Thermosetting polyurethane material for a golf ball cover

Abstract

A curative blend for a thermosetting polyurethane material that allows for a polyurethane material with greater durability is disclosed herein. The curative blend is composed of 4,4″-methylenebis-(2,6-diethyl)-aniline and a second curing agent. A preferred polyurethane prepolymer is polytetramethylene ether glycol terminated toluene diisocyanate prepolymer. The thermosetting polyurethane is preferably utilized as a cover for a golf ball. The cover is preferably formed over a core and boundary layer.

I claim as my invention:  
     
         1 . A golf ball comprising: 
 a core; and    a cover formed over the core, the cover composed of a thermosetting polyurethane material formed from reactants comprising at least one polyurethane prepolymer and a curative blend comprising 4,4″-methylenebis-(2,6-diethyl)-aniline and a second curing agent;    wherein the cover has an aerodynamic surface geometry thereon.    
     
     
         2 . The golf ball according to  claim 1  further comprising at least one boundary layer disposed between the core and the cover.  
     
     
         3 . The golf ball according to  claim 1  wherein the polyurethane prepolymer is a polypropylene glycol terminated toluene diisocyanate prepolymer with a nitrogen-carbon-oxygen content ranging from 3.0% to 6.0%.  
     
     
         4 . The golf ball according to  claim 2  wherein the boundary layer is composed of a blend of ionomers.  
     
     
         5 . The golf ball according to  claim 1  wherein the polyurethane prepolymer is a polytetramethylene ether glycol terminated toluene diisocyanate prepolymer with a nitrogen-carbon-oxygen content ranging from 3.75% to 7.0%.  
     
     
         6 . A golf ball comprising: 
 a core comprising a polybutadiene mixture;    a boundary layer formed over the core; and    a cover formed over the boundary layer, the cover composed of a thermosetting polyurethane material formed from reactants comprising at least one polyurethane prepolymer and a curative blend comprising 4,4″-methylenebis-(2,6-diethyl)-aniline in an amount of 65 parts per one hundred parts of the curative blend and N,N″-dialkylamino-diphenyl-methane in an amount of 35 parts per one hundred parts of the curative blend;    wherein the cover has an aerodynamic surface geometry thereon.    
     
     
         7 . 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 blend of ionomer materials, the boundary layer having a thickness ranging from 0.020 inch to 0.075 inch, the blend of ionomer materials having a Shore D hardness ranging from 50 to 75 as measured according to ASTM-D2240; and    a cover formed over the boundary layer, the cover composed of a thermosetting polyurethane material formed from reactants comprising polytetramethylene ether glycol terminated toluene diisocyanate prepolymer and a curative comprising 4,4″-methylenebis-(2,6-diethyl)-aniline, wherein the thermosetting 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.    
     
     
         8 . A golf ball comprising: 
 a core; and    a cover formed over the core, the cover composed of a thermosetting polyurethane material formed from reactants comprising at least one polyurethane prepolymer and a curative blend comprising 4,4″-methylenebis-(2,6-diethyl)-aniline in an amount of 25 to 75 parts per one hundred parts of the curative blend and a second curing agent in an amount of 25 to 75 parts per one hundred parts of the curative blend, wherein the second curing agent has the same equivalent weight as the 4,4″-methylenebis-(2,6-diethyl)-aniline;    wherein the cover has an aerodynamic surface geometry thereon.