Golf ball compositions comprising thermoplastic polyurethane ionomers

Abstract

The present invention provides a golf ball comprising an inner core and an outer cover layer, wherein at least one of the inner core and outer cover layer is formed from a thermoplastic polyurethane ionomer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf ball comprising:
 an inner core layer,   an inner cover layer having an outer surface hardness of greater than 55 Shore D and formed from an E/X- or E/X/Y-type ionomer composition, and   an outer cover layer having an outer surface hardness of from 20 Shore D to 63 Shore D and formed from a thermoplastic polyurethane ionomer composition;   wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane ionomer composition of the outer cover layer includes an ionic monomer covalently bonded to the polyurethane ionomer backbone, and wherein the ionic monomer comprises a sulfonate containing polyol ion and a quaternary ammonium counterion.   
     
     
         2 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the sulfonate containing polyol is an ionic diol. 
     
     
         3 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the sulfonate containing polyol ion is N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid. 
     
     
         4 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the quaternary ammonium counterion is an alkyl ammonium cation. 
     
     
         5 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the quaternary ammonium counterion is selected from the group consisting of didodecyldimethylammonium, tetrahexylammonium, terakis (decyl) ammonium, trimethyloctadecylammonium, hexadecyltrimethylammonium, tetradecyltrimethylammonium, dodecyltrimethylammonium, decyltrimethylammonium, trimethyloctyl ammonium, hexyltrimethylammonium, dimethyldioctadecylammonium, dihexadecyldimethylammonium, dimethylditetradecylammonium, didodecyldimethylammonium, didecyldimethylammonium, methyltrioctadecylammonium, tridodecylmethylammonium, tricaprylylmethylammonium methyltrioctylammonium, tributylmethylammonium, tetraoctadecylammonium, tetrahexadecylammonium, tetradodecylammonium, tetrakis (decyl) ammonium, tetraoctylammonium, tetraheptylammonium, tetrahexylammonium, tetrabutylammonium, and combinations of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface hardness of the inner cover layer is 60 Shore D or greater. 
     
     
         7 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface hardness of the inner cover layer is 65 Shore D or greater. 
     
     
         8 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface hardness of the outer cover layer is from 30 Shore D to 60 Shore D. 
     
     
         9 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface hardness of the outer cover layer is from 40 Shore D to 60 Shore D. 
     
     
         10 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface hardness of the outer cover layer is from 40 Shore D to 58 Shore D. 
     
     
         11 . A golf ball comprising:
 an inner core layer,   an inner cover layer formed from a thermoplastic polyurethane ionomer composition, and   an outer cover layer having an outer surface hardness of 55 Shore D or greater and formed from an E/X- or E/X/Y-type ionomer composition;   wherein the inner cover layer has an outer surface hardness that is less than the outer surface hardness of the outer cover layer, and wherein the difference between the outer surface hardness of the inner cover layer and the outer surface hardness of the outer cover layer is 3 Shore D units or greater; and   wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane ionomer composition of the inner cover layer includes an ionic monomer covalently bonded to the polyurethane ionomer backbone, and wherein the ionic monomer comprises a sulfonate containing polyol ion and a quaternary ammonium counterion.   
     
     
         12 . The golf ball of  claim 11 , wherein the sulfonate containing polyol is an ionic diol. 
     
     
         13 . The golf ball of  claim 11 , wherein the sulfonate containing polyol ion is N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid. 
     
     
         14 . The golf ball of  claim 11 , wherein the quaternary ammonium counterion is an alkyl ammonium cation. 
     
     
         15 . The golf ball of  claim 11 , wherein the quaternary ammonium counterion is selected from the group consisting of didodecyldimethylammonium, tetrahexylammonium, terakis (decyl) ammonium, trimethyloctadecylammonium, hexadecyltrimethylammonium, tetradecyltrimethylammonium, dodecyltrimethylammonium, decyltrimethylammonium, trimethyloctyl ammonium, hexyltrimethylammonium, dimethyldioctadecylammonium, dihexadecyldimethylammonium, dimethylditetradecylammonium, didodecyldimethylammonium, didecyldimethylammonium, methyltrioctadecylammonium, tridodecylmethylammonium, tricaprylylmethylammonium methyltrioctylammonium, tributylmethyl ammonium, tetraoctadecylammonium, tetrahexadecylammonium, tetradodecylammonium, tetrakis (decyl) ammonium, tetraoctylammonium, tetraheptylammonium, tetrahexylammonium, tetrabutylammonium, and combinations of two or more thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The golf ball of  claim 11 , wherein the outer surface hardness of the outer cover layer is 60 Shore D or greater. 
     
     
         17 . The golf ball of  claim 11 , wherein the outer surface hardness of the outer cover layer is 65 Shore D or greater. 
     
     
         18 . The golf ball of  claim 11 , wherein the difference between the outer surface hardness of the inner cover layer and the outer surface hardness of the outer cover layer is 5 Shore D units or greater. 
     
     
         19 . The golf ball of  claim 11 , wherein the difference between the outer surface hardness of the inner cover layer and the outer surface hardness of the outer cover layer is 7 Shore D units or greater.