural polymer materials, and plasticizers, with a hollow structure and through holes for enhanced water solubility, combined with a simple extrusion and blow molding process for efficient production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional golf ball materials (rubber and synthetic resin) are used, then the golf ball has good durability and performance, but it causes white pollution and environmental harm when hit into water
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the golf ball material by using biodegradable resin (such as polyhydroxyalkanoates) instead of traditional rubber and synthetic resin. This parameter change enables the material to be water-soluble and naturally degradable, eliminating white pollution while maintaining the necessary mechanical strength for golf ball performance through optimized resin formulation and curing systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining biodegradable resin with water-soluble resin and inorganic fillers. This composite approach creates a material system that achieves both environmental compatibility (water solubility and biodegradability) and mechanical performance (durability and strength), resolving the contradiction between environmental harm and strength.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If water-soluble adhesives are used in existing water-soluble golf balls, then the golf ball can dissolve in water, but the solubility is poor and dissolution time is long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the molecular weight, hydroxyl value, and composition ratio parameters of the water-soluble resin to enhance water solubility and accelerate dissolution. By carefully selecting and adjusting these parameters, the golf ball achieves rapid dissolution in water while maintaining structural integrity during use, directly addressing the slow dissolution problem of existing water-soluble golf balls.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different resin compositions and crosslinking densities in different regions of the golf ball material. The outer layer may have higher water solubility for rapid dissolution, while the inner core maintains slightly higher strength for durability. This local quality differentiation enables the ball to dissolve quickly when needed while preserving necessary performance characteristics.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If water-soluble adhesives and fillers are mixed to form slurry and then cast or injected into die, then the golf ball can be made water-soluble, but the production method is complex and inefficient for large scale industrial production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the water-soluble and biodegradable properties from complex multi-step adhesive bonding processes and integrates them directly into the base material formulation. By incorporating water-soluble resin and biodegradable components into the primary material composition rather than using them as separate adhesive layers, the production process is simplified while maintaining water solubility functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal material formulation that simultaneously provides structural integrity, water solubility, and biodegradability in a single composite material system. This multi-functional material eliminates the need for separate adhesive bonding steps and complex assembly processes, enabling efficient large-scale production through conventional molding techniques while achieving all desired environmental and performance characteristics.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The golf balls exhibit rapid water solubility and complete biodegradability, reducing environmental harm and enabling large-scale industrial production while maintaining performance similar to traditional golf balls.
Implementation Method 1
the water soluble resin may be polyvinyl alcohol
Implementation Method 2
a hollow structure and through holes for enhanced water solubility
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
A golf ball-forming composition, golf balls prepared from the composition and the process for preparing thereof. The golf ball-forming composition is composed of the following ingredients: polyvinyl alcohol resin 5-80 wt%, filler 0-90 wt%, natural polymer material 0-60wt%, and plasticizer 5-50 wt%. The filler is fillers conventionally used by the person skilled in the art; the natural polymer material is fibrous substance or polysaccharide based substance; and the plasticizer is substances conventionally used by the person skilled in the art. The golf ball-forming composition is water soluble and biodegradable. The water soluble and biodegradable golf ball has a hollow inside, and the surface of the ball is disposed with at least one through hole communicating with the hollow. When the golf ball is hit into water, water will enter the hollow via the through hole, thereby increasing the contact area between water and the ball and accelerating the dissolution of the ball, so that the ball may be completely biodegraded in the environment eventually.