Carbon-carbon initiators for use in golf balls

A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein at least the core or the cover comprises an elastomeric composition comprising a base polymer and a carbon-carbon initiator having a formula of:

• where n is an integer from 1 to about 10,
• X1 to X8 are independently selected from hydrogen, halogen, linear or branched alkyl, alkoxy, cyano, nitro, nitrile, hydroxyl, or amino groups,
• Z2 is selected from hydrogen, halogen, branched alkyl, alkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, vinyl, substituted phenyl, cyano, nitro, nitrile, hydroxyl, amino, carboxyl, ester, amide, thio, epoxide, silyl, or silyloxy groups, and
• Z1 and Z3 to Z6 are independently selected from hydrogen, halogen, linear or branched alkyl, alkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, vinyl, substituted phenyl, cyano, nitro, nitrile, hydroxyl, amino, carboxyl, ester, amide, thio, epoxide, silyl, or silyloxy groups;
• or a formula of:
• where R is a substituted hydrocarbon moiety,
• R1 to R4 are independently selected from hydrogen, alkyl, or alkoxy groups, and
• Z7 and Z8 are independently selected from hydrogen, halogen, linear or branched alkyl, alkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, vinyl, substituted phenyl, cyano, nitro, nitrile, hydroxyl, amino, carboxyl, ester, amide, thio, epoxide, silyl, or silyloxy groups.

A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein at least one of the core or the cover comprises an elastomeric composition comprising a base polymer and a carbon-carbon initiator that is free of peroxide groups and capable of thermally decomposing into carbon-based free radicals by breaking at least one elongated carbon-carbon single bond, the carbon-carbon initiator is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic hydrocarbon initiators, alicyclic hydrocarbon initiators, bibenzyl;

• α,α′-dimethoxybibenzyl;
• α,α′-dimethoxy-α,α′-dimethylbibenzyl;
• α-methoxy-α,α′-diphenylbibenzyl;
• α,α′-dimethoxy-α,α′-diphenylbibenzyl;
• 1,2-dinitro-1,2-diphenylethane;
• 1,2-dinitro-1,2-di(p-tolyl)ethane;
• 1,2-dichloro-1,2-diphenylethane;
• 1,2-dibromo-1,2-diphenylethane;
• 1,2-dibromo-1,2-dimethyl-1,2-diphenylethane;
• tetraphenylethane;
• hexaphenylethane;
• tetrabromodiphenylethane;
• pentabromodiphenylethane;
• hexabromodiphenylethane;
• heptabromodiphenylethane;
• octabromodiphenylethane;
• novabromodiphenylethane;
• decabromodiphenylethane;
• 1,2-bis(trimethylsiloxy)-1,2-diphenylethane;
• 1,2-diphenyl-1,2-ethanediol (i.e.;
• hydrobenzoin);
• 1,1,2,2-tetraphenyl-1,2-ethanediol (i.e.;
• benzopinacol or tetraphenylethylene glycol);
• 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-butanediol (i.e.;
• pinacol;
• pinacone;
• or tetramethylethylene glycol);
• 2,3-diphenyl-2,3-butanediol;
• 3,4-diphenyl-3,4-hexanediol;
• 1,2-bis(trimethylsiloxy)-1,1,2,2-tetraphenylethane;
• 2,3-bis(trimethylsilyloxy)-2,3-diphenylbutane;
• 2,3-bis(trimethylsilyloxy)-2,2,3,3-tetraphenylbutane;
• 2,3-diethyl-2,3-diphenylsuccinonitrile (i.e.;
• diethy-2,3-dicyano-2,3-diphenylsuccinate);
• 2,2,3,3-tetraphenylsuccinonitrile;
• 2,3-dimethylbutane;
• 2,3-diphenylbutane;
• 2-methyl-2,3-diphenylbutane;
• 2,3-dimethyl-1,1-diphenylbutane;
• 2,3-dimethyl-1,2-diphenylbutane;
• 2,3-dimethyl-1,4-diphenylbutane, 2,3-dibutyl-2,3-diphenylbutane;
• 2,3-diisobutyl-2,3-diphenylbutane;
• 2,3-dihexyl-2,3-diphenylbutane;
• 2-methyl-2-phenyl-3-tolylbutane;
• 2-methyl-3-phenyl-2-tolylbutane;
• 2-benzyl-3-methyl-1-phenylbutane;
• 2,2,3,3-tetraphenylbutane;
• 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-di[(t-butyl)phenyl]butane;
• 1,4-bis(1-bora-3,4-diphenylcyclopentyl)-2,3-diphenylbutane;
• 2,3-dimethyl-2-methylphenyl-3-[(p-2,3′-dimethyl-3′-methylphenyl-butyl)phenyl]butane;
• 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-di(p-benzylphenyl)butane;
• 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-di(2,3,4,5,6-pentamethylphenyl)butane;
• 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-di(m-hexadecylphenyl)butane;
• 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-di(p-eicosylphenyl)butane;
• 2,3-dicyano-2,3-diphenylbutane;
• 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-di(p-methoxyphenyl)butane;
• 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-di(p-ethoxyphenyl)butane;
• 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-di(p-nitrophenyl)butane;
• 2,3-diethyl-2,3-di(p-nitrophenyl)butane;
• 2-methyl-1,1-diphenylpentane;
• 4-methyl-1,1-diphenylpentane;
• 2-methyl-1,2-diphenylpentane;
• 4-methyl-1,2-diphenylpentane;
• 2-methyl-1,3-diphenylpentane;
• 4-methyl-1,3-diphenylpentane;
• 2-methyl-1,4-diphenylpentane;
• 2-methyl-1,5-diphenylpentane;
• 4-methyl-2,2-diphenylpentane;
• 2-methyl-2,3-diphenylpentane;
• 2-methyl-2,4-diphenylpentane;
• 2-methyl-3,4-diphenylpentane;
• 2-methyl-2,5-diphenylpentane;
• 2-methyl-3,3-diphenylpentane;
• 3,4-dimethylhexane;
• 3,4-dimethyl-3,4-diethylhexane;
• 1,1-diphenylhexane;
• 1,2-diphenylhexane (i.e.;
• 2-benzyl-1-phenylpentane);
• 1,3-diphenylhexane;
• 1,4-diphenylhexane;
• 1,5-diphenylhexane;
• 1,6-diphenylhexane;
• 2,2-diphenylhexane;
• 2,3-diphenylhexane;
• 2,4-diphenylhexane;
• 2,5-diphenylhexane;
• 3,3-diphenylhexane;
• 3,4-diphenylhexane;
• 3,4-diisobutyl-3,4-diphenylhexane;
• 3,3,4,4-tetraphenylhexane;
• 3,4-diethyl-3,4-di(3,4,5-triethylphenyl)hexane;
• 5,6-dimethyl-5,6-diphenyldecane;
• 5,6-dimethyl-5,6-di(p-cyclohexylphenyl)decane;
• 6,7-dimethyl-6,7-diphenyldodecane;
• 7,8-dimethyl-7,8-di(p-methoxyphenyl)tetradecane;
• 1,1′-diphenyl-1,1′-bicyclopentyl;
• 1,1′-diphenyl-1,1′-bicyclohexyl;
• poly(1,4-diisopropylbenzene);
• and poly(1,3-diisopropylbenzene).