Golf balls comprising highly-neutralized acid polymers

1. A golf ball comprising:

a single-layer core comprised of a polymer containing an acid group an organic acid or salt, and sufficient cation source, or suitable base there of to fully neutralize the acid groups of the polymer, the core having a first Shore D hardness, a compression of no greater than about 90, and a diameter of between about 1.00 inches and about 1.64 inches; and

a cover comprising a polyurea formed from a polyisocyanate, a polyamine, and a curing agent;

wherein the ball has a compression of between about 50 and about 120.

2. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the polyisocyanate and the polyamine are combined to form a polyurea prepolymer prior to mixing with the curing agent.

3. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the polyisocyanate comprises 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate; polymeric 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate; carbodiimide-modified liquid 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate; 4,4′-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate; p-phenylene diisocyanate; m-phenylene diisocyanate; toluene diisocyanate; 3,3′-dimethyl-4,4′-biphenylene diisocyanate; isophoronediisocyanate; hexamethylene diisocyanate; naphthalene diisocyanate; xylene diisocyanate; p-tetramethylxylene diisocyanate; m-tetramethylxylene diisocyanate; ethylene diisocyanate; propylene-1,2-diisocyanate; tetramethylene-1,4-diisocyanate; cyclohexyl diisocyanate; 1,6-hexamethylene-diisocyanate; dodecane-1,12-diisocyanate; cyclobutane-1,3-diisocyanate; cyclohexane-1,3-diisocyanate; cyclohexane-1,4-diisocyanate; 1-isocyanato-3,3,5-trimethyl-5-isocyanatomethylcyclohexane; methyl cyclohexylene diisocyanate; triisocyanate of HDI; triisocyanate of 2,4,4-trimethyl-1,6-hexane diisocyanate; tetracene diisocyanate; napthalene diisocyanate; anthracene diisocyanate; isocyanurate of toluene diisocyanate; uretdione of hexamethylene diisocyanate; di-isocyanates, tri-isocyanates, or tetra-isocyanates.

4. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the polyisocyanate comprises less than about 0.1% free monomer groups or the polyisocyanate comprises less than about 7.5% unreacted NCO groups.

5. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the curing agent and polyamine comprise primary, secondary, or tertiary amines.

6. The golf ball of claim 5 , wherein the polyamines comprise 3,5-dimethylthio-2,4-toluenediamine; 3,5-dimethylthio-2,6-toluenediamine; 3,5-diethyltoluene-2,4-diamine; 3,5-diethyltoluene-2,6-diamine; 3,5-diethylthio-2,4-toluenediamine; 3,5;diethylthio-2,6-toluenediamine; 4,4′-bis-(sec-butylamino)-diphenylmethane; 1,4-bis-(sec-butylamino)-benzene, 1,2-bis-(sec-butylamino)-benzene; 1,4-bis-(sec-butylamino)-cyclohexane; 1,2-bis-(sec-butylamino)-cyclohexane; 4,4′-methylene-bis-(2-chloroaniline); 4,4′-methylene-bis-(2,3-dichloroaniline); 4,4′-methylene-bis-(3-chloro-2,6-diethylaniline); polytetramethyleneoxide-di-p-aminobenzoate; N,N′-dialkyldiamino diphenylmethane; N,N′-dialkylamino-diphenylmethane; p,p′-methylene dianiline; m-phenylenediamine; p-phenylenediamine; 4,4′-methylene-bis-(2,6-diethylaniline); 4,4′-diamino-3,3′-diethyl-5,5′-dimethyl diphenylmethane; 2,2′, 3,3′-tetrachloro diamino diphenylmethane; trimethylene glycol di-p-aminobenzoate; polyether amines; methyldiethanolamine; polyoxyalkylenediamines; polytetramethylene ether diamines; polyoxypropylenetriamine; polyoxypropylene diamines; poly(ethyleneoxide-capped oxypropylene) ether diamines; propylene oxide-based triamines; triethyleneglycoldiamines; trimethylolpropane-based triamines; glycerin-based triamines; ethylene diamine; hexamethylene diamine; 1-methyl-2,6-cyclohexyl diamine; tetrahydroxypropylene ethylene diamine; 2,2,4- and 2,4,4-trimethyl-1,6-hexanediamine; 4,4′-bis-(sec-butylamino)-dicyclohexylmethane; 4,4′-dicyclohexylmethane diamine; 1,4-cyclohexane-bis-(methylamine); 1,3-cyclohexane-bis-(methylamine); diethylene glycol di-(aminopropyl) ether; 2-methylpentamethylene-diamine; diaminocyclohexane; diethylene triamine; triethylene tetramine; tetraethylene pentamine; propylene diamine; 1,3-diaminopropane; dimethylamino propylamine; diethylamino propylamine; dipropylene triamine; imido-bis-propylamine; monoethanolamine, diethanolamine; triethanolamine; monoisopropanolamine, diisopropanolamine; isophoronediamine; or N,N,N′,N′-tetrakis (2-hydroxypropyl) ethylene diamine.

7. The golf ball of claim 6 , wherein the polyamine comprises a hindered secondary diamine.

8. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the polyamine or the curing agent has a molecular weight of between about 100 and about 5000.

9. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the polyurea comprises one or more saturated, unsaturated, aromatic, or cyclic groups.

10. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the polyurea is substantially free of aromatic groups or moieties.

11. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the cation source is selected from a group consisting of metal cations of lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, barium, lead, tin, zinc, or aluminum.

12. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the cover has a second Shore D hardness at least 10 points less than the first hardness.

13. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises ionomeric copolymers and terpolymers, ionomer precursors, thermoplastics, thermoplastic elastomers, grafted metallocene-catalyzed polymers, non-grafted metallocene-catalyzed polymers, single-site polymers, high-crystalline acid polymers and their ionomers, cationic ionomers, and mixtures thereof.

14. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the organic acid is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic organic acids, aromatic organic acids, saturated mono-functional organic acids, unsaturated mono-functional organic acids, and multi-unsaturated mono-functional organic acids.

15. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the salt of organic acids comprise the salts of barium, lithium, sodium, zinc, bismuth, chromium, cobalt, copper, potassium, strontium, titanium, tungsten, magnesium, cesium, iron, nickel, silver, aluminum, tin, calcium, stearic, bebenic, erucic, oleic, linoelic, dimerized derivatives, and mixtures thereof.

16. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the core further comprises a second polymer component comprising ionomeric copolymers and terpolymers, ionomer precursors, thermoplastics, thermoplastic elastomers, polybutadiene rubber, balata, grafted metallocene-catalyzed polymers, non-grafted metallocene-catalyzed polymers, single-site polymers, high-crystalline acid polymers, or cationic ionomers, and wherein the second polymer component has a Shore D hardness less than the first hardness and is present in an amount sufficient to reduce the core compression to less than or equal to about 80.

17. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the core has a diameter of about 1.53 inches or greater.

18. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the cover is cast or reaction injection molded, injection molded, or compression molded over the core.

19. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer.

20. The golf ball of claim 19 , wherein the inner cover layer has material hardness of at least about 60 Shore D and the outer cover layer has a material hardness of no greater than about 60 Shore D.

21. The golf ball of claim 19 , wherein the outer cover layer has material hardness of at least about 60 Shore D and the inner cover layer has a material hardness of no greater than about 60 Shore D.

22. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the core compression is no greater than about 80.

23. A golf ball comprising:

a single layer core comprised of a polymer containing an acid group an organic acid or salt and sufficient cation source, or a suitable base being present in an amount sufficient to neutralize the polymer 100%, wherein the core has a first Shore D hardness, a compression of no greater than about 90, and a diameter of about 0.5 to 1.55 inches; and

at least one cover layer disposed over the core having a first material hardness of about 70 Shore D or less and comprising polyurea, the layer having a second material hardness being at least 10 points less than the first hardness and comprising at least one of pigments; TiO 2 ; ZnO; optical brighteners; surfactants; processing aids; foaming agents; density-controlling fillers; UV stabilizers; or light stabilizers; and the ball has a compression of between about 50 and about 120.

24. The golf ball of claim 23 , wherein the cation source is selected from a group consisting of metal cations of lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, barium, lead, tin, zinc, or aluminum.

25. The golf ball of claim 23 , further comprising an intermediate layer being comprised of a polymer containing an acid group an organic acid or salt, a cation source, or a suitable base thereof, the organic acid or a salt, cation source, or a suitable base thereof being present in an amount sufficient to neutralize the polymer by at least about 100%.

26. The golf ball of claim 23 , wherein the cover comprises an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer.

27. The golf ball of claim 26 , wherein the inner cover layer has material hardness of at least about 60 Shore D and the outer cover layer has a material hardness of no greater than about 60 Shore D.

28. The golf ball of claim 26 , wherein the outer cover layer has material hardness of at least about 60 Shore D and the inner cover layer has a material hardness of no greater than about 60 Shore D.

29. The golf ball of claim 23 , wherein the core comprises a solid center and an outer core layer, the solid center comprising the polymer.

30. The golf ball of claim 23 , wherein the golf ball further comprises an outer core layer, the outer core layer comprising the polymer.

31. The golf ball of claim 23 , wherein the core compression is no greater than about 80.

32. A golf ball comprising:

a core comprising a solid center and an outer core layer, the core having a first Shore D hardness, a compression of no greater than about 90, and a diameter of between about 1.00 inches and about 1.64 inches; and

a first cover layer comprising a polyurea formed from a polyisocyanate, a polyamine, and a curing agent;

wherein the solid center comprises a polymer containing an acid group an organic acid or salt, and sufficient cation source, or a suitable base thereof to fully neutralize the acid groups of the polymer and the ball has a compression of between about 50 and about 120.

33. The golf ball of claim 32 , further comprising a second cover layer containing an acid group organic acid or salt, and sufficient cation source, or a suitable base thereof sufficient to fully neutralize the acid groups of the polymer.

34. The golf ball of claim 33 , wherein the first cover layer is adjacent the outer core layer.

35. The golf ball of claim 33 , wherein the second cover layer is adjacent the outer core layer.