Golf Ball Resin Composition for Durability and Flight Distance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Golf balls made from highly rigid or highly elastic materials face a trade-off between durability and flight distance, with existing solutions compromising on durability to achieve longer distances.
Innovation Solution
A golf ball resin composition incorporating a thermoplastic resin with an infrared absorption peak between 3200 cm−1 to 3600 cm−1, combined with specific copolymers and ionomer resins, which enhances durability and resilience, allowing for greater flight distances while maintaining excellent durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If highly rigid or highly elastic materials are used in golf ball construction, then flight distance is improved, but durability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining polyamide resin with layered silicate to create an intermediate layer that achieves both high rigidity/elasticity for flight distance and enhanced durability. The composite structure allows the material to exhibit improved mechanical properties that neither component alone could provide, resolving the contradiction between flight performance and durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by controlling the flexural modulus of the polyamide resin within a specific range (700-5000 MPa) and adjusting the content of layered silicate (0.1-50 weight %) to optimize both flight distance and durability. By precisely controlling these material parameters, the intermediate layer achieves the desired balance between performance and durability.
2Speed
If polyamide resin with high flexural modulus is used to improve resilience, then flight distance increases, but manufacturing complexity increases due to processing difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses layered silicate as an intermediary substance that facilitates the processing of polyamide resin. The silicate acts as a modifier that improves the manufacturability of high-flexural-modulus polyamide resin while maintaining its mechanical properties, thus reducing manufacturing complexity without sacrificing flight distance performance.
Solution Approach 2:
By creating a composite of polyamide resin and layered silicate, the patent achieves a material that is both high-performance and easier to manufacture. The silicate component modifies the processing characteristics of the polyamide resin, making it more suitable for golf ball manufacturing while maintaining the resilience needed for long flight distance.
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 ball resin composition achieves improved durability and resilience, resulting in increased flight distances on driver shots without compromising on durability.
Implementation Method 1
a thermoplastic resin having an infrared absorption peak in a region from 3200 cm−1 to 3600 cm−1
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball resin composition having improved rebound resilience performance. The present invention provides a golf ball resin composition containing: (A) a thermoplastic resin having an infrared absorption peak in a region from 3200 cm−1 to 3600 cm−1, and (B) at least one resin component selected from the group consisting of (b-1) a binary copolymer composed of an olefin and an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, (b-2) a metal ion-neutralized product of a binary copolymer composed of an olefin and an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, (b-3) a ternary copolymer composed of an olefin, an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester, and (b-4) a metal ion-neutralized product of a ternary copolymer composed of an olefin, an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester, wherein when a relaxation modulus Er (−20° C., 9%) of the golf ball resin composition is measured under conditions of −20° C. and a strain of 9%, a relaxation curve is plotted with the relaxation modulus (MPa) as the vertical axis and a logarithm (ln(t)) of time (sec) as the horizontal axis, and the relaxation curve is linearly approximated to obtain a linear approximation curve, the linear approximation curve has a slope in an absolute value of 7 or more.