Manufacture of polyurethane foam ball
AssigneeInvista North America S.A.R.L.
InventorJohannes C. Vleghert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a novel method for manufacturing a cellular elastomeric polyurethane foam ball. The product polyurethane foam ball may be used as a core for a tennis ball which meets ITF specifications for tennis balls, including weight, diameter, bound, forward deformation and return deformation.
Claims36
A method for manufacturing a cellular elastomeric polyurethane foam ball which comprises (1) forming a reaction mixture comprising a first composition and a second composition inside a spherical mold, (2) maintaining the reaction mixture inside the mold at reaction conditions including a temperature of from about 60 to about 80° C. for a time sufficient to form a cellular elastomeric polyurethane foam ball inside the mold, (3) removing the formed cellular elastomeric polyurethane foam ball from the mold, and (4) curing the formed cellular elastomeric polyurethane foam ball at a temperature for from about 60 to about 80° C. for a time of from about 60 minutes to about 12 hours, the resulting foam ball having a bound (or rebound) of from about 150 to about 180 cm when dropped from 254 cm onto horizontal, level concrete, and a forward deformation (or deflection) of from about 5 to about 11 mm under an 8.17 kg load, said first composition of the reaction mixture comprising at least one isocyanate compound or modified version thereof, and said second composition of the reaction mixture comprising at least one compound containing a functional group which is reactive with the at least one isocyanate compound or modified version thereof of the first composition;
- a chain extender;
- at least one catalyst or catalyst mixture comprising a tertiary amine and, optionally, a metal complex, said metal of the metal complex being selected from the group consisting of tin, titanium, zirconium, zinc, bismuth, mercury, iron and combinations thereof;
- optionally at least one nonionic surfactant;
- and at least one blowing agent.
A cellular elastomeric polyurethane foam ball manufactured by the method which comprises (1) forming a reaction mixture comprising a first composition and a second composition inside a spherical mold, (2) maintaining the reaction mixture inside the mold at reaction conditions including a temperature of from about 60 to about 80° C. for a time sufficient to form a cellular elastomeric polyurethane foam ball inside the mold, (3) removing the formed cellular elastomeric polyurethane foam ball from the mold, and (4) curing the formed cellular elastomeric polyurethane foam ball at a temperature for from about 60 to about 80° C. for a time of from about 60 minutes to about 12 hours, the resulting foam ball having a bound (or rebound) of from about 150 to about 180 cm when dropped from 254 cm onto horizontal, level concrete, and a forward deformation (or deflection) of from about 5 to about 11 mm under an 8.17 kg load, said first composition of the reaction mixture comprising at least one isocyanate compound or modified version thereof, and said second composition of the reaction mixture comprising at least one compound containing a functional group which is reactive with the at least one isocyanate compound or modified version thereof of the first composition;
- a chain extender;
- at least one catalyst or catalyst mixture comprising a tertiary amine and, optionally, a metal complex, said metal of the metal complex being selected from the group consisting of tin, titanium, zirconium, zinc, bismuth, mercury, iron and combinations thereof;
- optionally at least one nonionic surfactant;
- and at least one blowing agent.
A reaction mixture suitable for manufacturing a cellular elastomeric polyurethane foam ball inside a spherical mold, the foam structure of the ball having a bound (or rebound) of from about 150 to about 180 cm when dropped from 254 cm onto horizontal, level concrete, and a forward deformation (or deflection) of from about 5 to about 11 mm under an 8.17 kg load, at reaction conditions including a temperature of from about 60 to about 80° C. for a time sufficient to form said cellular elastomeric polyurethane foam ball inside the mold, the reaction mixture comprising a first composition and a second composition, said first composition of the reaction mixture comprising at least one isocyanate compound or modified version thereof, and said second composition of the reaction mixture comprising at least one compound containing a functional group which is reactive with the at least one isocyanate compound or modified version thereof of the first composition;
- a chain extender;
- at least one catalyst or catalyst mixture comprising a tertiary amine and, optionally, a metal complex, said metal of the metal complex being selected from the group consisting of tin, titanium, zirconium, zinc, bismuth, mercury, iron and combinations thereof;
- optionally at least one nonionic surfactant;
- and at least one blowing agent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.