Golf ball and thermoplastic material
Disclosed herein is a novel thermoplastic material and a golf ball utilizing the thermoplastic material. The golf ball ( 10 ) preferably comprises a core ( 12 ), a cover ( 16 ) and optionally a boundary layer ( 14 ). At least one of the core ( 12 ), cover ( 16 ) or boundary layer ( 14 ) of the golf ball ( 10 ) comprises the thermoplastic material. The thermoplastic material comprises a partially to highly neutralized blend of copolymers additionally comprising a fatty acid or fatty acid salt. The golf ball component of the invention has soft feel and resilience that is maintained or improved.
1. A golf ball comprising:
a core comprising a polybutadiene mixture, the core having a diameter ranging from 1.35 inches to 1.64 inches;
a boundary layer formed over the core, the boundary layer composed of a thermoplastic material comprising
a copolymer of an alpha-olefin and an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid,
an alpha-olefin and an alkyl acrylate,
magnesium stearate,
wherein the thermoplastic material is neutralized from 50% to 100%; and
a cover injection molded over the boundary layer, the cover material composed of a blend of ionomers with at least one high acid ionomer having an acid content ranging from 17% to 25%, the cover material having a Shore D hardness greater than 60 as measured according to ASTM-D2240, and a thickness ranging from 0.010 inch to 0.050 inch, and wherein the cover layer has a Shore D hardness greater than the Shore D hardness of the boundary layer.
2. The golf ball according to claim 1 wherein the alpha-olefin is ethylene.
3. The golf ball according to claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic material of the boundary layer comprises from about 10 to about 60 parts by weight fatty acid or fatty acid salt.
4. A golf ball comprising:
a core comprising a polybutadiene mixture, the core having a diameter ranging from 1.35 inches to 1.64 inches and having a PGA compression ranging from 50 to 90;
a boundary layer formed over the core, the boundary layer composed of a thermoplastic material, the boundary layer having a thickness ranging from 0.020 inch to 0.075 inch, the thermoplastic material having a Shore D hardness ranging from 50 to 70 as measured according to ASTM-D2240, wherein the thermoplastic material comprises
a copolymer of an alpha-olefin and an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid,
an alpha-olefin and an alkyl acrylate, and
calcium stearate,
wherein the thermoplastic material is neutralized from 50% to 100%, and wherein the thermoplastic material of the boundary layer comprises about 67 parts by weight calcium stearate, and the boundary layer has a Shore D hardness of approximately 67; and
a cover formed over the boundary layer, the cover composed of a fast chemical reaction aliphatic polyurethane material formed from reactants comprising and a polyurethane prepolymer and a polyol, wherein the polyurethane material has a Shore D hardness ranging from 30 to 60 as measured according to ASTM-D2240, a thickness ranging from 0.015 inch to 0.044 inch, and an aerodynamic surface geometry thereon, and wherein the boundary layer has a Shore D hardness greater than the Shore D hardness of the cover.
5. The golf ball according to claim 4 wherein the polyurethane prepolymer is a polytetramethylene ether glycol terminated 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate polyurethane prepolymer.
6. The golf ball according to claim 4 wherein the alpha-olefin and alkyl acrylate is an ethylene butyl acrylate copolymer and the copolymer of an alpha-olefin and an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid is an ethylene acrylic acid methyl acrylate terpolymer.