Process for making thermoplastic golf ball material and golf ball with thermoplastic material
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorThomas J. Kennedy, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermoplastic golf ball material is made by combining and reacting (a) an unneutralized copolymer of ethylene and at least one of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid, which has from about 5 to about 12 percent by weight acid monomer; (b) a metallocene-catalyzed copolymer of ethylene and octene; (c) an unsaturated fatty acid; and (d) a metal cation in an amount sufficient to neutralize from about 65 to about 90% of the acid groups, to produce an ionomeric thermoplastic material. The ionomeric thermoplastic material may be used in a core, a cover, or a layer between a core and a cover of a golf ball.
Claims20
A method of making a thermoplastic golf ball material, comprising:
- combining and reacting (a) an unneutralized copolymer of ethylene and at least one of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid, which has from about 5 to about 14 percent by weight acid monomer;
- (b) a metallocene-catalyzed copolymer of ethylene and octene;
- (c) an unsaturated fatty acid;
- and (d) a metal cation in an amount sufficient to neutralize from about 65 to about 90% of the acid groups, to produce an ionomeric thermoplastic material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.