Metallic monomer used as ionomeric additives for ionomers and polyolefins

Abstract

A golf ball comprising: (a) a core: (b) an outer cover layer; and (c) optionally, at least one intermediate layer, wherein at least the outer cover layer or the intermediate layer comprises a blend composition of: (i) a metallic coagent; and (ii)(a) at least one polyolefin or (ii)(b) at least one ionomer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf ball comprising:
 (a) a core:   (b) an outer cover layer; and   (c) optionally, at least one intermediate layer,   wherein at least the outer cover layer or the intermediate layer comprises a blend composition made by contacting a metallic coagent with a partially or fully neutralized copolymeric or terpolymeric ionomer.   
     
     
         2 . A golf ball comprising:
 (a) a core:   (b) an outer cover layer; and   (c) optionally, at least one intermediate layer,   wherein at least the outer cover layer or the intermediate layer comprises a blend composition made by (i) blending a non-neutralized copolymeric or terpolymeric olefin-containing acid with a block copolymer, followed by partial or full neutralization of acid groups with a metal cation salt to produce a partially or fully neutralized ionomeric resin, and (ii) contacting a metallic coagent with the resulting partially or fully neutralized ionomeric resin.   
     
     
         3 . A golf ball comprising:
 (a) a core:   (b) an outer cover layer; and   (c) optionally, at least one intermediate layer,   wherein at least the outer cover layer or the intermediate layer comprises a blend composition made by (i) blending a partially or fully neutralized ionomeric resin with a block copolymer to produce an ionomer/block copolymer blend, and (ii) subsequently adding a metallic agent to the resulting ionomer/block copolymer blend.   
     
     
         4 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic coagent is a metal salt of a carboxylic acid. 
     
     
         5 . The golf ball of  claim 4 , wherein the metallic coagent is a metal (meth)acrylate or a metal cinnamate. 
     
     
         6 . The golf ball of  claim 4 , wherein the metallic coagent is a metal diacrylate. 
     
     
         7 . The golf ball of  claim 4 , wherein the metallic coagent is a metal cinnamate. 
     
     
         8 . The golf ball of  claim 4 , wherein the metallic coagent is zinc cinnamate, zinc hydrocinnamate, zinc naphthalene acetate, or zinc naphthoate. 
     
     
         9 . The golf ball of  claim 4 , wherein the metal of the metal salt is selected from zinc, calcium, magnesium, cobalt, tin, cerium, lanthanum, aluminum, vanadium, manganese, copper, nickel, iron, titanium, zirconium, chromium, scandium, strontium, barium, or bismuth. 
     
     
         10 . The golf ball of  claim 4 , wherein the carboxylic acid is selected from (meth)acrylic, diacrylic, cinnamic, hydrocinnamic, butyric, propionic, acetic, isovaleric, pivalic, stearic, maleic, adipic, phenylacetic, undecylenic, naphthoic, isophthalic, phthalic, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the metal coagent is selected from zinc dimethacrylate, zinc diacrylate, zinc isobutyrate, zinc propionate, zinc acetate, zinc isovalerate, pivalic acid zinc salt, zinc stearate, maleic acid zinc salt, adipic acid zinc salt, zinc phenylacetate, zinc cinnamate, calcium cinnamate, zinc undecylenate, zinc cinnamate benzoate, zinc cinnamate acetate zinc hydrocinnamate, zinc naphthoate, zinc naphthalene acetate, isophthalic acid zinc salt, or phthalic acid zinc salt. 
     
     
         12 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic coagent is zinc cinnamate.