Non-ionomeric silane crosslinked polyolefin golf ball layers

1. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein at least one layer comprises a non-ionomeric silane-crosslinked polyolefin, wherein the silane-crosslinked polyolefin is the reaction product of a silane-grafted polyolefin and moisture, wherein the silane-grafted polyolefin is the reaction product of a polyolefin, at least one silane comprising at least one hydrolysable moiety and at least one vinyl group, and a free radical source, and wherein the polyolefin is selected from the group consisting of low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, metallocene polyethylene, a metallocene-catalyzed polyolefin, and mixtures thereof.

2. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the at least one layer is a cover layer.

3. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the silane is present from about 0.1 weight percent to about 100 weight percent of the polyolefin.

4. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the free radical source is selected from the group consisting of di-tert-amyl peroxide, di(2-tert-butyl-peroxyisopropyl)benzene peroxide or α,α-bis (tert-butylperoxy) diisopropylbenzene, 1,1 -bis(tert-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane or 1,1-di(tert-butylperoxy) 3,3,5-trimethyl cyclohexane, dicumyl peroxide, di-tert-butyl peroxide, 2,5-di-(tert-butylperoxy)-2,5-dimethyl hexane, n-butyl-4,4-bis(tert-butylperoxy)valerate, lauryl peroxide, benzoyl peroxide, tert-butyl hydroperoxide, and a mixture thereof.

5. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the silane-crosslinked polyolefin is thermoset.

6. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the polyolefin is a metallocene-catalyzed polyolefin.

7. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the silane has a formula of:

wherein R′ is a vinyl group, X is a hydrolysable group, and n is 0-24.

8. The golf ball of claim 7 , wherein X is selected from the group consisting of alkoxy, acyloxy, halogen, amino, hydrogen, ketoximate group, amido group, aminooxy, mercapto, and alkenyloxy.

9. The golf ball of claim 8 , wherein X is an alkoxy represented by the formula RO—, and wherein R is selected from the group consisting of a linear or branched C 1 -C 8 alkyl group, a C 6 -C 12 aromatic group, and R 3 C(O)—, wherein R 3 is a linear or branched C 1 -C 8 alkyl group.

10. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the silane-crosslinked polyolefin has the formula R′—(CH 2 ) n SiX k Q m or [R′—(CH 2 ) n ] 2 Si(X) p Q q , wherein R′ is an unsaturated vinyl group; Q is selected from the group consisting of an isocyanurate, a glycidyl, a halo group and —NR 1 R 2 , wherein R 1 and R 2 are each independently selected from the group consisting of H, a linear or branched C 1 -C 8 alkyl group, a linear or branched C 1 -C 8 alkenyl group and a linear or branched C 1 -C 8 alkynyl group; X is a hydrolysable group; and n is 0-24, k is 1-3, m is 3-n, p is 1-2 and q is 2-p.

11. The golf ball of claim 10 , wherein X is alkoxy, acyloxy, halogen, amino, hydrogen, ketoximate group, amido group, aminooxy, mercapto, and alkenyloxy.

12. The golf ball of claim 10 , wherein the at least one vinyl group is represented by the formula:

wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are each independently selected from the group consisting of a substituted or unsubstituted linear or branched C 1 -C 8 alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted C 6 -C 12 aromatic group and a halo group; and

wherein the substituted linear or branched C 1 -C 8 alkyl group and the substituted C 6 -C 12 aromatic group is substituted with at least one C 1 -C 6 alkyl group, halo group, amine, CN, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy group, or trihalomethane group.

13. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the silane is selected from the group consisting of vinyltrimethoxysilane, vinyldimethoxysilane, vinyltrimethoxysilane, vinylmethoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, vinyldiphenylchlorosilane, vinyltrichlorosilane, vinylsilane, (vinyl)(methyl)diethoxysilane, vinyltriacetoxysilane, vinyltris(2-methoxyethoxy)silane, vinyl triphenylsilane, and (vinyl)(dimethyl)chlorosilane.

14. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the silane-crosslinked polyolefin is formed from contacting at least one silane-grafted polyolefin with moisture in the presence of a crosslinking catalyst.

15. The golf ball of claim 14 , wherein the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of alkyltin oxides, tin carboxylates, alkyltin carboxylates and a mixture thereof.

16. The golf ball of claim 14 , wherein the crosslinking catalyst is present in an amount from about 0.1 weight percent to about 15 weight percent of the silane-grafted polyolefin.

17. A golf ball comprising:

a core;

a cover disposed about the core; and

optionally an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover,

wherein at least one of the core, cover or optional intermediate layer comprises a silane-crosslinked polyolefin, wherein the silane-crosslinked polyolefin is the reaction product of at least one silane-grafted polyolefin and moisture in the presence of about 0.1 weight percent to about 15 weight percent crosslinking catalyst by weight of the silane-grafted polyolefin.

18. The golf ball of claim 17 , wherein the silane-crosslinked polyolefin is formed from contacting at least one silane-grafted polyolefin with moisture.

19. The golf ball of claim 17 , wherein the silane-crosslinked polyolefin comprises a polyolefin selected from the group consisting of polymers, copolymers and terpolymers derived from C 1 -C 12 olefin monomer units, or a mixture thereof.

20. The golf ball of claim 17 , wherein the silane-crosslinked polyolefin is thermoset.

21. The golf ball of claim 17 , wherein the silane-crosslinked polyolefin is formed from a polyolefin and a silane having at least one hydrolysable moiety and at least one vinyl group.

22. The golf ball of claim 21 , wherein the silane has a formula of:

wherein R′ is a non-hydrolysable organofunctional group, X is a hydrolysable group, and n is 0-24.

23. The golf ball of claim 22 , wherein R′ is a vinyl group and X is an alkoxy represented by the formula RO—, and wherein R is selected from the group consisting of a linear or branched C 1 -C 8 alkyl group, a C 6 -C 12 aromatic group, and R 3 C(O)—, wherein R 3 is a linear or branched C 1 -C 8 alkyl group.

24. The golf ball of claim 17 , wherein the silane has the formula R′—(CH 2 ) n SiX k Qm or [R′—(CH 2 ) n ] 2 Si(X) p Q q , wherein R′ is an unsaturated vinyl group; Q is selected from the group consisting of an isocyanurate, a glycidyl, a halo group and —NR 1 R 2 , wherein R 1 and R 2 are each independently selected from the group consisting of H, a linear or branched C 1 -C 8 alkyl group, a linear or branched C 1 -C 8 alkenyl group and a linear or branched C 1 -C 8 alkynyl group; X is a hydrolysable group; and n is 0-24, k is 1-3, m is 3-n, p is 1-2 and q is 2-p.

25. The golf ball of claim 24 , wherein X is alkoxy, acyloxy, halogen, amino, hydrogen, ketoximate group, amido group, aminooxy, mercapto, and alkenyloxy.

26. The golf ball of claim 21 , wherein the silane-crosslinked polyolefin is formed from a polyolefin and at least one silane having at least one hydrolysable moiety and at least one vinyl group in the presence of a free radical source selected from the group consisting of di-tert-amyl peroxide, di(2-teri-butyl-peroxyisopropyl)benzene peroxide or α,α-bis (tert-butylperoxy) diisopropylbenzene, 1,1-bis(tert-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane or 1,1-di(tert-butylperoxy) 3,3,5-trimethyl cyclohexane, dicumyl peroxide, di-tert-butyl peroxide, 2,5-di-(tert-butylperoxy)-2,5-dimethyl hexane, n-butyl-4,4-bis(tert-butylperoxy)valerate, lauryl peroxide, benzoyl peroxide, tert-butyl hydroperoxide, and a mixture thereof wherein the free radical source is present from about 0.1 weight percent to about 15 weight percent of the silane.

27. The golf ball of claim 17 , wherein the crosslinking catalyst comprises a tin catalyst or a platinum catalyst.

28. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein at least one layer comprises a non-ionomeric reaction product of a silane-grafted polyolefin, at least one of water or moisture, and a crosslinking catalyst.

29. The golf ball of claim 28 , wherein the silane-grafted polyolefin comprises a silane and a polyolefin selected from the group consisting of low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, metallocene polyethylene, a metallocene-catalyzed polyolefin, and mixtures thereof.

30. The golf ball of claim 28 , wherein the crosslinking catalyst is selected from the group consisting of alkyltin oxides, tin carboxylates, alkyltin carboxylates and a mixture thereof.