Golf Ball Core Composition Using Boron Additives
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional golf ball cores made from polybutadiene-based polymers face challenges in achieving a higher coefficient of restitution (CoR) while maintaining lower compression and providing better feel, which is difficult due to the physical limitations of currently available polymers.
Innovation Solution
A golf ball core composition incorporating a base polymer, crosslink initiator, and specific additives such as boranes, borates, and sulfur-containing compounds to enhance CoR and reduce compression, with the additives present in amounts ranging from 0.1 to 5 parts per hundred resin (phr) by weight of the base polymer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If polybutadiene-based polymer composition is used in golf ball core, then the core provides good elasticity and rebound, but the coefficient of restitution cannot be increased further without increasing compression
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the polymer by introducing boron-containing compounds and sulfur-containing compounds as additives to the polybutadiene base polymer. These compositional changes enable the material to achieve higher CoR (0.8 or greater) without increasing compression, thereby resolving the contradiction between improving rebound performance and maintaining compression levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite polymer material by combining polybutadiene base polymer with specific additives including boranes, borates, boronates, heterocylic compounds with boron atoms, boron-containing organosulfides, and sulfur-containing silicocompounds. This composite approach enables simultaneous achievement of high CoR and controlled compression, overcoming the limitations of conventional single-polymer compositions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional polymer compositions are used, then manufacturing is simple, but playing characteristics such as CoR, compression, and spin cannot be optimized simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by introducing specific functional additives at controlled concentrations (0.1 to 5 phr) into the polymer composition. Each additive serves a specific function: boron-containing compounds enhance CoR, sulfur-containing compounds modify compression and spin characteristics. This localized functional enhancement allows independent optimization of different playing characteristics without requiring complete reformulation of the entire composition.
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 achieves a CoR of 0.8 or greater and reduces core compression, thereby improving the golf ball's performance in terms of distance and feel.
Implementation Method 1
a composition formed from a base polymer, a crosslink initiator, and at least one additive selected from the group consisting of boranes, borates, boronates, borinates, heterocylic compounds having at least one boron atom as a ring member, boron-containing organosulfides, sulfur-containing silicocompounds
Data Source
AI summary
A golf ball comprising a core, an outer cover layer, and, optionally, an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the outer cover layer is provided. The core, intermediate layer, or cover layer includes a composition formed from a base polymer blend, a crosslink initiator, and at least one additive. The outer cover layer may comprise a polyurethane or polyurea composition. The base polymer blend preferably includes two or more rubber materials. The additive has at least one C—O—B linkage, the carbon in the linkage being a secondary or tertiary carbon and is selected from the group consisting of boranes, borates, boronates, borinates, heterocylic compounds having at least one boron atom as a ring member, boron-containing organosulfides, salts of such additives, and metal salts, organometallic salts, and non-metal salts of boron complexes.