Golf Ball Urethane Coating for Uniform Dimple Edge Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing golf ball coatings struggle with non-uniform film thickness at dimple edges, leading to poor scuff resistance, peel resistance, and aerodynamic performance, particularly when using two-component curable polyurethane coatings.
Innovation Solution
A golf ball coating composition using an acrylic or polyester polyol with less than 5 wt% polyurethane particles, combined with a non-yellowing polyisocyanate, to improve film thickness uniformity and enhance scuff and peel resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a two-component curable polyurethane coating is applied to a golf ball, then the coating provides good scuff resistance and peel resistance, but the film thickness at dimple edges becomes thin and uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the coating system by incorporating polyurethane prepolymers with specific NCO groups and using polyols with particular hydroxyl values and molecular weights. These parameter changes enable the coating to maintain adequate film thickness at dimple edges while preserving scuff and peel resistance properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite coating system combining polyurethane prepolymers, polyols, and optional fillers or modifiers. This composite approach allows the coating to achieve both good adhesion to the golf ball surface and improved film thickness uniformity across dimple edges, resolving the contradiction between reliability and manufacturing precision.
2Reliability
If the coating is made thicker to improve scuff resistance, then scuff resistance improves, but coating sag increases and film thickness uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts the viscosity and curing characteristics of the coating by selecting polyols with specific hydroxyl values (50-300) and molecular weights (1000-10000). These parameter changes allow the coating to achieve adequate thickness for scuff resistance without excessive sag, maintaining both reliability and shape integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates polyurethane prepolymers that are prepared in advance with specific isocyanate group contents. This preliminary preparation ensures that the coating has optimal rheological properties before application, preventing sag while maintaining adequate film thickness for scuff resistance.
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 composition suppresses coating sag and improves film thickness edge ratio, resulting in enhanced scuff resistance, peel resistance, and marking protection.
Implementation Method 1
Two-component curable polyurethane coatings prepared by mixing together a polyol and a polyisocyanate just prior to use
Implementation Method 2
by including within the coating composition less than 5 wt % of polyurethane particles
Data Source
AI summary
A golf ball includes one or more coating layer on a golf ball surface having a plurality of dimples thereon. At least one coating layer is formed of a two-component curable urethane coating composition having a polyol component and a polyisocyanate component, which polyol component is an acrylic polyol or a polyester polyol. The coating composition contains less than 5 wt % of polyurethane particles, relative to base resin solids within the composition. The coating layer formed on the ball surface suppresses coating sag, improves the film thickness edge ratio between the film thickness at the middle portion and the film thickness at edge portions of the dimples, and has an improved scuff resistance, peel resistance and marking protective effect.