Golf Ball Layers Formed of Polyurethane-Based and Polyurea-Based Compositions Incorporating Block Copolymers

Abstract

A golf ball including a core and a cover, wherein cover is formed from a composition comprising the reaction product of a prepolymer including a soft-segment comprising an amine-terminated polyether and a hard segment including a uretdione of hexamethylene diisocyanate; and an amine-terminated curing agent; wherein the amine-terminated polyether has the structure: where x and z have a combined value of 3.6-8 and y is 9-50, R is an alkyl group having 1-20 carbons, a phenyl group, a cyclic group, or mixtures thereof, R 1 is —(CH 2 ) a —, where a is 1-10, a phenylene group, a cyclic group, or a mixture thereof, and R 3 is hydrogen, a methyl group, or a mixture thereof.

1 . A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein cover is cast from a composition comprising the reaction product of:
 a prepolymer comprising the reaction product of a soft-segment comprising an amine-terminated polyether and a hard segment comprising a mixture of at least a first and second isocyanate; and   an amine-terminated curing agent;   wherein the amine-terminated polyether has the structure:   
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
     where x and z have a combined value of 3.6-8 and y is 9-50, R is an alkyl group having 1-20 carbons, a phenyl group, a cyclic group, or mixtures thereof, R 1  is —(CH 2 ) a —, where a is 1-10, a phenylene group, a cyclic group, or a mixture thereof, and R 3  is hydrogen, a methyl group, or a mixture thereof; and
 wherein the first isocyanate comprises a isocyanurate trimer of hexamethylene diisocyanate and the second isocyanate comprises a uretdione dimer of hexamethylene diisocyanate. 
 
   
   
       2 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein R 1  is —(CH 2 ) 4 —. 
   
   
       3 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein R 3  is hydrogen or methyl. 
   
   
       4 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the amine-terminated polyether has a molecular weight of 1000 to 4000. 
   
   
       5 . The golf ball of  claim 4 , wherein the amine-terminated polyether has a molecular weight of 1500 to 2500. 
   
   
       6 . The golf ball of  claim 5 , wherein the amine-terminated polyether has a molecular weight of 2000. 
   
   
       7 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second isocyanates have a number of unreacted NCO groups of 14% or less. 
   
   
       8 . The golf ball of  claim 7 , wherein the number of unreacted NCO groups is 5% to 11%. 
   
   
       9 . The golf ball of  claim 8 , wherein the number of unreacted NCO groups is 6% to 9.5%. 
   
   
       10 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the hard segment further comprises a triisocyanate of hexamethylene diisocyanate. 
   
   
       11 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the amine-terminated curing agent comprises 3,5-diethyltoluene-2,4-diamine and 3,5-diethyltoluene-2,6-diamine. 
   
   
       12 . The golf ball of  claim 11 , wherein the amine-terminated curing agent further comprises polytetramethyleneoxide-di-p-aminobenzoate. 
   
   
       13 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the core comprises an inner core layer and an outer core layer. 
   
   
       14 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the golf ball comprises an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover layer, the intermediate layer comprising an ionomer and an ethylene-butene copolymer produced using a single-site catalyst. 
   
   
       15 . A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein cover is cast from a composition comprising the reaction product of:
 a prepolymer comprising the reaction product of a soft-segment comprising an amine-terminated polyether and a hard segment consisting essentially of a uretdione of hexamethylene diisocyanate; and   an amine-terminated curing agent;   wherein the amine-terminated polyether has the structure:   
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
     where x and z have a combined value of 3.6-8 and y is 9-50, R is an alkyl group having 1-20 carbons, a phenyl group, a cyclic group, or mixtures thereof, R 1  is —(CH 2 ) a —, where a is 1-10, a phenylene group, a cyclic group, or a mixture thereof, and R 3  is hydrogen, a methyl group, or a mixture thereof. 
   
   
       16 . The golf ball of  claim 15 , wherein the golf ball comprises an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover. 
   
   
       17 . The golf ball of  claim 15 , wherein the core comprises an inner core layer and an outer core layer. 
   
   
       18 . A golf ball comprising a core, an intermediate layer, and a cover, wherein cover is cast from a composition comprising the reaction product of:
 a prepolymer comprising the reaction product of a soft-segment comprising an amine-terminated polyether and a hard segment consists essentially of a isocyanurate trimer of hexamethylene diisocyanate and a uretdione dimer of hexamethylene diisocyanate; and   an amine-terminated curing agent;   wherein the amine-terminated polyether has the structure:   
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
     where x and z have a combined value of 3.6-8 and y is 9-50, R is an alkyl group having 1-20 carbons, a phenyl group, a cyclic group, or mixtures thereof, R 1  is —(CH 2 ) 4 —, and R 3  is hydrogen or methyl. 
   
   
       19 . The golf ball of  claim 18 , wherein the core comprises an inner core layer and an outer core layer. 
   
   
       20 . The golf ball of  claim 18 , wherein the inner cover layer comprises a thermoplastic material.