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Compositions for use in golf balls

Compositions for use in golf balls description/claims

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/173,282, filed Jul. 1, 2005, which is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/867,079, filed Jun. 14, 2004 and now U.S. Pat. No. 7,030,192, which is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/437,694, filed May 14, 2003 now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 6,635,716, filed Sep. 13, 2001.

This invention relates generally to golf balls and, in particular, golf ball portions (e.g., cores) formed of a polymer composition including one or more functional additives.

Conventional golf balls can be divided into two general classes: solid (i.e., non-wound) and wound. Solid golf balls include one-piece, two-piece (i.e., solid core and a cover), and multi-layer (i.e., solid core of one or more layers and/or a cover of one or more layers) golf balls. Wound golf balls typically include a solid, hollow, or fluid-filled center, surrounded by a tensioned elastomeric material, and a cover. Solid balls have traditionally been considered longer and more durable than wound balls, but also lack a particular “feel” provided by the wound construction.

By altering ball construction and composition, manufacturers can vary a wide range of playing characteristics, such as compression, velocity, and spin, each of which can be optimized for various playing abilities. One golf ball component, in particular, that many manufacturers are continually looking to improve is the center or core. The core becomes the “engine” of the golf ball when hit with a club head. Generally, golf ball cores and/or centers are constructed with a polybutadiene-based polymer composition. Compositions of this type are constantly being altered in an effort to provide a higher coefficient of restitution (“CoR”) while at the same time resulting in a lower compression which, in turn, can lower the golf ball spin rate, provide better “feel,” or both. This is a difficult task, however, given the physical limitations of currently-available polymers. As such, there remains a need for novel and improved golf ball core compositions.

The present disclosure is directed to a golf ball comprising a core and at least one layer disposed about the core. The core is preferably solid, having a first coefficient of restitution and a first compression. At least one of the core or the layer comprises composition formed from a base polymer, a crosslink initiator, and at least one additive that enhances the first coefficient of restitution and/or reduces the first compression. The additive may be chosen from inorganic-halides, aromatic iodonium compounds, hypervalent iodine compounds, inorganic-sulfur compounds, sulfuric acid amides, organoselenium compounds, and derivatives thereof.

In one example, the additive is an inorganic-halide, preferably a carbon-containing inorganic-halide. In another example, the additive is both an inorganic-halide and an aromatic iodonium compound, preferably both a carbon-containing inorganic-halide and an aromatic iodonium compound, more preferably also a hypervalent iodine compound. In another example, the additive is both an inorganic-halide and a hypervalent iodine compound, preferably both a carbon-containing inorganic-halide and a hypervalent iodine compound. In another example, the additive is both an aromatic iodonium compound and a hypervalent iodine compound. In another example, the additive is an inorganic-sulfur compound, preferably a non-metal inorganic-sulfur compound. In another example, the additive is both an inorganic-sulfur compound and a sulfuric acid amide, preferably both a non-metal inorganic-sulfur compound and a sulfuric acid amide. In another example, the additive is an organoselenium compound, preferably an organic selenide, more preferably an aromatic selenide.

Any numeric references to amounts, unless otherwise specified, are “by weight.” The term “equivalent weight” is a calculated value based on the relative amounts of the various ingredients used in making the specified material and is based on the solids of the specified material. The relative amounts are those that result in the theoretical weight in grams of the material, like a polymer, produced from the ingredients and give a theoretical number of the particular functional group that is present in the resulting polymer.

The subscript letters such as m, n, x, y, and z used herein within the generic structures are understood by one of ordinary skill in the art as the degree of polymerization (i.e., the number of consecutively repeating units). In the case of molecularly uniform products, these numbers are commonly integers, if not zero. In the case of molecularly non-uniform products, these numbers are averaged numbers not limited to integers, if not zero, and are understood to be the average degree of polymerization.

As used herein, the term “polymer” refers to oligomers, adducts, homopolymers, random copolymers, pseudo-copolymers, statistical copolymers, alternating copolymers, periodic copolymer, bipolymers, terpolymers, quaterpolymers, other forms of copolymers, substituted derivatives thereof, and combinations of two or more thereof. These polymers can be linear, branched, block, graft, monodisperse, polydisperse, regular, irregular, tactic, isotactic, syndiotactic, stereoregular, atactic, stereoblock, single-strand, double-strand, star, comb, dendritic, and/or ionomeric.

As used herein, the term “telechelic” refers to polymers having at least two terminal reactive end-groups and capable of entering into further polymerization through these reactive end-groups. Reactive end-groups disclosed herein include, without limitation, amine groups, hydroxyl groups, isocyanate groups, carboxylic acid groups, thiol groups, and combinations thereof.

As referred to herein, lower alkyls and lower alkoxies include C1-5, preferably C1-3, alkyls and alkoxies, such as methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, sec-butyl, t-butyl, amyl, isoamyl, methoxy, ethoxy, isopropoxy, isobutoxy, t-butoxy.

As referred to herein, halogens include fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine.

As referred to herein, linear or branched alkyls include methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, sec-butyl, t-butyl, amyl, isoamyl, n-hexyl, 2-ethyl-n-hexyl, n-heptyl, n-octyl, isooctyl, n-nonyl, isononyl, n-dodecyl.

As referred to herein, substituted alkyls include cyanoalkyl, haloalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, alkoxyalkyl, preferably C2-6, e.g., β-cyanoethyl, β-chloroethyl, β-hydroxyethyl, β-methoxyethyl, β-ethoxyethyl. Cycloalkyls include cyclopentyl, cycloheptyl, cyclohexyl, and may comprise one or more C1-4 alkyls.

As referred to herein, aralkyls and alkaryls include methylbenzyl, phenethyl, phenisopropyl, benzyl, and may be ring-substituted, such as with halogen, methyl, and/or methoxy, like p-methylbenzyl, o- or p-chlorobenzyl, o- or p-tolyl, xylyl, o-, m- or p-chlorophenyl, and o- or p-methoxyphenyl.

As referred to herein, heterocyclic radicals include pyrrolidinyl, piperidinyl, pipecolinyl, morpholinyl, thiomorpholinyl, piperazinyl (e.g., N-methylpiperazinyl).

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