Thin-layer-covered golf ball with improved velocity
View Patent ↗A golf ball comprising a center comprising a polybutadiene having a molecular weight of greater than 200,000 and a resilience index of at least about 40; and a cover layer comprising a polyurethane composition formed from a prepolymer having no greater than 7.5 percent by weight unreacted isocyanate groups.
1. A golf ball comprising:
a center comprising:
a resilient polymer comprising polybutadiene having a molecular weight of greater than about 200,000;
a crosslinking material present in an amount of about 10 to about 40 parts per hundred of the resilient polymer;
a free radical source present in an amount of about 0.1 to about 15 parts per hundred of the resilient polymer;
a cis-to-trans catalyst present in an amount sufficient to produce a center having a first amount of trans-isomer at an interior location and a second amount of trans-isomer at a surface location, wherein the first amount is at least about 6 percent less than the second amount, and wherein the cis-to-trans catalyst comprises a metal organosulfur compound; and
a cover comprising a thermoplastic or thermoset polyurethane.
2. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first amount is at least about 10 percent less than the second amount.
3. The golf ball of claim 2 , wherein the first amount is at least about 20 percent less than the second amount.
4. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the center has an Atti compression of less than about 50.
5. The golf ball of claim 4 , wherein the center has an Atti compression of less than about 25.
6. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the interior location is a midpoint of the center.
7. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the cover has a thickness of about 0.02 inches to about 0.04 inches.
8. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the resilient polymer comprises at least 12 percent trans-isomer at the center.
9. A golf ball comprising:
a center comprising:
a cured resilient polymer component comprising polybutadiene having a molecular weight of greater than about 200,000, wherein the cured resilient polymer component comprises an amount of trans-isomer at least about 32 percent or greater based on the resilient polymer component;
a crosslinking material present in an amount of about 10 to about 40 parts per hundred of the resilient polymer;
a free radical source present in an amount of about 0.1 to about 15 parts per hundred of the resilient polymer;
a cis-to-trans catalyst present in an amount sufficient to produce a center having a first amount of trans-isomer at an interior location and a second amount of trans-isomer at a surface location; and
a cover comprising a thermoplastic or thermoset polyurethane.
10. The golf ball of claim 9 , wherein the first amount is at least about 6 percent less than the second amount.
11. The golf ball of claim 10 , wherein the second amount is at least about 10 percent less than the second amount.
12. The golf ball of claim 11 , wherein the second amount is at least about 20 percent less than the second amount.
13. The golf ball of claim 9 , wherein the cis-to-trans catalyst comprises a metal organosulfur compound.
14. A golf ball comprising:
a center comprising:
a resilient polymer comprising polybutadiene having a molecular weight of greater than about 250,000;
a crosslinking material present in an amount of about 10 to about 30 parts per hundred of the resilient polymer;
a free radical source present in an amount of about 0.2 to about 5 parts per hundred of the resilient polymer;
a cis-to-trans catalyst present in an amount from about 0.1 to 5 parts per hundred of the resilient polymer, wherein the center has a first amount of trans-isomer at an interior location and a second amount of trans-isomer at a surface location, wherein the first amount is at least about 6 percent less than the second amount, and wherein the resilient polymer comprises at least about 32 percent trans-isomer; and
a cover comprising a castable reactive liquid material.
15. The golf ball of claim 14 , wherein the first amount is at least about 10 percent less than the second amount.
16. The golf ball of claim 15 , wherein the first amount is at least about 20 percent less than the second amount.
17. The golf ball of claim 14 , wherein the castable reactive liquid material comprises polyurethane.
18. The golf ball of claim 14 , wherein the cis-to-trans catalyst comprises an organosulfur compound.
19. The golf ball of claim 14 , wherein the cis-to-trans catalyst comprises an aromatic organic compound.
20. The golf ball of claim 19 , wherein the aromatic organic compound comprises a fused ring C 6 to C 24 aromatic group, a hydroxy group, a metal salt of a hydroxyl, a mercapto group, a metal salt of a mercapto group, or a combination thereof.