Golf ball compositions comprising nanoparticulates
View Patent ↗A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein at least one of the core and the cover is formed of a composition comprising an organic, inorganic, or metallic nanoparticulate material having a particle size of less than about 1000 nm and at least one matrix material.
1. A golf ball comprising a core, an intermediate layer, and a cover, wherein the core has an outer diameter of 1.550 inches to 1.620 inches and is formed of a composition comprising a base rubber and a ZnO nanoparticulate material having a particle size of less than about 1000 nm and at least one material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastics, thermoplastic elastomers, ionomers, copolyether-esters, copolyester-esters, copolyether-amides, copolyester-amides, thermoplastic urethane, thermoset ureas, epoxy urethanes, epoxy ureas, phenolics, and metallocene or single-site non-metallocene catalyzed polymers, and the intermediate layer has a thickness of 0.035 inches or less and comprises a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic elastomers, ionomers, copolyether-amides, copolyester-amides, thermoset ureas, epoxy urethanes, epoxy ureas, phenolics, and metallocene or single-site non-metallocene catalyzed polymers.
2. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a layered material comprising phyllosilicates, smectite clay minerals, montmorillonite, sodium montmorillonite; magnesium montmorillonite; calcium montmorillonite; nontronite; beidellite; volkonskoite; hectorite; saponite; sauconite; sobockite; stevensite svinfordite; vermiculite; micaceous minerals; illite; mixed layered illite; smectite minerals; ledikite; admixtures of illites and mixtures thereof.
3. The golf ball of claim 2 , wherein the layered material comprises montmorillonite, nontronite, beidellite, volronskoite, hectorite, saponite, sauconite, sobockite, stevensite, svinfordite, and mixtures thereof.
4. The golf ball of claim 2 , wherein the layered material is swellable.
5. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises an inorganic material comprising chemically-modified montmorillonite clays; polymer grade montmorillonites; and mixtures thereof.
6. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises an organic material comprising polyhedral oligomeric silsequioxanes.
7. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a second nanomaterial.
8. The golf ball of claim 7 , wherein the second nanomaterial comprises carbon nanotubes; Fullerenes; nanoscale titanium oxides; iron oxides; modified ceramics; and mixtures thereof.
9. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the ZnO is present in the core in an amount less than about 5 pph.
10. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the core comprises a solid, liquid, or gel-filled center.
11. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the core comprises an outer core layer.
12. The golf ball of claim 11 , wherein the outer core layer is a solid layer or a layer of tensioned elastomeric material.
13. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer.
14. The golf ball of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the inner and outer cover layers comprises a thermoplastic or thermoset polyurethane or thermoset polyurea.
15. The golf ball of claim 13 , wherein the outer cover layer comprises saturated polyurethane.
16. The golf ball of claim 13 , wherein the inner cover has a hardness, as measured on the ball, of less than about 75 Shore D.
17. The golf ball of claim 16 , wherein the inner cover hardness, as measured on the ball, is between about 30 and about 70 Shore D.
18. The golf ball of claim 16 , wherein the inner cover hardness, as measured on the ball, is between about 65 and about 70 Shore D.
19. The golf ball of claim 13 , wherein the inner cover layer has a thickness of no greater than about 0.060 inches.
20. The golf ball of claim 19 , wherein the inner cover layer has a thickness of no greater than about 0.055 inches.
21. The golf ball of claim 20 , wherein the inner cover layer has a thickness of no greater than about 0.035 inches.
22. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the golf ball has a compression of between about 70 and about 95.
23. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the cover has a hardness, as measured on the ball, of less than about 70 Shore D.
24. The golf ball of claim 23 , wherein the cover hardness, as measured on the ball, is no greater than about 61 Shore D.
25. The golf ball of claim 24 , wherein the cover hardness, as measured on the ball, is no greater than about 55 Shore D.
26. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the cover has a material hardness of less than about 70 Shore D.
27. The golf ball of claim 26 , wherein the cover has a material hardness of no greater than about 58 Shore D.
28. The golf ball of claim 27 , wherein the cover has a material hardness of no greater than about 48 Shore D.