Golf ball cover compositions
AssigneeLisco, Inc.
InventorMichael J. Sullivan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a novel golf ball cover composition comprised of a blend of a new metal cation neutralized high acid ionomer resin and an ionomer resin containing an additional comonomer of the acrylate ester class. When the new ionomer resin blend is utilized to manufacture a golf ball, the golf ball produced thereby exhibits an improved combination of distance, playability, and/or durability properties.
Claims56
A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein the cover comprises from about 90 to about 10 percent by weight of a metal cation neutralized high acid ionomer resin which is a copolymer of greater than 16% by weight of an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid and the balance an alpha-olefin having from about 2 to 8 carbon atoms, of which 10 to 90% of the carboxyl groups of the copolymer are neutralized with a metal cation selected from the group consisting of sodium, zinc, magnesium, manganese, lithium, potassium, calcium and nickel ions;
- and, from about 10 to about 90% by weight of an ionomer resin containing a comonomer of the acrylate ester class which is a terpolymer of an alpha-olefin having from about 2 to 8 carbon atoms, an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid and an unsaturated monomer of the acrylate ester class having 1 to 21 carbon atoms, of which 10 to 100% of the carboxyl groups of the terpolymer are neutralized with a metal cation selected from the group consisting of sodium, zinc, lithium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, calcium and nickel ions.
A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein the cover comprises from about 75 to about 25% by weight of a metal cation neutralized high acid ionomer resin which is a copolymer of greater than 16% by weight of an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid and the balance an alpha-olefin having from about 2 to 8 carbon atoms, of which 10 to 90% of the carboxyl groups of the copolymer are neutralized with a metal cation selected from the group consisting of sodium, zinc, lithium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, calcium and nickel ions;
- and, from about 25 to about 75% by weight of an ionomer resin containing a comonomer of the acrylate ester class which is a terpolymer of an olefin having from about 2 to 8 carbon atoms, an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid and an unsaturated monomer of the acrylate ester class having 1 to 21 carbon atoms, of which 10 to 100% of the carboxyl groups of the terpolymer are neutralized with a metal cation selected from the group consisting of sodium, zinc, lithium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, calcium and nickel ions.
A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein the cover comprises from about 60 to about 40% by weight of a metal cation neutralized high acid ionomer resin which is a copolymer of greater than 16% by weight of an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid and the balance an alpha-olefin having from about 2 to 8 carbon atoms, of which 10 to 90% of the carboxyl groups of the copolymer are neutralized with a metal cation selected from the group consisting of sodium, zinc, lithium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, calcium and nickel ions;
- and, from about 40 to about 60% by weight of an ionomer resin containing a comonomer of the acrylate ester class which is a terpolymer of an alpha-olefin having from about 2 to 8 carbon atoms, an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid and an unsaturated monomer of the acrylate ester class having 1 to 21 carbon atoms, of which 10 to 100% of the carboxyl groups of the terpolymer are neutralized with a metal cation selected from the group consisting of sodium, zinc, lithium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, calcium and nickel ions.
A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein the cover is comprised of a blend of a high acid copolymer and an acid terpolymer containing a comonomer of the acrylate ester class, of which 10 to 90% of the carboxyl group of the copolymer/terpolymer blend are neutralized with at least one metal cation.
A method for producing a golf ball cover composition having an improved combination of playability, durability and distance properties comprising the steps of:
- a) blending a high acid copolymer comprised of greater than 16% by weight of an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid and the balance an alpha-olefin having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms with an acid terpolymer comprised of from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid and an unsaturated monomer of the acrylate ester class having 1 to 21 carbon atoms;
- and
- (b) neutralizing from 10 to 100% of the carboxylic acid groups of the high acid copolymer/terpolymer blend with at least one metal cation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.