Golf balls incorporating urethane compositions and methods for making them
View Patent ↗A golf ball that includes a core and a cover layer. The cover layer encases the core, and includes a composition of a thermoplastic urethane, formed as a reaction product of a diol or a polyol with an isocyanate and a peroxide.
1. A golf ball comprising:
a core;
a cover layer encasing the core; and
one or more intermediate layers situated between the core and the cover layer, at least one of the one or more intermediate layers comprising a composition consisting of:
a thermoplastic urethane formed as a reaction product of a diol or a polyol with an isocyanate, and
a peroxide,
wherein the the thermoplastic urethane is substantially free of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons.
2. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the peroxide comprises an aliphatic peroxide, an aromatic peroxide, a cyclic peroxide, or mixtures of thereof.
3. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the comprises a polyester polyol, a polyether polyol, a polybutadiene polyol or mixtures thereof.
4. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the ratio by weight of thermoplastic urethane to the peroxide ranges between 99.9:0.1 and about 90:10.
5. The golf ball of claim 4 , wherein the ratio by weight of thermoplastic urethane to peroxide ranges between 99.9:0.1 and about 93:7.
6. The golf ball of claim 5 , wherein the ratio by weight of thermoplastic urethane to peroxide ranges between 99.9:0.1 and about 95:5.
7. The golf ball of claim 6 , wherein the ratio by weight of thermoplastic urethane to peroxide ranges between 99.9:0.1 and about 97:3.
8. The golf ball of claim 7 , wherein the peroxide has a half-life temperature greater than about 50° C.
9. The golf ball of claim 8 , wherein the peroxide has a half-life temperature greater than about 60° C.
10. The golf ball of claim 9 , wherein the peroxide has a half-life temperature greater than about 70° C.
11. The golf ball of claim 10 , wherein the peroxide has a half-life temperature greater than about 80° C.
12. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the comprises an inner core and one or more outer cores encasing the inner core.
13. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the core comprises liquid.
14. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic urethane comprises ester-type thermoplastic polyurethane, ether-type thermoplastic polyurethane, or mixtures thereof, and the peroxide comprises 5-Dimethyl-2,5-Di (tert-butylperoxy)hexane, (4) tert-butyl peroxybenzoate, or mixtures thereof.
15. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the peroxide is saturated.
16. A golf ball comprising:
a core;
a cover layer encasing the core; and
one or more intermediate layers situated between the core and the cover layer, wherein the one or more intermediate layers comprises a composition consisting of:
a thermoplastic urethane that is a reaction product of a diol or polyol with an isocyanate and a chain extender, wherein the thermoplastic urethane is substantially free of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons,
a peroxide having one hour half-life temperature greater than 50° C., and ionomeric polymer, silicone material, or mixtures thereof,
wherein the ratio by weight of thermoplastic urethane to the peroxide ranges between 99.9:0.1 and about 90:10.
17. The golf ball of claim 16 , wherein the peroxide comprises an aliphatic peroxide, an aromatic peroxide, a cyclic peroxide or mixtures of these.
18. The golf ball of claim 16 , wherein the chain extender includes a polyol, a diisocyanate, a diamine or mixtures thereof.
19. The golf ball of claim 16 , wherein the polyol comprises a polyester polyol, a polyether polyol, a polybutadiene polyol or mixtures thereof.
20. The golf ball of claim 16 , wherein the ratio by weight of reactant product to the peroxide ranges between 99.9:0.1 and about 93:7.
21. The golf ball of claim 20 , wherein the ratio by weight of reactant product to the peroxide ranges between 99.9:0.1 and about 95:5.
22. The golf ball of claim 19 , wherein the ratio by weight of reactant product to the peroxide ranges between 99.9:0.1 and about 97:3.
23. The golf ball of claim 16 , wherein the peroxide has a half-life temperature greater than 60° C.
24. The golf ball of claim 23 , wherein the peroxide has a half-life temperature greater than 70° C.
25. The golf ball of claim 24 , wherein the peroxide has a half-life temperature greater than 80° C.