Golf ball layers formed of polyurethane-based and polyurea-based compositions incorporating block copolymers
View Patent ↗Golf equipment having improved cut and shear resistance that includes a polyurea-based composition or polyurethane-based composition, preferably saturated and/or water resistant, formed of a prepolymer, a functionalized block copolymer, and optionally further cured or chain extended with a curing agent, where the prepolymer is incorporated at the terminal end of the functionalized block copolymer.
1. A method for forming a golf ball composition comprising the steps of:
forming a prepolymer comprising an isocyanate and at least one of a hydroxy-terminated component or an amine-terminated component;
providing a block copolymer, wherein the block copolymer comprises at least one functional group at a terminal end of the block copolymer;
reacting excess prepolymer with the block copolymer to form an intermediate prepolymer comprising a hydrophobic block and isocyanate groups;
chain extending the intermediate prepolymer with a curing agent to form the composition.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic block comprises an A x -B y block, wherein x and y are independently 1 or greater, and wherein A comprises an olefin and B comprises a diene.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the olefin comprises styrene and the diene comprises butadiene.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic block comprises an A x -B y -A z block, wherein x and y are independently 1 or greater, and wherein A comprises an olefin or an acrylate and B comprises a diene.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the olefin comprises styrene and the diene comprises butadiene.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a block copolymer further comprises the steps of:
providing a block copolymer comprising an A x -B y block or A x -B y -A z block, wherein A comprises an olefin or acrylate, B comprises a diene, and x, y, and z are independently 1 or greater;
providing a coupling agent comprising at least one hydroxy group, amino group, thiol group, epoxy group, anhydride group, or mixture thereof;
functionalizing the block copolymer with the coupling agent to provide a functionalized block copolymer.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the prepolymer comprises forming the reaction product of an isocyanate and an amine-terminated component.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the curing agent is an amine-terminated curing agent.
9. A method for forming a golf ball component comprising the steps of:
forming a prepolymer comprising an isocyanate and at least one of a hydroxy-terminated component or an amine-terminated component;
providing a block copolymer comprising an acrylate-diene block, an olefin-diene-acrylate block, an acrylate-diene-acrylate block, or a mixture thereof wherein the block copolymer comprises at least one functional group at a terminal end of the block copolymer;
reacting the prepolymer with the block copolymer to form the composition;
forming the composition into a golf ball component.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the block comprises an acrylate-diene block.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the diene comprises butadiene.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the diene comprises butadiene.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the olefin is selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, styrene, and mixtures thereof.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of providing a block copolymer further comprises the steps of:
providing a coupling agent comprising at least one hydroxy group, amino group, thiol group, epoxy group, anhydride group, or mixture thereof,
functionalizing the block copolymer with the coupling agent to provide a functionalized block copolymer.
15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of forming the composition into a golf ball component comprises providing a core and forming the composition about the core.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of forming the composition about the core comprises casting the composition.
17. A method for forming a golf ball component comprising the steps of:
forming a prepolymer comprising an isocyanate and at least one of a hydroxy-terminated component or an amine-terminated component;
providing a block copolymer comprising an Ax-By-Az block and at least one functional group at a terminal end of the Ax-By-Az block, and wherein the Ax-By-Az block comprises an olefin-diene-acrylate block or an acrylate-diene-acrylate block, wherein x, y, and z are independently 1 or greater;
reacting the prepolymer with the block copolymer to form the composition;
forming the composition into a golf ball component.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of providing a block copolymer further comprises:
providing a coupling agent comprising at least one hydroxy group, amino group, thiol group, epoxy group, anhydride group, or mixture thereof,
functionalizing the block copolymer with the coupling agent to provide a functionalized block copolymer.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of forming the prepolymer further comprises obtaining a reaction product of an isocyanate and an amine-terminated component.
20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the prepolymer consists essentially of urea linkages.