Water resistant polyurea elastomers for golf equipment
View Patent ↗Golf equipment having improved cut and shear resistance that includes a polyurea composition, preferably saturated and/or water resistant, formed of a polyurea prepolymer and a curing agent, wherein the polyurea prepolymer includes an isocyanate and an amine-terminated compound, and wherein the curing agent includes a hydroxy-terminated curing agent, amine-terminated curing agent, or a mixture thereof.
1. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein at least a portion of the golf ball is formed from a water resistant polyurea composition comprising an isocyanate, an amine-terminated compound comprising a hydrophobic backbone, and a curing agent.
2. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the amine-terminated compound comprises at least one of an unsaturated amine-terminated hydrocarbon, a saturated amine-terminated hydrocarbon, or mixtures thereof.
3. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the curing agent is selected from the group consisting of hydroxy-terminated curing agents, amine-terminated curing agents, and mixtures thereof.
4. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the curing agent is selected from the group consisting of primary diamine curing agents, secondary diamine curing agents, triamines, and combinations thereof.
5. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the amine-terminated curing agent is a secondary diamine curing agent.
6. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the golf ball has a weight gain of about 0.15 grams or less after a seven week storage period in 100 percent humidity at 72° F.
7. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the golf ball has a weight gain of about 0.09 grams or less after a seven week storage period in 100 percent humidity at 72° F.
8. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the water resistant polyurea composition consists of urea linkages.
9. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the water resistant polyurea composition further comprises at least one density-adjusting filler.
10. A golf ball comprising:
a core having a diameter of about 1.55 or greater;
an intermediate layer disposed about the core to create a center; and
a cover having a thickness of about 0.02 inches to about 0.035 inches disposed about the center, wherein the cover comprises a water resistant polyurea material comprising at least one amine-terminated compound comprising a hydrophobic backbone and at least one isocyanate.
11. The golf ball of claim 10 , wherein the amine-terminated compound comprises at least one amine-terminated hydrocarbon.
12. The golf ball of claim 10 , wherein the cover has first hardness and the intermediate layer has a second hardness greater than the first hardness.
13. The golf ball of claim 12 , wherein the first hardness is about 40 Shore D to about 55 Shore D and the second hardness is about 60 Shore D or greater.
14. The golf ball of claim 10 , wherein the core comprises a first layer and a second layer.
15. The golf ball of claim 10 , wherein the core hardness is about 60 Shore D or less.
16. The golf ball of claim 10 , wherein the golf ball has a weight gain of about 0.05 grams or less after a seven week storage period in 100 percent humidity at 72° F.
17. A golf ball comprising a water resistant polyurea composition comprising at least one amine-terminated compound comprising at least one hydrophobic backbone, wherein the golf ball has a weight gain of about 0.15 grams or less and a size gain of about 0.001 inches or less after a seven week storage period in 100 percent humidity at 72° F.
18. The golf ball of claim 17 , wherein the water resistant polyurea composition further comprises an isocyanate and a curing agent.
19. The golf ball of claim 18 , wherein the curing agent is selected from the group consisting of ethylene diamine; hexamethylene diamine; 1-methyl-2,6-cyclohexyl diamine; 2,2,4- and 2,4,4-trimethyl-1,6-hexanediamine; 4,4′-bis-(sec-butylamino)-dicyclohexylmethane and derivatives thereof; 1,4-bis-(sec-butylamino)-cyclohexane; 1,2-bis-(sec-butylamino)-cyclohexane; 4,4′-dicyclohexylmethane diamine; 1,4-cyclohexane-bis-(methylamine); 1,3-cyclohexane-bis-(methylamine); diethylene glycol bis-(aminopropyl) ether; 2-methylpentamethylene-diamine; diaminocyclohexane; diethylene triamine; triethylene tetramine; tetraethylene pentamine; propylene diamine; 1,3-diaminopropane; dimethylamino propylamine; diethylamino propylamine; imido-bis-propylamine; monoethanolamine, diethanolamine; triethanolamine; monoisopropanolamine, diisopropanolamine; isophoronediamine; 4,4′-methylenebis-(2-chloroaniline); 3,5;dimethylthio-2,4-toluenediamine; 3,5; dimethylthio-2,6-toluenediamine; 3,5;diethylthio-2,4-toluenediamine; 3,5;diethylthio-2,6-toluenediamine; 4,4′-bis-(sec-butylamino)-diphenylmethane and derivatives thereof; 1,4-bis-(sec-butylamino)-benzene; 1,2-bis-(sec-butylamino)-benzene; N,N′-dialkylamino-diphenylmethane; trimethyleneglycol-di-p-aminobenzoate; polytetramethyleneoxide-di-p-aminobenzoate; 4,4′-methylenebis-(3-chloro-2,6-diethyleneaniline); 4,4′-methylenebis-(2,6-diethylaniline); meta-phenylenediamine; paraphenylenediamine; cyclohexyldimethol; N,N′-diisopropyl-isophoronediamine; polyoxypropylene diamine; propylene oxide-based triamine; 3,3′-dimethyl-4,4′-diaminocyclohexylmethane; and mixtures thereof.
20. The golf ball of claim 17 , wherein the golf ball has a polybutadiene core.