Modified ionomer composition

Abstract

The present invention relates to golf balls and golf ball components comprising a blend of one or more ionomers mixed with one or more metal or ammonium salts of chelating agent. The resulting modified ionomer compositions have improved proccessability as shown by the increase in melt flow index ( 12 ) as compared to the unmodified ionomer analogs while demonstrating an increase in resiliency or speed as shown by increasing COR, while maintaining or showing only a slight increase in hardness as measured by Shore D.

1 . A golf ball comprising;
 1) a core comprising a center,   2) an outer cover layer; and   3) one or more intermediate layers,   
       wherein at least one of the outer cover layer or intermediate layer comprises a blend composition of
 (A) of from about 75 to about 99 wt % (based on the combined weight of Components A and B) of one or more ionomers; and 
 (B) of from about 1 to about 25 wt % (based on the combined weight of Components A and B) of one or more chelating agent salts; and 
 
       wherein said blend composition has a flexural modulus of from about 5 to about 500 kpsi, and a Shore D hardness of from about 25 to about 85. 
     
     
         2 . The golf ball of  claim 1  wherein in said blend composition;
 A) Component A is present in an amount of from about 80 to about 98 wt % (based on the combined weight of Components A and B) one or more ionomers; and 
 B) Component B is present in an amount of from about 2 to about 20 wt % (based on the combined weight of Components A and B) and comprises one or more metal or ammonium salts of an unsaturated poly(carboxylic acid) or one or more metal or ammonium salts of a polyamino carboxylic acid; and 
 
       wherein said blend composition has a flexural modulus of from about 15 to about 400 kpsi, and a Shore D hardness of from about 30 to about 80. 
     
     
         3 . The golf ball of  claim 1  wherein in said blend composition;
 A) Component A is present in an amount of from about 85 to about 97 wt % (based on the combined weight of Components A and B) one or more ionomers and 
 B) Component B is present in an amount of from about 3 to about 15 wt % (based on the combined weight of Components A and B) of a sodium salt of an unsaturated poly(carboxylic acid) or a sodium salt of a polyamino carboxylic acid; and 
 
       wherein the blend composition has a flexural modulus of from about 200 to about 300 kpsi., and a Shore D hardness of from about 35 to about 75. 
     
     
         4 . The golf ball of  claim 1  wherein;
 1) at least one of the intermediate layers comprises a blend composition of;
 (A) of from about 75 to about 99 wt % (based on the combined weight of Components A and B) of one or more ionomers; and 
 (B) of from about 1 to about 25 wt % (based on the combined weight of Components A and B) of the disodium salt of ethylene diaminetetraacetic acid or the sodium salt of poly(meth)acrylic; and 
 
 wherein said blend composition has a flexural modulus of from about 5 to about 500 kpsi, and a Shore D hardness of from about 25 to about 85; and 
 2) the outer cover layer comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of thermoset polyurethanes, thermoset polyureas, thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic polyureas, ionomers, styrenic block copolymers, ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid copolymers, or ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid/alkyl(meth)acrylate terpolymers, a unimodal ionomer, a bimodal ionomer, a modified unimodal ionomer, a modified bimodal ionomer and any and all combinations thereof. 
 
     
     
         5 . The golf ball of  claim 2 , wherein when Component B is an unsaturated poly(carboxylic acid), the unsaturated poly(carboxylic acid) is not produced from a mono-olefin or α-olefin. 
     
     
         6 . The golf ball of  claim 5 , wherein the metal or ammonium salt of unsaturated poly(carboxylic acid) is selected from a metal or ammonium salt of poly(acrylic), poly(methacrylic), poly(ethacrylic), poly(α-chloroacrylic), poly(crotonic), poly(maleic), poly(fumaric), or poly(itaconic) acid. 
     
     
         7 . The golf ball of  claim 2 , wherein Component B is a polyamino carboxylic acid selected from ethylenediamine-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (EDTA); disodium, trisodium, tetrasodium, dipotassium, tripotassium, dilithium and diammonium salts of EDTA; 1,3-diamino-2-hydroxypropane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid; 1,3-diaminopropane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid; O,O′-bis(2-aminoethyl)ethyleneglycol-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid; or 7,19,30-trioxa-1,4,10,13,16,22,27,33-octaazabicyclo[11,11,11]pentatriacontane hexahydrobromide. 
     
     
         8 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the sodium salt of poly(meth)acrylic acid is a sodium salt of poly(acrylic acid). 
     
     
         9 . The golf ball of  claim 4 , wherein the sodium salt of poly(meth)acrylic acid is a sodium salt of poly(acrylic acid).