| abstract |
The present invention concerns polymer compositions to which a monomeric aliphatic, alicyclic, and/or aromatic amide, or amides, is added to advantageously modify the properties of such compositions for making sports equipment, such as golf balls. The amide is used in an amount effective to obtain desired composition properties, such as improved rheological properties, while maintaining or at least substantially maintaining properties of products made using the composition, such as the coefficient of restitution. The aliphatic or aromatic monomeric amide may be a primary amide, a secondary amide, a tertiary amide, a bis amide, and combinations thereof, and may have from about 5 to about 100 carbon atoms, more typically from about 10 to about 25 carbon atoms. Moreover, the amide may be saturated or may include one or more sites of unsaturation, such as at least one, and possibly plural double bonds that are substantially all trans, substantially all cis, or a mixture of cis and trans double bonds. One embodiment of a disclosed composition useful for making a golf ball comprises at least one polymer suitable for such use, and an amount of the amide effective to desirably modify the polymer properties. The composition may further include from about 1 to about 99 weight percent of at least one additional thermoplastic or thermoset polymeric material. The composition can be used to make any golf ball component, such as a golf ball core, at least one layer other than the core including the cover, or can be used to make more than one component of the golf ball, such as the core, an intermediate layer, and/or a golf ball cover. A method for forming a golf ball also is disclosed comprising providing an embodiment of the disclosed composition and forming at least one component of a golf ball comprising the composition. |