Radio-opaque fillers in multiple layers of golf balls
A golf ball with at least one layer having radio-opaque fillers is disclosed herein. The at least one layer comprises from 1.0% to 25% by weight of a radio-opaque filler. The at least one layer has a pixel value gradient of 0.75 or less from an inner edge to an outer edge of the at least one layer when examined with a radiographic imaging system.
1. A golf ball comprising:
a center core layer;
a mantle layer disposed over the core; and
a cover layer disposed over the mantle layer;
wherein at least one layer of the center core, mantle layer and cover layer has a pixel value gradient of 0.75 or less from an inner edge to an outer edge of the at least one layer when examined with a radiographic imaging system.
2. The golf ball according to claim 1 wherein at least one layer comprises from 1.0% to 25% by weight of a radio-opaque filler.
3. The golf ball according to claim 2 wherein the radio-opaque filler is a compound based on barium, bismuth, tungsten, iodine, or reduced iron.
4. The golf ball according to claim 1 wherein the cover layer is comprises a polyurethane material or an ionomer material.
5. The golf ball according to claim 1 wherein the center core comprises a polybutadiene material.
6. The golf ball according to claim 1 further comprising:
an outer core disposed over the center core;
an outer mantle layer disposed over the mantle layer, the outer mantle layer having a thickness ranging from 0.025 inch to 0.060 inch;
and
wherein the cover layer is disposed over the outer mantle layer, the cover layer has a thickness ranging from 0.025 inch to 0.040 inch.
7. The golf ball according to claim 1 further comprising:
an outer core disposed over the center core;
wherein the outer core comprises from 0.05% to 70% by weight of a radio-opaque filler.
8. The golf ball according to claim 1 further comprising:
an outer mantle layer disposed over the mantle layer,
wherein the outer mantle layer comprises from 0.05% to 70% by weight of a radio-opaque filler.
9. The golf ball according to claim 2 further comprising:
a first center mantle layer disposed over the mantle layer, the first center mantle layer having a thickness ranging from 0.020 inch to 0.060 inch, the first center mantle layer material having a plaque Shore D hardness ranging from 40 to 65, the first center mantle layer composed of a fully neutralized polymer material;
a second center mantle layer disposed over the first center mantle layer, the second center mantle layer having a thickness ranging from 0.020 inch to 0.060 inch, the second center mantle layer material having a plaque Shore D hardness ranging from 40 to 65, the second center mantle layer composed of a fully neutralized polymer material;
an outer mantle layer disposed over the second center mantle layer, the outer mantle layer having a thickness ranging from 0.020 inch to 0.060 inch, the outer mantle layer composed of an ionomer material, the outer mantle layer material having a plaque Shore D hardness ranging from 60 to 75; and
wherein the cover layer is disposed over the outer mantle layer, the cover layer having a thickness ranging from 0.025 inch to 0.040 inch.
10. A golf ball comprising:
a center core layer;
a mantle layer disposed over the core; and
a cover layer disposed over the mantle layer,
wherein at least one layer comprises from 1.0% to 25% by weight of a radio-opaque filler, and wherein at least one layer of the center core, mantle layer and cover layer has a pixel value at its outer edge that is a factor of 0.88 or smaller than the maximum pixel value recorded within the layer using a radiographic imaging system.
11. The golf ball according to claim 10 wherein the radio-opaque filler is a compound based on barium, bismuth, tungsten, iodine, or reduced iron.
12. The golf ball according to claim 10 further comprising:
an outer core disposed over the center core;
wherein the outer core comprises from 0.05% to 70% by weight of a radio-opaque filler.
13. The golf ball according to claim 10 further comprising:
an outer mantle layer disposed over the mantle layer,
wherein the outer mantle layer comprises from 0.05% to 70% by weight of a radio-opaque filler.
14. A golf ball comprising:
a center core layer;
a mantle layer disposed over the core; and
a cover layer disposed over the mantle layer;
wherein at least layer comprises from 1.0% to 25% by weight of a radio-opaque filler, and wherein at an inner layer, a linear attenuation coefficient (Mu) increases by a minimum factor of 1.20 from an inner layer edge to an outer layer edge.
15. The golf ball according to claim 14 wherein the radio-opaque filler is a compound based on barium, bismuth, tungsten, iodine, or reduced iron.
16. The golf ball according to claim 14 further comprising:
an outer core disposed over the center core;
wherein the outer core comprises from 0.05% to 70% by weight of a radio-opaque filler.
17. The golf ball according to claim 14 further comprising:
an outer mantle layer disposed over the mantle layer;
wherein the outer mantle layer comprises from 0.05% to 70% by weight of a radio-opaque filler.
18. The golf ball according to claim 14 wherein at an outer layer, a linear attenuation coefficient (Mu) decreases by a factor of 1.11 or more from an inner layer edge to an outer layer edge.