Golf ball and method of improving golf ball performance

Abstract

A golf ball having a polymer layer that has been subjected to impregnation treatment with an isocyanate and/or isothiocyanate-containing olefin compound exhibits at least one improved golf ball attribute, such as scuff resistance or spin performance, compared with an original golf ball that has not been treated by impregnation.

1 . A golf ball comprising a core and a cover of a polymer layer, wherein the cover has been treated by impregnation with an olefin compound having a group selected from among an isocyanate group, an isothiocyanate group, an isocyanate group-blocked portion formed with isocyanate group under the application of heat, and an isothiocyanate group blocked portion formed with isothiocyanate group under the application of heat. 
     
     
         2 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer layer is a thermoplastic and/or thermoset polymer. 
     
     
         3 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the isocyanate and/or isothiocyanate-containing olefin compound in the impregnated polymer layer is subjected to thermal polymerization, photopolymerization and/or addition reaction with functional groups. 
     
     
         4 . The golf ball of  claim 3 , wherein the olefin moiety of the isocyanate and/or isothiocyanate-containing olefin compound is at least one olefin group selected from the group consisting of acrylic, methacrylic, allyl and vinyl groups, and exhibits photopolymerizability on exposure to ultraviolet light and/or thermal polymerizability. 
     
     
         5 . The golf ball of  claim 3 , wherein the isocyanate moiety of the isocyanate-containing olefin compound exhibits addition reactivity with at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of amide, urethane, primary amino, secondary amino, hydroxyl and carboxyl groups. 
     
     
         6 . The golf ball of  claim 3 , wherein the isothiocyanate moiety of the isothiocyanate-containing olefin compound exhibits addition reactivity with at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of amide, urethane, primary amino, secondary amino, hydroxyl and carboxyl groups. 
     
     
         7 . The golf ball of  claim 3 , wherein the isocyanate and/or isothiocyanate-containing olefin compound has a melting point of not above 80° C. 
     
     
         8 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the impregnated layer formed by impregnation of the isocyanate and/or isothiocyanate-containing olefin compound into the polymer layer has a thickness in a range of from about 5 μm to about 900 μm. 
     
     
         9 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the impregnated layer formed by impregnating the polymer layer with the isocyanate and/or isothiocyanate-containing olefin compound has a surface hardness which is from about 1 to about 10 Shore D hardness units higher than the surface hardness of the polymer layer prior to the impregnation treatment. 
     
     
         10 . The golf ball of  claim 1  which is selected from the group consisting of two-piece solid golf balls composed of a core and a cover encasing the core, and multi-piece solid golf balls composed of a core of at least one layer, one or more intermediate layers encasing the core, and a cover of at least one layer encasing the intermediate layer. 
     
     
         11 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein an isocyanate and/or isothiocyanate-containing olefin compound is selected from among 2-iso(thio)cyanatoethyl methacrylate, 2-iso(thio)cyanatoethyl acrylate, 3-iso(thio)cyanatopropyl acrylate, 1-methyl-2-iso(thio)cyanatoethyl methacrylate, 1,1-dimethyl-2-iso(thio)cyanatoethyl acrylate, allyliso(thio)cyanate, allylthiocyanate, methylvinyliso(thio)cyanate, vinyliso(thio)cyanate, vinylthiocyanate, bis-(2-iso(thio)cyanatoethyl)fumarate, 2-iso(thio)cyanato-2-methylpropylene glycol diacrylate and 2-(2-iso(thio)cyanatoethoxy)ethyl (meth)acrylate. 
     
     
         12 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the olefin compound having an isocyanate group-blocked portion and/or an isothiocyanate group blocked portion is selected from among 2-[O-(1-methylpropylidenamino)carboxyamino]ethyl (meth) acrylate, 2-(pyrazoyl-1-carbonylamino)ethyl (meth)acrylate and tris(2-acryloyloxyethyl)isocyanurate. 
     
     
         13 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the content of the isocyanate and/or isothiocyanate-containing olefin compound impregnated into the golf ball is from about 0.01 g to about 7.00 g. 
     
     
         14 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer material of the polymer layer is selected from the group consisting of polyolefin elastomers, ethylene ionomers, polyolefins, metallocene polyolefins, polystyrene elastomers, diene polymers, polyacrylate polymers, polyamide elastomers, polyurethane elastomers, polyester elastomers, polyacetals, thermoset urethanes and silicone polymers. 
     
     
         15 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the cover has not been top-coated.