Golf ball material and golf ball

Abstract

A mixture having good thermal stability, flow and moldability and suitable as a golf ball-forming material is obtained when a base resin comprising a (metal ion-neutralized) olefin-unsaturated carboxylic acid-unsaturated carboxylate ternary random copolymer and optionally a (metal ion-neutralized) olefin-unsaturated carboxylic acid binary random copolymer is blended with specific proportions of a fatty acid and/or fatty acid derivative and a basic inorganic metal compound capable of neutralizing acidic groups left unneutralized in the base resin and fatty acid. Using the same material, high-rebound golf balls can be effectively manufactured.

1 - 8 . (canceled)  
     
     
         9 . A golf ball comprising a solid core and a cover of at least one layer around the core, wherein at least one cover layer is formed of a material comprising a mixture which is composed of: 
 100 parts by weight of a base resin having consisting of (b) an olefin-unsaturated carboxylic acid-unsaturated carboxylate ternary random copolymer or a metal ion-neutralized olefin-unsaturated carboxylic acid-unsaturated carboxylate ternary random copolymer,    (c) 5 to 80 parts by weight of a fatty acid or fatty acid derivative or both, having a molecular weight of 280 to 1,500; and    (d) 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of a basic inorganic metal compound capable of neutralizing acidic groups left unneutralized in the base resin and component (c), wherein at least 60 mol % of the acid groups in the mixture of the base resin and component (c) is neutralized.    
     
     
         10 . The golf ball of  claim 9 , wherein said cover layer is an outermost layer of the golf ball.  
     
     
         11 . The golf ball of  claim 9 , wherein said cover layer is an innermost layer of a cover.  
     
     
         12 . The golf ball of  claim 9 , wherein said cover layer is an innermost layer of a cover and the outermost layer is formed of an ionomer resin.  
     
     
         13 . The golf ball of  claim 9 , wherein said acid groups in the mixture are neutralized with transition metal ions and alkali metal and/or alkaline earth metal ions.  
     
     
         14 . The golf ball of  claim 13 , wherein the molar ratio between the transition metal ions and the alkali metal and/or alkaline earth metals ions are in the range of from 10:90 to 90:10.  
     
     
         15 . The golf ball of  claim 13 , wherein the transition metal ions include zinc ions and as at least one type of metal ion in the alkali metal or alkaline earth metals ions is selected from among sodium ions, lithium ions and magnesium ions.  
     
     
         16 . The golf ball of  claim 13 , wherein the desired proportion of the acid groups have been neutralized with transition metal ions and alkali metal or alkaline earth metals ions by using methods of neutralization with zinc ions which include the use of zinc soap as the fatty acid derivative, the inclusion of a zinc-neutralized random copolymer, and the use of a zinc compound as the basic inorganic metal compound (d).  
     
     
         17 . The golf ball of  claim 9 , wherein ingredients in said mixture are heated and mixed at a heating temperature of 150 to 250° C. and in an internal mixer selected among a kneading-type twin-screw extruder, a Banbury mixer and a kneader.  
     
     
         18 . The golf ball of  claim 9 , wherein said mixture has a carboxylate stretching vibration peak absorbance that is at least 1.3 times the carbonyl stretching vibration peak absorbance.  
     
     
         19 . The golf ball of  claim 9 , wherein said mixture has a weight loss of 250° C., based on the weight of the mixture at 25° C., of not more than 2% by weight.  
     
     
         20 . The golf ball of  claim 9 , wherein said material has a specific gravity of at least 0.9 and not more than 1.2.