Compositions useful in the manufacture of golfballs
AssigneeE. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
InventorsRobert J. Statz, Jon P. Braemer, John F. Hagman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention provides compositions useful in the manufacture of one-, two- and three-piece golfballs comprising blends of a copolyetherester or copolyetheramide, an expoxy-containing compound, and an acid-containing ethylene copolymer ionomer.
Claims31
A three-piece golfball comprised of a center, an elastomeric winding and a cover wherein the center comprises a thermoplastic composition comprising:
- a) 65-90 weight percent of a thermoplastic polymer selected from copolyetheramides and copolyetheresters;
- b) 1-10 weight percent of an epoxy-containing compound having sufficient epoxy functionality readily available for reaction with the ionomer of c) but insufficient epoxy functionality to produce a thermoset composition;
- and
- c) the remainder, to total 100 weight percent of an acid-containing ethylene copolymer ionomer.
A three-piece golfball comprising a center, an elastomeric winding and a cover wherein the center comprises about 35 weight percent (total) of a polyetherester having a shore D hardness of 40, 1-5 weight percent of an ethylene/n-butylacrylate (28%)/glycidyl methacrylate (5%) copolymer, about 10 weight percent of an ethylene/methacrylic acid (20%) copolymer highly neutralized with Na cation, and about 50 weight percent ZnO.
A two-piece golfball comprised of a core and a cover wherein the core comprises a thermoplastic composition comprising:
- a) 50-65 weight percent of a thermoplastic polymer selected from copolyetheramides and copolyetheresters;
- b) 1-10 weight percent of an epoxy-containing compound having sufficient epoxy functionality readily available for reaction with the ionomer of c) but insufficient epoxy functionality to produce a thermoset composition;
- and
- c) the remainder, to total 100 weight percent, of an acid-containing ethylene copolymer ionomer.
A two-piece golfball comprising a core and a cover, wherein the core comprises 50-65 polymer weight percent of a thermoplastic polymer selected from polyetheramides and polyetheresters, 1-10 polymer weight percent of an epoxy-containing compound, 15-25 total weight percent ZnO and the remainder to total 100 polymer percent, of an acid-containing ethylene copolymer ionomer, the epoxy-containing compound having sufficient epoxy functionality readily available for reaction with the ionomer but insufficient epoxy functionality to produce a thermoset composition.
A two-piece golfball comprising a core and a cover wherein the core comprises 50-65 polymer weight percent of a polyetherester having a shore D hardness of about 40, 1-5 polymer weight percent of an ethylene/n-butyl acrylate (28%)/glycidyl methacrylate (5%) copolymer;
- 40-45 polymer weight percent of an ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid (20%) copolymer highly neutralized with Na cations, and about 20 total weight percent ZnO.
A two-piece golfball comprised of a core and a cover, wherein the core comprises a thermoplastic composition comprising:
- a) between 30 and 50 polymer weight percent of a thermoplastic polymer selected from copolyetheramides and copolyetheresters;
- b) 1-10 polymer weight percent of an epoxy-containing compound having sufficient epoxy functionality readily available for reaction with the ionomer of d) but insufficient epoxy functionality to produce a thermoset composition;
- c) 15-25 total weight percent of a filler having a density greater than about 5 gm/cc;
- and
- d) the remainder, to total 100%, polymer percent of an acid-containing ethylene copolymer ionomer.
A one-piece golfball comprising a thermoplastic composition comprising:
- a) 40-65 polymer weight percent of a thermoplastic polymer selected from copolyetheresters and copolyetheramides;
- b) 1-10 polymer weight percent of an epoxy-containing compound having sufficient epoxy functionality readily available for reaction with the ionomer of d) but insufficient epoxy functionality to produce a thermoset composition;
- c) 5-20 total weight percent of a filler having a density greater than 4 gm/cc;
- and
- d) the remainder, to total 100 polymer weight percent, of an acid-containing ethylene copolymer ionomer.
A one-piece golfball comprising about 55 polymer weight percent of a polyester having a shore D hardness of about 40, 1-5 polymer weight percent of ethylene/n-butyl acrylate (28%/glycidyl methacrylate (5%) copolymer, 40-45 polymer weight percent of an ethylene/methacrylic acid (20%) copolymer highly neutralized with Na cations, and about 10 total weight percent ZnO.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.