Acushnet Company

Mark N Wrigley

David A Bulpett

Laurent C Bissonnette

Murali Rajagopalan

Edmund A Hebert

Shenshen Wu

Peter R Voorheis

Derek A Ladd

Jeffrey L Dalton

Steven M Gosetti

Golf balls including cores formed from polybutadiene reaction products having a percent change in dynamic stiffness from 0&#xb0; C. to &#x2212;50&#xb0; C. of less than 130 percent where the reaction products include a resilient polymer component, a crosslinking material, a cis-to-trans catalyst, and a free radical source. The golf balls may be formed with polyurethane covers, covers formed from castable reactive liquid materials, among other materials. The golf balls may also include an intermediate layer.

Thin-layer-covered golf ball with improved velocity

Golf balls including centers formed from polybutadiene reaction products having a percent change in dynamic stiffness from 0&#xb0; C. to &#x2212;50&#xb0; C. of less than 130 percent where the reaction products include a resilient polymer component, a crosslinking material, a cis-to-trans catalyst, and a free radical source. The golf balls may be formed with polyurethane covers, covers formed from castable reactive liquid materials, among other materials. The golf balls may also include an intermediate layer.

A golf ball comprising a center comprising a polybutadiene having a molecular weight of greater than 200,000 and a resilience index of at least about 40; and a cover layer comprising a polyurethane composition formed from a prepolymer having no greater than 7.5 percent by weight unreacted isocyanate groups.

Thin-layer-covered golf ball with inproved velocity

A low compression, resilient golf ball having a center and a cover, made from a polybutadiene reaction product having polybutadiene, a cis-to-trans catalyst including an organosulfur component, and a free radical source. The reaction product has a first dynamic stiffness measured at &minus;50&deg; C. that is less than about 130 percent of a second dynamic stiffness measured at 0&deg; C. A multi-layer golf ball having a center, at least one intermediate layer disposed concentrically about the center, and a cover. At least a portion of at least one of the center, intermediate layer, or both, are made from a reaction product including polybutadiene having a cis-to-trans catalyst that includes at least one organosulfur component and a free radical source. The reaction product has a first dynamic stiffness measured at &minus;50&deg; C. that is less than about 130 percent of a second dynamic stiffness measured at 0&deg; C. Addition of various combinations of polybutadiene, cis-to-trans catalyst including at least one organosulfur component, free radical source, filler, and crosslinker, produce golf balls and golf ball components that are resilient (fast) and have low compression (soft).

Low compression, resilient golf balls including an organosulfur catalyst and method for making same

A low compression, resilient golf ball having a center and a cover, made from a polybutadiene reaction product having polybutadiene, a cis-to-trans catalyst including a Group VIA element, such as at least one of sulfur, polymeric sulfur, selenium, or tellurium, and a free radical source. The reaction product typically has a first dynamic stiffness measured at &minus;50&deg; C. that is less than about 130 percent of a second dynamic stiffness measured at 0&deg; C. A multi-layer golf ball having a center, at least one intermediate layer disposed concentrically about the center, and a cover. At least a portion of at least one of the center, intermediate layer, or both, are made from a reaction product including polybutadiene having a cis-to-trans catalyst that includes at least one elemental sulfur, polymeric sulfur, selenium, or tellurium component and a free radical source. In particular, the use of various combinations of polybutadiene, cis-to-trans catalyst including at least one elemental component, free radical source, filler, and crosslinker, produces golf balls and golf ball components that are resilient (fast) and have low compression (soft).

Low compression, resilient golf balls including elemental catalyst and method for making same

A low compression, resilient golf ball having a center including a material formed from the conversion reaction of sufficient amounts of polybutadiene, a free radical source, and a cis-to-trans catalyst to convert a portion of cis-isomer to trans-isomer in the polybutadiene, which reaction occurs at a sufficient temperature to form the material that contains trans-isomer and cis-isomer, wherein said material has an amount of trans-isomer greater than the amount of trans-isomer present before the conversion reaction, at least one intermediate layer disposed about the center and including a resilient polymer component and a reinforcing polymer component present in an amount sufficient to provide an uncrosslinked first mixture having a rigidity as determined by a flexural modulus greater than about 3.5 MPa, wherein the center and each intermediate layer together form the core, and a cover being disposed about the core, wherein the golf ball has a diameter of at least about 1.68 inches. In particular, the cis-to-trans catalyst includes an organosulfur compound, a Group VIA component, an inorganic sulfide, or a combination thereof, and the reinforcing polymer includes trans-polyisoprene. The invention also relates to golf balls formed from a conversion between various combinations of polybutadiene, cis-to-trans catalyst, free radical source, and optional filler and/or crosslinking agent, to produce a desired golf ball or golf ball component, such as those that are resilient (fast) and have low compression (soft).

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New Bedford, MA, United States of America

Mark N Wrigley