Golf ball compositions with improved temperature performance, heat resistance, and resiliency
View Patent ↗Golf ball compositions, and components formed therefrom, including trifunctional materials, such as trifunctional isocyanates, polyols, and amines, that have improved performance and durability characteristics, e.g., improved heat resistance, improved resiliency, and dimensional stability.
1. A golf ball comprising at least one layer formed from a composition comprising:
a reaction product of an isocyanate-containing component and an amine-terminated component; and
a curing agent, wherein at least one of the isocyanate-containing component, amine-terminated component, and curing agent is trifunctional, and wherein the composition has an average molecular weight of the segments between crosslinks of about 5,000 or greater.
2. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the composition has a T g at least about 5 percent lower than a composition excluding a trifunctional component.
3. The golf ball of claim 2 , wherein the composition has a T g at least about 10 percent lower than a composition excluding a trifunctional component.
4. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the composition has an average molecular weight of the segments between crosslinks of about 11,000 or greater.
5. The golf ball of claim 4 , wherein the composition has an average molecular weight of the segments between crosslinks of about 15,000 or greater.
6. A golf ball comprising at least one layer formed from a composition comprising:
a reaction product of an isocyanate-containing component and an amine-terminated component; and
a curing agent, wherein at least one of the isocyanate-containing component, amine-terminated component, and curing agent is trifunctional, and wherein the composition has an average molecular weight of the segments between crosslinks of about 5,000 or greater and a T g of about 60° F. or less.
7. The golf ball of claim 6 , wherein the composition has a T g of about 50° F. or less.
8. The golf ball of claim 6 , wherein the composition has a T g at least about 10 percent lower than a composition excluding a trifunctional component.
9. The golf ball of claim 6 , wherein the composition has an average molecular weight of the segments between crosslinks of about 7,000 or greater.
10. The golf ball of claim 9 , wherein the composition has an average molecular weight of the segments between crosslinks of about 11,000 or greater.
11. The golf ball of claim 10 , wherein the composition has an average molecular weight of the segments between crosslinks of about 20,000 or greater.
12. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein at least one layer of the golf ball is formed of a composition comprising:
a prepolymer formed from the reaction product of an isocyanate-containing component comprising at least three functional groups and an isocyanate-reactive component comprising amino groups; and
a curative, wherein the composition has an average molecular weight of the segments between crosslinks of about 5,000 or greater and a T g of about 68° F. or less.
13. The golf ball of claim 12 , wherein the composition has a T g of about 40° F. or less.
14. The golf ball of claim 12 , wherein the isocyanate-reactive component comprises at least three functional groups.
15. The golf ball of claim 12 , wherein the isocyanate is selected from the group consisting of an isocyanurate trimer of hexamethylene diisocyanate, an isocyanurate trimer of toluene diisocyanate, an isocyanurate trimer of isophorone diisocyanate, a blend of isophorone diisocyanate and an isocyanurate trimer of isophorone diisocyanate, and mixtures thereof.
16. The golf ball of claim 12 , wherein the curing agent is selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide-based triamines, propylene-oxide-based triamines, trimethylolpropane-based triamines, N-(2-aminoethyl)-1,3-propylene diamines, and mixtures thereof.
17. The golf ball of claim 12 , wherein the core comprises polybutadiene, and wherein the cover comprises the composition.
18. The golf ball of claim 17 , wherein the golf ball further comprises a layer disposed between the core and the cover.
19. The golf ball of claim 18 , wherein the layer disposed between the core and the cover comprises an ionomer resin.