Methods for making polyurea polymer and golf balls prepared therefrom

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9211444-B2
Application number	US-201313941749-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2013
Priority date	Dec 22, 2010
Publication date	Dec 15, 2015
Grant date	Dec 15, 2015

Abstract

Methods for making golf balls having a cover made from a polyurea composition are provided. The golf balls include a rubber core and intermediate layer made from an olefin-based ionomer composition. The methods for making the polyurea composition involve preparing an amine-terminated first polymer by reacting isocyanate compound A with a stoichiometric excess of polyamine. The first prepolymer is reacted with a stoichiometric excess of isocyanate compound B to form an isocyanate-terminated second prepolymer. The second prepolymer is then reacted with a chain extender.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of forming a golf ball comprising a core formed from a rubber material, an intermediate layer formed from an olefin-based ionomer, and cover formed from a polyurea composition, the intermediate layer being disposed between the core and cover, and the polyurea composition being prepared by a reaction comprising the steps of:
i) forming an amine-terminated first prepolymer by reacting isocyanate compound A with a stoichiometric excess of polyamine compound;
ii) forming an isocyanate-terminated second prepolymer by reacting the first prepolymer with a stoichiometric excess of isocyanate compound B; and
iii) reacting the second prepolymer with an amine-terminated chain extender, wherein isocyanate compound A is 4,4′-diisocyanatodicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate (H 12 MDI) and isocyanate compound B is 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) oligomer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rubber material is selected from the group consisting of polybutadiene rubber, polyisoprene rubber, natural rubber, ethylene-propylene rubber, ethylene-propylene diene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, and blends thereof.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the rubber material is polybutadiene rubber.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rubber material is a blend of polybutadiene rubber and an elastomer selected from the group consisting of polyisoprene rubber, natural rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, ethylene propylene diene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, polystyrene elastomers, polyethylene elastomers, polyurethane elastomers, polyurea elastomers, acrylate rubbers, polyoctenamers, metallocene-catalyzed elastomers, and plastomers.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the olefin-based ionomer is an ethylene acid copolymer, the acid being selected from methacrylic acid, acrylic acid, maleic acid, crotonic acid, fumaric acid, and itaconic acid.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein 10 to 80% of the acid groups in the olefin-based ionomer are neutralized.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein 80 to 100% of the acid groups in the olefin-based ionomer are neutralized.

8. A method of forming a golf ball comprising a core formed from a rubber material, an intermediate layer formed from an olefin-based ionomer, and cover formed from a polyurea composition, the intermediate layer being disposed between the core and cover, and the polyurea composition being prepared by a reaction comprising the steps of:
i) forming an amine-terminated first prepolymer by reacting isocyanate compound A with a stoichiometric excess of polyamine compound;
ii) forming an isocyanate-terminated second prepolymer by reacting the first prepolymer with a stoichiometric excess of isocyanate compound B; and
iii) reacting the second prepolymer with an amine-terminated chain extender, wherein isocyanate compound A is 2,4-toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and isocyanate compound B is 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI).

Assignees

• Acushnet Co

Inventors

• Michalewich Michael
• Comeau Brian
• Bulpett David A
• Ricci Shawn

Classifications

• C08G18/722

  Combination of two or more aliphatic and/or cycloaliphatic polyisocyanates · CPC title

• C08L75/02

  Polyureas · CPC title

• A63B37/0075

  Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core · CPC title

• C08G18/792

  formed by oligomerisation of aliphatic and/or cycloaliphatic isocyanates or isothiocyanates · CPC title

• C08G18/10 Primary

  Prepolymer processes involving reaction of isocyanates or isothiocyanates with compounds having active hydrogen in a first reaction step · CPC title