Golf ball compositions

Abstract

The present invention relates to a golf ball including a core, one or more mantle layers and an outer cover layer, and one or more of the core, one or more mantle layers or outer cover layer includes a partially hydrogenated polybutadiene having a viscosity at 200° C. of less than about 5,000 Pa-sec and a storage modulus (G′) at 1 Hz and 25° C. of greater than about 1×10 7 dyn/cm 2 .

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf ball comprising;
 I. a core;   II. one or more mantle layers; and   III. an outer cover layer, and   
       wherein one or more of said core, one more mantle layers or outer cover layer comprises a partially hydrogenated polybutadiene having a viscosity at 200° C. of less than about 5,000 Pa-sec and a storage modulus (G′) at 1 Hz and 25° C. of greater than about 1×10 7  dyn/cm 2 . 
     
     
         2 . The golf ball of  claim 1  wherein said partially hydrogenated polybutadiene is prepared by hydrogenation of a polybutadiene containing of from about 20 to about 80 mol percent trans 1,4-addition, of from about 10 to about 70, preferably of from about 20 to about 60, and more preferably of from about and about 25 to about 45 mole percent cis 1,4-addition and a weight average molecular weight of from about 50,000 to 300,000 and wherein the hydrogenation results in a partially hydrogenated polybutadiene wherein of from about 25 to about 75, % of the double bonds in the original polybutadiene have been hydrogenated and are thus saturated. 
     
     
         3 . The golf ball of  claim 1  wherein said partially hydrogenate polybutadiene is crosslinked by a crosslinking composition comprising
 i) one or more peroxides; 
 ii) a zinc or magnesium salt of an unsaturated fatty acids having 3 to 8 carbon atoms selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, stearic acid, fumaric acid, palmitic acid and mixtures thereof; and 
 iii) a peptizer selected from the group consisting of an organic sulfur compound, a metal salt of an organic sulfur compound, a non-metal salt of an organic sulfur compound, and any and all combinations thereof. 
 
     
     
         4 . The golf ball of  claim 1  wherein said partially hydrogenated polybutadiene further comprises an additional polymer component selected from the group consisting of;
 A. one or more carboxylated elastomers selected from the group consisting of;
 a) a copolymer selected from the group consisting of carboxyalted polybutadiene, carboxylated styrene-butadiene copolymer, carboxylated acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer and mixtures thereof; 
 b) a grafted elastomer selected from the group consisting of maleated polybutadienes, maleated styrene butadiene rubbers (“SBR”), maleated acrylonitrile-styrene-butadiene (“ABS”) rubbers, maleated nitrile-butadiene rubbers (“NBR”), maleated hydrogenated acrylonitrile butadiene rubbers (“HNBR”), methylmethacrylate butadiene styrene (“MBS”) rubbers, carboxylated ethylene-propylene-diene monomer rubbers, carboxylated styrene-acrynitrile rubbers (“SAN”), carboxylated ethylene propylene diene rubbers (“EPDM”), acrylic grafted silicone rubbers, and combinations thereof; and 
 c) any and all combinations of i and ii; 
 
 B. a polyalkenamer rubber selected from the group consisting of polybutenamer rubber, polypentenamer rubber, polyhexenamer rubber, polyheptenamer rubber, polyoctenamer rubber, polynonenamer rubber, polydecenamer rubber polyundecenamer rubber, polydodecenamer rubber, polytridecenamer rubber and any and all combinations thereof; and 
 C. any and all combinations of A and B. 
 
     
     
         5 . The golf ball of  claim 3  wherein;
 A. said carboxylated elastomer composition has;
 i) a melt flow index (MFI) of from about 1 to about 80 g/10 min.; 
 ii) a material hardness of from about 20 to about 90 Shore D; 
 
 and
 iii) a flex modulus of from about 1 to about 120 kpsi.; and comprises;
 a) a carboxylated nitrile rubber which is a copolymer of butadiene, acrylonitrile and one or more α,μ-unsaturated carboxylic acids having an elastomer backbone having the following formula 
 
 
 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         
            and which is substituted by one or more carboxy groups selected from the group consisting of those derived from acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, fumaric, acid, maleic acid and itaconic acid; or
 b) a grafted polyisoprene selected from the group consisting of
 i) a polyisoprene-graft-maleic anhydride having the following chemical structure: 
 
 
         
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         
           
             
               ii) a polyisoprene-graft-maleic anhydride monoester of maleic anhydride having the following chemical structure 
             
           
         
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       and
       iii) all mixtures of i and ii.       
 
     
     
         6 . The golf ball of  claim 3  wherein said carboxylated elastomer or said polyalkenamer is crosslinked by a crosslinking composition selected from the group consisting of;
 a) one or more basic metal salts selected from the group consisting of metal formates, metal acetates, metal nitrates, metal carbonates, metal hydrogen carbonates, metal oxides, metal hydroxides, metal alkoxides, metal stearates and mixtures thereof; 
 b) a mixture comprising
 i) one or more peroxides; 
 ii) a zinc or magnesium salt of an unsaturated fatty acids having 3 to 8 carbon atoms selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, stearic acid, fumaric acid, palmitic acid and mixtures thereof; and 
 iii) a peptizer selected from the group consisting of an organic sulfur compound, a metal salt of an organic sulfur compound, a non-metal salt of an organic sulfur compound, and
 c) any and all combinations of a) and b). 
 
 
 
     
     
         7 . The golf ball of  claim 1  wherein said core;
 a) has a diameter of from about 0.5 to about 1.62 inches; 
 b) has a PGA compression of less than about 100; and 
 c) comprises a peptizer selected from the group consisting of an organic sulfur compound, a metal salt of an organic sulfur compound, a non-metal salt of an organic sulfur compound, and any and all combinations thereof. 
 
     
     
         8 . The golf ball of  claim 1  wherein said core;
 a) has a diameter of from about 0.7 to about 1.60 in; 
 b) has a PGA compression of less than about 90; and 
 c) further comprises one or more core layers each exhibiting a different hardness wherein the difference in hardness between each core layer is greater than 5 units of Shore D. 
 
     
     
         9 . The golf ball of  claim 8  wherein the hardness of the core center and each sequential core layers increases progressively outwards from the center to the outer core layer. 
     
     
         10 . The golf ball of  claim 8  wherein the hardness of the core center and each sequential core layers decreases progressively outwards from the center to the outer core layer. 
     
     
         11 . The golf ball of  claim 1  wherein said cover composition comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of
 a) a thermoset polyurethane; 
 b) a thermoplastic polyurethane; 
 c) a thermoset polyurea; 
 d) a thermoplastic polyurea; 
 e) a multicomponent blend composition (“MCBC”), the MCBC comprising (A) a block copolymer; and (B) one or more acidic polymers; and (C) one or more basic metal salts present in an amount to neutralize at greater than or equal to about 30 percent of the acid groups of Component (B); and 
 f) any and all combinations thereof.