Compositions for use in golf balls

Abstract

A golf ball including a core and at least one cover layer disposed about the core, wherein the core or the cover layer is formed from a composition comprising a base polymer, a crosslink initiator, and at least one additive comprising phenothiazine or a perhaloalkyl additive having a structure of: where R 1 or R 5 are —SZ, at least one of R 1 to R 5 is a perhaloalkyl, perhalocycloalkyl, or perhaloaryl substituent; the remainder of R 1 to R 5 are the same or different organic substituents or hydrogen; Z is a non-metal cation comprising quaternary ammonium, quaternary pyridinium, quaternary quinolinium, (organo)phosphonium, (organo)sulfonium, (organo)oxonium, (organo)iodonium, or (organo)azonium; and n is an integer of 1 or greater.

1 . A golf ball comprising a core and at least one cover layer disposed about the core, wherein the core or the cover layer is formed from a composition comprising a base polymer, a crosslink initiator, and at least one additive comprising phenothiazine or a perhaloalkyl additive having a structure of: 
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
     where R 1  or R 5  are —SZ, at least one of R 1  to R 5  is a perhaloalkyl, perhalocycloalkyl, or perhaloaryl substituent; the remainder of R 1  to R 5  are the same or different organic substituents or hydrogen; Z is a non-metal cation comprising quaternary ammonium, quaternary pyridinium, quaternary quinolinium, (organo)phosphonium, (organo)sulfonium, (organo)oxonium, (organo)iodonium, or (organo)azonium; and n is an integer of 1 or greater. 
   
   
       2 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of R 1 , R 3 , and R 5  is a perhaloalkyl substituent having 1 to 6 carbon atoms. 
   
   
       3 . The golf ball of  claim 2 , wherein the perhaloalkyl substituent is selected from the group consisting of trifluoromethyl, trichloromethyl, tribromomethyl, and triiodomethyl. 
   
   
       4 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein Z further comprises H, Li, Na, K, Cs, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ti, Zr, Cr, Mo, Fe, Co, Rh, Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, Zn, Cd, organometallic cations, or non-metal organic cations. 
   
   
       5 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the perhaloalkyl additive comprises ortho-dithiols, ortho-polythiols, 1,2-dithiolbenzene, 3,4-dithioltoluene, 3,4,5,6-tetrachloro-1,2-dithiolbenzene, 
     1,2,4,5-tetrathiolbenzene, 1,2-benzenedithiol zinc salt, 3,4-toluenedithiol zinc salt, 3,4,5,6-tetrachloro-1,2-benzenedithiol zinc salt, 1,2,4,5-benzenetetrathiol dizinc salt, 4,4′-thiobisbenzenethiol dizinc salt, or 2,2′-thiobis(4,6-dichlorophenol) disodium salt. 
   
   
       6 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a metal salt of an unsaturated acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, a filler, or a fatty acid or a salts thereof. 
   
   
       7 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the additive is present in an amount of 0.1 phr to 5 phr by weight of the base polymer. 
   
   
       8 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the core has a diameter of 1.5 inches or greater and an Atti compression of 45 to 80. 
   
   
       9 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the core has a diameter of 1.5 inches or greater and a compression of 50 to 90, and comprises a center and an outer core layer. 
   
   
       10 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one layer is an outer cover layer having a thickness of 0.05 inches or less and a flexural modulus of 2,000 psi to 30,000 psi. 
   
   
       11 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one layer is an inner cover layer and the golf ball further comprises an outer cover layer disposed about the inner cover layer, each of the layers having a thickness of 0.05 inches or less. 
   
   
       12 . The golf ball of  claim 11 , wherein the outer cover layer comprises polyurea. 
   
   
       13 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the core has a compression of 45 to 70, and the golf ball has a coefficient of restitution of 0.8 or greater. 
   
   
       14 . A golf ball comprising a core and an outer cover layer disposed about the core, the core having a diameter of 1.53 inches or greater, the outer cover comprising polyurea and having a thickness of 0.05 inches or less, wherein the core is formed from a composition comprising a base polymer, a crosslink initiator, and at least one additive comprising phenothiazine or a perhaloalkyl having a structure of: 
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
     where R 1  or R 5  are —SZ, at least one of R 1  to R 5  is a perhaloalkyl, (per)halocycloalkyl, or (per)haloaryl substituent; the remainder of R 1  to R 5  are the same or different organic substituents or hydrogen; n is an integer of 1 or greater; and Z is a trivalent or tetravalent metal selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Cr, Mo, Fe, Co, Rh, Ni, Pd, and Pt.