Golf Ball Cover Composition for Moldability and Abrasion Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The low flowability of polyurethane-based cover compositions in golf balls leads to difficulties in molding and reduces productivity, while adding ionomer resins to improve flowability results in decreased abrasion resistance.
Innovation Solution
A golf ball cover composition containing thermoplastic polyurethane and olefin/unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymers or olefin/unsaturated carboxylic acid/unsaturated carboxylic acid ester copolymers, with thermoplastic polyurethane comprising 50% or more of the resin component, enhances moldability and maintains abrasion resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If ionomer resin is added to improve flowability, then moldability is improved, but abrasion resistance is decreased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by substituting ionomer resin with specific copolymer combinations (ethylene/methacrylic acid/ethyl acrylate ternary copolymer or ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymer) that provide both improved flowability and maintained abrasion resistance. The specific compositional ranges (5-40 mass% component (B), 5-30 mass% component (C), 60-90 mass% component (A)) are optimized to achieve the desired balance between moldability and durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite cover composition system combining three specific components: thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (component A), ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid/alkyl (meth)acrylate ternary copolymer or ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid copolymer (component B), and polybutadiene rubber (component C). This composite formulation synergistically improves flowability through component B while component A maintains structural integrity and component C provides elasticity, collectively preserving abrasion resistance.
2Reliability
If polyurethane is used as primary resin component, then shot feeling and spin performance are improved, but flowability is decreased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent formulates a composite cover composition where thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (component A) constitutes 60-90 mass% to maintain excellent spin performance and shot feeling, while incorporating ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid/alkyl (meth)acrylate ternary copolymer or ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid copolymer (component B) at 5-40 mass% to significantly improve flowability during molding, and polybutadiene rubber (component C) at 5-30 mass% to enhance elasticity and overall performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the compositional parameters within specific ranges: component (A) at 60-90 mass% to preserve spin performance, component (B) at 5-40 mass% to ensure adequate flowability, and component (C) at 5-30 mass% to maintain elasticity. These parameter optimizations enable the cover composition to exhibit both improved processability and retained performance characteristics.
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present disclosure is, for a golf ball comprising a cover containing a polyurethane as a resin component, to improve the moldability of the cover and increase the productivity of the golf ball while suppressing lowering in the scratch resistance of the cover. The present disclosure provides a golf ball comprising a spherical core and a cover covering the spherical core, wherein the cover is formed from a cover composition containing (A) a thermoplastic polyurethane and (B) an olefin/unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer and/or an olefin/unsaturated carboxylic acid/unsaturated carboxylic acid ester copolymer as a resin component, and an amount of (A) the thermoplastic polyurethane is 50 mass % or more in the resin component.