High compression golf ball core

Abstract

Compositions including a compression agent and a water-producing agent golf ball cores made from such compositions having an increased compression and Coefficient of Restitution are disclosed. The type and concentration of the components in the composition, including the compression agent and water-producing agent, affects the compression, Coefficient of Restitution, hardness, and hardness gradient of cores made from the composition and, thus, can be used to produce a golf ball having desirable performance characteristics.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf ball, comprising:
 a core formed from a rubber formulation comprising a base rubber, an organic peroxide, a compression agent, and a water-producing agent; and   a cover of one or more layers disposed about the core,   wherein the compression agent comprises a polyfunctional isocyanate.   
     
     
         2 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the compression agent comprises a polymethylene polyphenylisocyanate. 
     
     
         3 . The golf ball of  claim 2 , wherein the rubber formulation has a compression agent concentration between about 0.1 and about 6.0 parts per hundred rubber. 
     
     
         4 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the water-producing agent comprises a metal salt hydrate. 
     
     
         5 . The golf ball of  claim 4 , wherein the rubber formulation has a water-producing agent concentration WPA C , and wherein WPA C  is between about 0.1 and about 15 parts per hundred rubber. 
     
     
         6 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the rubber formulation has a water content W C  and wherein W C  is between 0.1 and 3.5 parts per hundred rubber. 
     
     
         7 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the core further comprises a geometric center having a hardness, a geometric surface having a hardness, and a hardness gradient equal to the difference in the geometric center hardness and the surface hardness, and wherein the hardness gradient is in the range of about 10 Shore C to about 42 Shore C. 
     
     
         8 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the core further comprises a core compression and wherein the core compression is in the range of about 40 DCM to about 100 DCM. 
     
     
         9 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the core further comprises a Coefficient of Restitution, and wherein the Coefficient of Restitution is in the range of about 0.750 to about 0.830. 
     
     
         10 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the rubber formulation further comprises a co-agent, a filler, a radical scavenger, an initiator, an organosulfur, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The golf ball of  claim 10 , wherein the organosulfur is present in an amount of about 0.1 to 5 parts per hundred rubber. 
     
     
         12 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the base rubber comprises polybutadiene rubber, polyisoprene, ethylene propylene rubber, ethylene-propylene-diene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, or a blend thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the cover layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyurethanes, polyureas, and hybrids, copolymers, and blends thereof. 
     
     
         14 . A golf ball, comprising:
 a core formed from a rubber formulation comprising a base rubber, a compression agent having a compression agent concentration CA C , and a water-producing agent having a water-producing agent concentration WPA C , wherein the core has a core compression C, and wherein   
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
                     
                       CA 
                       C 
                     
                     * 
                     
                       WPA 
                       C 
                     
                   
                   C 
                 
                 ≥ 
                 0.005 
               
               ; 
             
           
         
       
       and
 a cover of at least one layer disposed about the core. 
 
     
     
         15 . The golf ball of  claim 14 , wherein 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   0 
                   . 
                   0 
                 
                 ⁢ 
                 1 
               
               < 
               
                 
                   
                     CA 
                     C 
                   
                   * 
                   
                     WPA 
                     C 
                   
                 
                 C 
               
               < 
               
                 0.2 
                 . 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         16 . The golf ball of  claim 14 , wherein CA C  is about 0.5 to about 5 parts per hundred rubber. 
     
     
         17 . The golf ball of  claim 14 , wherein WPA C  is about 0.5 to about 3.5 parts per hundred rubber. 
     
     
         18 . A golf ball, comprising:
 a core formed from a rubber formulation comprising a base rubber, a compression agent having a compression agent concentration CA C  and a water-producing agent having a water-producing agent concentration WPA C , wherein the core has a core compression C, and wherein   
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
                     
                       
                         WPA 
                         C 
                       
                       * 
                       
                         CA 
                         C 
                       
                     
                   
                   
                     1 
                     - 
                     
                       1 
                       C 
                     
                   
                 
                 ≥ 
                 0.5 
               
               ; 
             
           
         
       
       and
 a cover layer disposed about the core. 
 
     
     
         19 . The golf ball of  claim 17 , wherein 
       
         
           
             
               0.7 
               < 
               
                 
                   
                     
                       WPA 
                       C 
                     
                     * 
                     
                       CA 
                       C 
                     
                   
                 
                 
                   1 
                   - 
                   
                     1 
                     C 
                   
                 
               
               < 
               3. 
             
           
         
       
     
     
         20 . The golf ball of  claim 17 , wherein CA C  is about 0.5 to about 5 parts per hundred rubber, and wherein WPA C  is about 0.5 to about 3.5 parts per hundred rubber.