Golf ball material and golf ball

Abstract

A golf ball material composed of a polymer material that contains spherical inorganic particulates, which is well adapted for use in at least one component of a golf ball composed of one or more layers. The golf ball material of the invention improves the flight performance of golf balls compared with polymer materials containing amorphous inorganic particulates.

1 . A golf ball composed of one or more layers, wherein at least one component of the golf ball is comprised of a polymer material that contains spherical inorganic particulates, wherein the polymer comprises an ionomer and the spherical inorganic particulates have a sphericity, expressed as a ratio of maximum diameter to minimum diameter, in a range of from about 1.00 to about 2.00, and wherein the spherical inorganic particulates are one or more kinds of non-oxygen-containing inorganic compounds selected from the group consisting of tungsten silicate, tungsten carbide, tungsten boride, titanium nitride, silicon nitride and aluminum nitride. 
     
     
         2 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the spherical inorganic particulates have a thermal expansion coefficient, under conditions of 5 hours at 100° C., of at most about 2.0%. 
     
     
         3 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the spherical inorganic particulates have an average particle size in a range of from about 0.01 μm to about 100 μm. 
     
     
         4 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the spherical inorganic particulates have an average specific surface area, as measured by the BET method, of from about 0.05 m 2 /g to about 115 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         5 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the spherical inorganic particulates have a specific gravity of at least about 1.1. 
     
     
         6 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the spherical inorganic particulates have a structure that is crystalline or noncrystalline. 
     
     
         7 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the spherical inorganic particulates are included in an amount of from about 0.1 parts by weight to about 30 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the polymer. 
     
     
         8 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the component is directed to a cover or a core in a solid two-piece golf ball comprising a core and a cover encasing the core, or a cover, an intermediate layer or a core in a solid multi-piece golf ball comprising a core of at least one layer, at least one intermediate layer encasing the core, and a cover of at least one layer encasing the intermediate layer. 
     
     
         9 . A golf ball composed of one or more layers, wherein at least one component of the golf ball is comprised of a polymer material that contains spherical inorganic particulates, wherein the polymer comprises an ionomer and the spherical inorganic particulates have a sphericity, expressed as a ratio of maximum diameter to minimum diameter, in a range of from about 1.00 to about 2.00, and wherein the spherical inorganic particulates are one or more kinds of oxygen-containing inorganic compounds selected from the group consisting of iron (III) oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, tungsten oxide, tin oxide, aluminum oxide, manganese oxide, rare earth metal oxide, aluminosilicates, potassium silicate, borosilicates, zirconium silicate, aluminoborosilicates, calcium metasilicate, zirconium silicate, talc, kaolin, clays, barium sulfate, zinc sulfate, zinc sulfide, molybdenum disulfide, calcium carbonate, zinc carbonate, barium titanate, sodium borate and synthetic hydrotalcite.