Golf Ball Cover Material Polyurea Aromatic Vinyl Elastomer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional golf balls with urethane covers lack sufficient controllability and scuff resistance, particularly on approach shots, and have inadequate spin rates.
Innovation Solution
A golf ball design incorporating a cover material composed of a polymer blend primarily of polyurethane or polyurea with less than 15 parts by weight of an aromatic vinyl elastomer, specifically a completely saturated isobutylene-styrene thermoplastic elastomer, achieving a CS1 value greater than −4.08×10−3, enhances controllability and scuff resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a blend of thermoplastic polyurethane and styrene-base block copolymer is used as cover material to improve scuff resistance, then scuff resistance is improved, but rebound resilience becomes inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the cover material by using polyurea resin instead of thermoplastic polyurethane, and specifically selecting aromatic vinyl elastomers with controlled properties (rebound resilience 25-40%, specific gravity 0.92-0.96). This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction by achieving both scuff resistance and adequate rebound resilience.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite cover material combining polyurea resin with aromatic vinyl elastomer in a specific ratio (5-20 parts by weight per 100 parts polyurea). This composite structure integrates the scuff resistance of polyurea with the elastic properties of the aromatic vinyl elastomer, simultaneously achieving both scuff resistance and rebound resilience.
2Ease of operation
If aromatic vinyl elastomer content is increased to improve controllability on approach shots, then controllability is improved, but spin rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the content of aromatic vinyl elastomer to a specific range (5-20 parts by weight per 100 parts polyurea) and selects elastomers with specific properties (rebound resilience 25-40%). This parameter control ensures sufficient controllability while preventing excessive spin rate loss, resolving the contradiction between controllability and spin rate.
3Reliability
If polyurethane resin material is used as cover material to maintain scuff resistance, then scuff resistance is maintained, but controllability on approach shots becomes inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from polyurethane to polyurea resin and further optimizes by incorporating aromatic vinyl elastomer with specific properties. This material parameter change maintains the scuff resistance characteristic of urethane-based materials while adding the controllability benefits of elastic polymers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system combining polyurea resin with aromatic vinyl elastomer. This composite approach preserves the durability and scuff resistance of the polyurea base while the elastomer component provides improved controllability on approach shots through its elastic properties.
Data Source
AI summary
In a golf ball having a rubber core of at least one layer and a cover of at least one layer encasing the core, at least one layer of the cover is formed of a resin composition that includes (I) a polyurethane or a polyurea and (II) an aromatic vinyl elastomer, the amount of component (II) included per 100 parts by weight of component (I) is less than 15 parts by weight, and the CS1 value calculated by formula (1) belowCS1=(CV50-CV12)/38(1)(wherein CV50 is the coefficient of restitution at an incident velocity of 50.0 m/s and CV12 is the coefficient of restitution at an incident velocity of 12.0 m/s) is larger than −4.08×10−3, so that the golf ball has both an excellent controllability and a good feel at impact on approach shots together with a good scuff resistance.