Golf balls comprising highly- and partially-neutralized alternate copolymers
A golf ball includes a core having a diameter, a first Shore D hardness and a compression; and a cover having a second Shore D hardness that is at least 5 points less than the first Shore D hardness. The cover includes an ionomer of an alternate copolymer, the alternate copolymer being formed from the reaction product of a copolymer of ethylene and maleic anhydride monomer in the presence of a suitable base, the maleic anhydride monomer being present in an amount of about 78 wt %.
1. A golf ball, comprising:
a core having a diameter, a first Shore D hardness and a compression; and
a cover having a second Shore D hardness that is at least 5 points greater than the first Shore D hardness;
wherein the cover comprises an ionomer of an alternate copolymer, the alternate copolymer comprising the reaction product of a copolymer of ethylene and maleic anhydride monomer in the presence of a suitable base, the maleic anhydride monomer being present in an amount of about 78 wt %.
2. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the ionomer of an alternate copolymer further comprises a flow modifier.
3. The golf ball of claim 2 , wherein flow modifier comprises a fatty-acid salt or non-fatty-acid salt.
4. The golf ball of claim 3 , wherein the fatty acid salt, or non-fatty acid salt, is present in an amount of about 10 wt % to about 50 wt %.
5. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the golf ball further comprises an intermediate layer having a melt flow of about 0 g/10 min at 190° C. to about 5.0 g/10 min at 190° C.
6. The golf ball of claim 5 , wherein the intermediate layer melt flow is about 0 g/10 min at 190° C.
7. The golf ball of claim 5 , wherein the intermediate layer comprises a highly-neutralized polymer, an ionomer of an alternate copolymer, or a mixture thereof.
8. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the core comprises the ionomer of an alternate copolymer.
9. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the ionomer of an alternate copolymer is blended with a conventional acid copolymer or the ionomeric derivatives thereof.
10. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises ionomeric copolymers and terpolymers, ionomer precursors, thermoplastics, thermoplastic elastomers, polybutadiene rubber, balata, grafted metallocene-catalyzed polymers, non-grafted metallocene-catalyzed polymers, single-site polymers, high-crystalline acid polymers and their ionomers, anionic ionomers, cationic ionomers, or mixtures thereof.
11. A golf ball, comprising:
a core having a diameter, a first Shore D hardness and a compression;
a cover having a second Shore D hardness that is at least 5 points less than the first Shore D hardness; and
an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover;
wherein the intermediate layer and/or the cover comprises an ionomer of an alternate copolymer, the alternate copolymer comprising the reaction product of a copolymer of ethylene and maleic anhydride monomer in the presence of a suitable base, the maleic anhydride monomer being present in an amount of about 78 wt %.