JP6879080B2 - How to make a golf ball - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a golf ball.

As a method of extending the flight distance of a golf ball for a driver shot, for example, there are a method of using a core having high resilience and a method of using a core having a hardness distribution in which the hardness increases from the center of the core toward the surface. The former has the effect of increasing the initial velocity of the golf ball, and the latter has the effect of increasing the launch angle and lowering the spin. A golf ball with a high launch angle and low spin has a large flight distance.

As a technique for enhancing the resilience of the core, there are, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 in addition to the method of adding an organic sulfur compound to the rubber composition which is a component of the core. Patent Document 1 has a spherical core and at least one or more covers covering the spherical core, and the spherical core has 3 to 8 carbon atoms as (a) a base material rubber and (b) a co-crosslinking agent. It is formed from a rubber composition containing α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid and / or a metal salt thereof, (c) a cross-linking initiator, and (d) an unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof. (D) A golf ball is described in which an unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof has a carbon-carbon double bond number of 1.00 mmol / g to 10.00 mmol / g per unit mass (Patent Document). 1 (see claim 1)).

Patent Document 2 has a spherical core and at least one or more covers covering the spherical core, and the spherical core has 3 to 8 carbon atoms as (a) a base material rubber and (b) a co-crosslinking agent. It is formed from a rubber composition containing α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid and / or a metal salt thereof, (c) a cross-linking initiator, and (d) an unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof. (D) Unsaturated fatty acids and / or their metal salts having 5 or more carbon atoms and having the first carbon-carbon double bond in the fourth and subsequent carbons counting from the carboxyl group side and / Or a golf ball which is a metal salt thereof is described (see Patent Document 2 (claim 1)).

Further, when a carboxylic acid and / or a salt thereof is blended in the rubber composition, when kneaded with a kneader, the blending adheres to the wall or rotor of the kneader, and the obtained spherical core does not exhibit the desired hardness distribution. Are known. Therefore, Patent Document 3 is formed from a core rubber composition containing (a) a base rubber, (b) a co-crosslinking agent, (c) a cross-linking initiator, and (d) a carboxylic acid and / or a salt thereof. A method for producing a golf ball having a spherical core and at least one layer or more of a cover covering the spherical core, wherein (a) a base rubber and (d) a carboxylic acid and / or a salt thereof are blended. , The step of preparing the first master batch, (a) the step of blending the base rubber and (c) the cross-linking initiator to prepare the second master batch, and the first master batch and the second master batch. Production of a golf ball having a step of producing a rubber composition for a core by blending the above, a step of forming a spherical core from the rubber composition for a core, and a step of forming at least one or more covers on the spherical core. A method has been proposed (see Patent Document 3 (claim 1, paragraph 0017)). In addition, Patent Document 3 shows that when a saturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof is blended in a rubber composition, there is no problem even if the kneading temperature at the time of preparing the rubber composition for a core is 75 ° C. ( See Patent Document 3 (Table 3)).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-51462 JP-A-2017-51619 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-236877

Unsaturated fatty acids and / or metal salts thereof have carbon-carbon double bonds in the molecule. Therefore, when an unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof is blended in the rubber composition for a core, it is blended with the unsaturated fatty acid and / or the metal salt thereof as a co-crosslinking agent at the time of preparing the rubber composition for the core. By-products with α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acids with 3-8 carbon atoms and / or their metal salts are produced. Then, when by-products of these components are produced, the by-products hinder the uniform kneading of the compounding material. Therefore, the obtained spherical core has a problem that the performance of the compounding material cannot be sufficiently exhibited and the repulsion performance is lowered.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and in a golf ball in which the rubber composition for a core contains (d) an unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof, the repulsion performance of the golf ball can be further improved. Providing a manufacturing method for.

The method for producing a golf ball of the present invention that has been able to solve the above problems includes (a) a base material rubber, (b) an α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms as a cocrosslinking agent. / Or a metal salt thereof, (c) a cross-linking initiator, (d) an unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof ((b) an α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and a metal salt thereof. The first step of kneading (excluding) to prepare a rubber composition for a core, the second step of forming a spherical core from the rubber composition for a core, and at least one layer of coating the spherical core on the spherical core. The kneading temperature after adding (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof in the first step is 10 ° C. or higher and lower than 50 ° C. It is a feature.

(D) By controlling the kneading temperature after adding the unsaturated fatty acid and / or the metal salt thereof to 10 ° C. or higher and lower than 50 ° C., the by-product of the component (d) and the component (b) can be produced. It is suppressed. Therefore, the compounding material can be uniformly kneaded without being affected by the by-products. Therefore, the performance of the compounded material can be fully exhibited, and the repulsion performance of the obtained spherical core is further improved.

According to the method for producing a golf ball of the present invention, in a golf ball in which the rubber composition for a core contains (d) an unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof, the resilience performance of the golf ball can be further improved.

A partially cutaway sectional view showing a golf ball according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The method for producing a golf ball of the present invention has a spherical core and at least one layer of a cover covering the spherical core, and the spherical core has at least (a) a base material rubber and (b) a carbon number as a co-crosslinking agent. 3-8 α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acids and / or metal salts thereof, (c) cross-linking initiators, and (d) unsaturated fatty acids and / or metal salts thereof ((b) carbon number 3 This is a production method for producing a golf ball formed from a rubber composition for a core containing ~ 8 α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acids and metal salts thereof).

The method for producing a golf ball of the present invention comprises (a) a base material rubber, (b) an α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms as a co-crosslinking agent and / or a metal salt thereof, and (c). Core rubber by kneading a cross-linking initiator, (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof ((b) excluding α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and its metal salt). A first step of preparing a composition, a second step of molding a spherical core from the rubber composition for a core, and a third step of molding at least one layer of a cover covering the spherical core on the spherical core. Has.

(1) First Step In the first step, (a) a base rubber, (b) a co-crosslinking agent, (c) a cross-linking initiator, (d) an unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof are kneaded and kneaded into a core. Prepare a rubber composition for use. In the production method of the present invention, in this first step, the kneading temperature after adding (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof is 10 ° C. or higher, less than 50 ° C., and 47 ° C. or lower. It is preferably 45 ° C. or lower, more preferably 45 ° C. or lower. (D) If the kneading temperature after adding the unsaturated fatty acid and / or the metal salt thereof is 10 ° C. or higher, the component (d) can be uniformly dispersed. Further, by controlling the kneading temperature to less than 50 ° C., the formation of by-products of the component (d) and the component (b) is suppressed. Therefore, the compounding material can be uniformly kneaded without being affected by the by-products. Therefore, the performance of the compounded material can be fully exhibited, and the repulsion performance of the obtained spherical core is further improved.

(D) Kneading after adding the unsaturated fatty acid and / or the metal salt thereof can be carried out using a known kneader such as, for example, a roll, a kneader, or a Banbury mixer. From the viewpoint of suppressing heat generation of the compounding material during kneading, it is preferable to use a roll. In the present invention, "kneading" means mixing and dispersing several kinds of compounding materials having different properties with respect to the base rubber by applying a mechanical shearing force based on the compounding of the rubber composition for the core. means.

In the first step, as an embodiment in which the compounding materials are kneaded, all the compounding materials are kneaded at once to prepare a rubber composition for a core (aspect 1); components other than the component (d) are kneaded. After preparing the mixture, the mixture and the component (d) are kneaded to prepare a rubber composition for a core (Aspect 2); and the like.

In the case of the first aspect, the step of kneading all the compounding materials is (d) kneading after adding the unsaturated fatty acid and / or the metal salt thereof. In this case, the kneading time is preferably 5 minutes or more, more preferably 7 minutes or more, preferably 20 minutes or less, and more preferably 15 minutes or less. When the kneading time is within the above range, the compounding material can be uniformly dispersed.

In the case of the second aspect, for example, (a) a base material rubber, (b) an α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms as a co-crosslinking agent and / or a metal salt thereof, and (c). After kneading the cross-linking initiator to prepare a mixture, the mixture is kneaded with (d) an unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof to prepare a rubber composition for a core. By kneading the component (a), the component (b) and the component (c) in advance, the kneading temperature of these can be set high, and the compounding material can be kneaded more uniformly. When preparing the mixture, the component (d) is not added.

The kneading temperature at the time of preparing the mixture is preferably 95 ° C. or higher, more preferably 100 ° C. or higher, preferably 125 ° C. or lower, and more preferably 120 ° C. or lower. When the kneading temperature is 95 ° C. or higher, the compounding material can be dispersed more uniformly, the performance of the compounding material is more exhibited, and when the kneading temperature is 125 ° C. or lower, the burning of the compounding material can be suppressed.

The kneading time when preparing the mixture is preferably 1 minute or more, more preferably 1.5 minutes or more, preferably 20 minutes or less, and more preferably 15 minutes or less. When the kneading time is within the above range, the compounding material can be uniformly dispersed.

The kneading of the mixture is preferably carried out using, for example, a known kneader such as a roll, a kneader, or a Banbury mixer. From the viewpoint of increasing the kneading efficiency, it is preferable to use a kneader or a Banbury mixer having a large shearing force.

In the case of the second aspect, the step of kneading the mixture and the component (d) is kneading after adding (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof. In this case, the kneading time is preferably 2 minutes or more, more preferably 5 minutes or more, preferably 20 minutes or less, and more preferably 15 minutes or less. When the kneading time is within the above range, the compounding material can be uniformly dispersed. When kneading the mixture and the component (d), another compounding material may be added.

Hereinafter, the compounding material will be described. In the method for producing a golf ball of the present invention, the rubber composition for a core (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "rubber composition") has at least (a) a base rubber and (b) a carbon number as a co-crosslinking agent. 3-8 α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acids and / or their metal salts, (c) cross-linking initiators, (d) unsaturated fatty acids and / or their metal salts ((b) 3-8 carbon atoms) (Excluding α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acids and / or metal salts thereof).

(A) Base material rubber As the (a) base material rubber, natural rubber and / or synthetic rubber can be used, for example, polybutadiene rubber, natural rubber, polyisoprene rubber, styrene polybutadiene rubber, ethylene-propylene-. Diene rubber (EPDM) or the like can be used. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among these, high cis polybutadiene having a cis-1,4-bond advantageous for repulsion in an amount of 40% by mass or more, preferably 80% by mass or more, and more preferably 90% by mass or more is preferable.

The content of 1,2-vinyl bond in the high cis polybutadiene is preferably 2.0% by mass or less, more preferably 1.7% by mass or less, and further preferably 1.5% by mass or less. If the content of 1,2-vinyl bond is too large, the resilience may decrease.

The high cis polybutadiene is preferably synthesized with a rare earth element-based catalyst, and in particular, the use of a neodymium-based catalyst using a neodymium compound which is a lanthanum-series rare earth element compound has a high content of 1,4-cis bonds. , 1,2-vinyl bond is preferable because a polybutadiene rubber having a low content can be obtained with excellent polymerization activity.

The high cis polybutadiene has a Mooney viscosity (ML _{1 + 4} (100 ° C.)) of preferably 30 or more, more preferably 32 or more, still more preferably 35 or more, preferably 140 or less, and more preferably. It is 120 or less, more preferably 100 or less, and most preferably 80 or less. _{The Mooney viscosity (ML 1 + 4} (100 ° C.)) referred to in the present invention is a condition of using an L rotor, a preheating time of 1 minute, a rotor rotation time of 4 minutes, and 100 ° C. according to JIS K6300. It is a value measured below.

As the high cis polybutadiene, the molecular weight distribution Mw / Mn (Mw: weight average molecular weight, Mn: number average molecular weight) is preferably 2.0 or more, more preferably 2.2 or more, still more preferably 2. It is 4 or more, most preferably 2.6 or more, preferably 6.0 or less, more preferably 5.0 or less, still more preferably 4.0 or less, and most preferably 3.4 or less. If the molecular weight distribution (Mw / Mn) of high cis polybutadiene is too small, workability may decrease, and if it is too large, resilience may decrease. The molecular weight distribution was determined by gel permeation chromatography (manufactured by Tosoh Corporation, "HLC-8120GPC") using a differential refractometer as a detector, column: GMHHXL (manufactured by Tosoh Corporation), column temperature: 40 ° C., mobile phase. : It is a value calculated under the condition of tetrahydrofuran and calculated as a standard polystyrene conversion value.

(B) Co-crosslinking agent The (b) α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and / or a metal salt thereof is blended into a rubber composition as a co-crosslinking agent. It has the effect of cross-linking rubber molecules by graft-polymerizing the base rubber molecular chains. When only the α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms is blended as the co-crosslinking agent, it is preferable to further blend the metal compound (f) described later in the rubber composition. By neutralizing α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms in the rubber composition with a metal compound, α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms as a co-crosslinking agent A substantially similar effect can be obtained as when a metal salt of an acid is used. Even when a metal salt of α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms is blended as the co-crosslinking agent, the metal compound (f) may be used as an optional component.

Examples of the α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms include acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid, and crotonic acid.

Examples of the metal constituting the metal salt of α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms include monovalent metal ions such as sodium, potassium and lithium; magnesium, calcium, zinc, barium and cadmium. Divalent metal ions; trivalent metal ions such as aluminum; other ions such as tin and zirconium. The metal component can also be used alone or as a mixture of two or more kinds. Among these, as the metal component, a divalent metal such as magnesium, calcium, zinc, barium, or cadmium is preferable. This is because the use of a divalent metal salt of α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms facilitates metal cross-linking between rubber molecules. In particular, as the divalent metal salt, zinc acrylate is preferable because the resilience of the obtained golf ball is high. The α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and / or a metal salt thereof may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The amount of (b) α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and / or a metal salt thereof is preferably 15 parts by mass or more with respect to 100 parts by mass of (a) base material rubber. 20 parts by mass or more is more preferable, 25 parts by mass or more is further preferable, 50 parts by mass or less is more preferable, 45 parts by mass or less is more preferable, and 35 parts by mass or less is further preferable. (B) When the content of the α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and / or the metal salt thereof is less than 15 parts by mass, the member formed from the rubber composition has an appropriate hardness. In addition, the amount of the cross-linking initiator (c) described later must be increased, and the resilience of the golf ball tends to decrease. On the other hand, when the content of the α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and / or the metal salt thereof exceeds 50 parts by mass, the member formed from the rubber composition becomes too hard, and golf The shot feeling of the ball may be reduced.

(C) Cross-linking initiator The (c) cross-linking initiator is formulated to cross-link (a) the base rubber component. (C) Organic peroxide is suitable as the cross-linking initiator. Specifically, the organic peroxide is dicumyl peroxide, 1,1-bis (t-butylperoxy) -3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di. Examples thereof include organic peroxides such as (t-butylperoxy) hexane and di-t-butyl peroxide. These organic peroxides may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Of these, dicumyl peroxide is preferably used.

The blending amount of the (c) cross-linking initiator is preferably 0.2 parts by mass or more, more preferably 0.5 parts by mass or more, and further preferably 0.7 with respect to 100 parts by mass of the (a) base material rubber. It is 5 parts by mass or more, preferably 5.0 parts by mass or less, more preferably 2.5 parts by mass or less, and further preferably 2.0 parts by mass or less. If it is less than 0.2 parts by mass, the member molded from the rubber composition tends to be too soft and the resilience of the golf ball tends to decrease, and if it exceeds 5.0 parts by mass, it is molded from the rubber composition. In order to obtain an appropriate hardness of the member, it is necessary to reduce the amount of the above-mentioned (b) co-crosslinking agent used, which may result in insufficient resilience of the golf ball or deterioration of durability.

(D) Unsaturated fatty acids and / or metal salts thereof The (d) unsaturated fatty acids and / or metal salts thereof are aliphatic monocarboxylic acids and / or metal salts thereof having at least one unsaturated bond in the hydrocarbon chain. Is. In addition, (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or its metal salt does not include (b) α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and its metal salt used as a co-crosslinking agent. It shall be.

The unsaturated fatty acid and / or the metal salt thereof (d) preferably has a carbon-carbon double bond number of 1.00 mmol / g or more, more preferably 1.50 mmol / g or more per unit mass. It is more preferably 2.00 mmol / g or more, preferably 10.00 mmol / g or less, more preferably 9.00 mmol / g or less, still more preferably 8.00 mmol / g or less. When the number of carbon-carbon double bonds per unit mass of the component (d) is 1.00 mmol / g or more, an addition reaction with the component (b) is likely to occur during spherical core molding, and the obtained spherical shape is obtained. The core becomes highly repulsive. When the number of carbon-carbon double bonds per unit mass of the component (d) is 10.00 mmol / g or less, the obtained spherical core has high repulsion.

The (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof preferably has an unsaturated fatty acid component having 4 or more carbon atoms, more preferably 5 or more, still more preferably 8 or more, particularly preferably 12 or more, and 33 or less. Is preferable, more preferably 30 or less, still more preferably 27 or less, and particularly preferably 26 or less. If the component (d) is an unsaturated fatty acid having 33 or less carbon atoms and / or a metal salt thereof, an addition reaction with the component (b) is likely to occur during molding of the spherical core, and the obtained spherical core has high repulsion. become.

The (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof is preferably an unsaturated fatty acid having one or more carbon-carbon double bonds and / or a metal salt thereof, preferably four or less, and more preferably four or less. Two or less, more preferably one. If the component (d) is an unsaturated fatty acid having four or less carbon-carbon double bonds and / or a metal salt thereof, an addition reaction with the component (b) is likely to occur during spherical core molding, and the result is obtained. The spherical core has high resilience.

The (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or metal salt thereof preferably has a melting point of less than 50 ° C. Further, the (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or the metal salt thereof is preferably in a liquid state at the kneading temperature after the addition of the (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or the metal salt thereof.

The (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or metal salt thereof is preferably an unsaturated fatty acid represented by the formula (1) and / or a metal salt thereof.

［式（１）中、Ｒ¹は、水素原子または置換基を有していてもよい炭素数１〜３０のアルキル基を表す。Ｒ²は、置換基を有していてもよい炭素数１〜２８のアルキレン基を表す。Ｒ³は、単結合または置換基を有していてもよい炭素数１〜３０のアルキレン基を表す。ｍは、０〜５の自然数を表す。ｍが２〜５の場合、複数あるＲ²はそれぞれ同一でも異なっていてもよい。］

[In the formula (1), R ¹ represents an alkyl group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms which may have a hydrogen atom or a substituent. R ² represents an alkylene group having 1 to 28 carbon atoms which may have a substituent. R ³ represents an alkylene group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms which may have a single bond or a substituent. m represents a natural number from 0 to 5. when m is 2 to 5 may be different from each plurality of R ² are the same. ]

The alkyl group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms represented by R ¹ may have a branched structure or a cyclic structure, but a linear alkyl group is preferable. The number of carbon atoms of the alkyl group is preferably 1 or more, more preferably 3 or more, further preferably 5 or more, preferably 25 or less, more preferably 23 or less, still more preferably 21 or less. Examples of the substituent contained in the alkyl group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms represented by R ^{1 include a hydroxy group.}

The alkylene group having 1 to 28 carbon atoms represented by R ² may have a branched structure or a cyclic structure, but a linear alkylene group is preferable. The carbon number of the alkylene group is preferably 1 or more, more preferably 3 or more, further preferably 5 or more, preferably 25 or less, more preferably 23 or less, still more preferably 21 or less. Examples of the substituent contained in the alkylene group having 1 to 28 carbon atoms represented by R ^{2 include a hydroxy group.}

The alkylene group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms represented by R ³ may have a branched structure or a cyclic structure, but a linear alkylene group is preferable. The carbon number of the alkylene group is preferably 2 or more, more preferably 3 or more, further preferably 4 or more, preferably 25 or less, more preferably 23 or less, still more preferably 21 or less. Examples of the substituent contained in the alkylene group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms represented by R ^{3 include a hydroxy group.}

The m is preferably 3 or less, more preferably 2 or less, still more preferably 1 or less, and particularly preferably 0.

The (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof is preferably a linear unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof. The (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof has a carbon-carbon double bond in a trans-type arrangement, which is an unsaturated fatty acid having a carbon-carbon double bond at the end of the hydrocarbon chain and / or a metal salt thereof. Examples include unsaturated fatty acids and / or metal salts thereof having at least one, unsaturated fatty acids having at least one carbon-carbon double bond in a cis-type configuration and / or metal salts thereof. The (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or metal salt thereof is more preferably an unsaturated fatty acid having at least one carbon-carbon double bond in a cis-type arrangement and / or a metal salt thereof. When the component (d) has the above structure, the reactivity of the addition reaction with the component (b) is high at the time of forming the spherical core, and the obtained spherical core has a higher repulsion.

Specific examples (IUPAC name) of the unsaturated fatty acid constituting the (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or its metal salt include butenoic acid (C4), pentenic acid (C5), hexenoic acid (C6), and heptenoic acid (IUPAC name). C7), octenoic acid (C8), nonenic acid (C9), decenoic acid (C10), undecenoic acid (C11), dodecenoic acid (C12), tridecenoic acid (C13), tetradecenoic acid (C14), pentadecenoic acid (C15) , Hexadecenoic acid (C16), Heptadecenoic acid (C17), Octadecenoic acid (C18), Nonadecenoic acid (C19), Icosenoic acid (C20), Henicocenoic acid (C21), Docosenoic acid (C22), Tricosenoic acid (C23), Tetracosene Acid (C24), pentacosenoic acid (C25), hexacosenoic acid (C26), heptacosenoic acid (C27), octacosenoic acid (C28), nonacocenoic acid (C29), triacocenoic acid (C30), hentoriacontenoic acid (C31), Dotria-contenoic acid (C32), tri-triria-contenoic acid (C33) and the like can be mentioned.

Specific examples (common names) of the (d) unsaturated fatty acids and / or unsaturated fatty acids constituting the metal salts thereof include 4-pentenoic acid (C5, monounsaturated fatty acid) and 5-hexenoic acid (C6). , Mono-unsaturated fatty acids), 6-heptenoic acid (C7, mono-unsaturated fatty acids), 7-octenoic acid (C8, mono-unsaturated fatty acids), 8-nonenic acid (C9, mono-unsaturated fatty acids), 9-decenoic acid (C10, monounsaturated fatty acids), 10-undecylenoic acid (C11, monounsaturated fatty acids) and other unsaturated fatty acids with double bonds at the ends; myristoleic acid (C14, cis-9-monounsaturated fatty acids), Palmitoreic acid (C16, cis-9-monounsaturated fatty acids), stearidonic acid (C18,6,9,12,15-tetraunsaturated fatty acids), baxenoic acid (C18, cis-11-monounsaturated fatty acids), olein Acids (C18, cis-9-monounsaturated fatty acids), elaidic acids (C18, trans-9-monounsaturated fatty acids), linoleic acids (C18, cis-9-cis-12-diunsaturated fatty acids), α- Linolenic acid (C18, 9,12,15-triunsaturated fatty acids), γ-linolenic acid (C18,6,9,12-triunsaturated fatty acids), gadrainic acid (C20, cis-9-monounsaturated fatty acids) , Eikosenoic acid (C20, cis-11-monounsaturated fatty acids), Eikosazienoic acid (C20, cis-11-cis-14-diunsaturated fatty acids), arachidonic acid (C20, 5,8,11,14-tetraunsaturated) Saturated fatty acids), Eikosapentaenoic acid (C20,5,8,11,14,17-pentaunsaturated fatty acids), erucic acid (C22, cis-13-monounsaturated fatty acids), docosahexaenoic acid (C22,4,7, 10,13,16,19-hexaunsaturated fatty acids), nerbonic acids (C24, cis-15-monounsaturated fatty acids) and other unsaturated fatty acids that have double bonds other than the ends; ricinolic acid (C18, cis-9) -An unsaturated fatty acid having a hydroxy group such as (monounsaturated fatty acid) can be mentioned.

Among these, preferably unsaturated fatty acids (C11, monounsaturated fatty acids) and myristolenic acid (C14, monounsaturated fatty acids) are preferable as the unsaturated fatty acids constituting the (d) unsaturated fatty acids and / or their metal salts. , Palmitoleic acid (C16, monounsaturated fatty acids), oleic acid (C18, monounsaturated fatty acids), linoleic acid (C18, diunsaturated fatty acids), eicosenoic acid (C20, monounsaturated fatty acids), erucic acid (C22, Mono-unsaturated fatty acids), nerbonic acid (C24, mono-unsaturated fatty acids), ricinolic acid (C18, cis-9-mono-unsaturated fatty acids).

Examples of the metal constituting the (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or its metal salt include monovalent metal ions such as sodium, potassium and lithium; and divalent metal ions such as magnesium, calcium, zinc, barium and cadmium; Trivalent metal ions such as aluminum; other ions such as tin and zirconium. The metal component can also be used alone or as a mixture of two or more kinds. Among these, as the metal component, divalent metals such as magnesium, calcium, zinc, barium, and cadmium are preferable, and zinc is particularly preferable. (D) By using a divalent metal salt of unsaturated fatty acid, the obtained spherical core becomes highly repulsive. In addition, (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or the metal salt thereof may be used alone or in combination of 2 or more types.

The blending amount of the (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or its metal salt is preferably 1 part by mass or more, more preferably 2 parts by mass or more, and 3 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of (a) base material rubber. The above is further preferable, 35 parts by mass or less is preferable, 30 parts by mass or less is more preferable, 25 parts by mass or less is further preferable, 20 parts by mass or less is particularly preferable, and 17 parts by mass or less is most preferable. When the content of the component (d) is 1 part by mass or more, the effect of adding the component (d) is sufficiently exhibited, and the obtained spherical core has high repulsion. When the content of the component (d) is 35 parts by mass or less, the spherical core is not too soft and the durability and high resilience of the golf ball are not impaired.

(E) Carboxylic acid and / or a metal salt thereof The rubber composition for a core may further contain (e) a carboxylic acid and / or a metal salt thereof. The (e) carboxylic acid and / or its salt includes the (b) α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms used as a co-crosslinking agent and a metal salt thereof, and the above (d). ) Does not contain unsaturated fatty acids and their metal salts. By using (d) an unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof in combination with (e) a carboxylic acid and / or a metal salt thereof, the flight distance on a driver shot is further improved. Examples of the (e) carboxylic acid and / or a salt thereof include saturated fatty acids, saturated fatty acid metal salts, aromatic carboxylic acids and aromatic carboxylic acid metal salts. The carboxylic acid (e) and / or a metal salt thereof can be used alone or as a mixture of two or more kinds.

The fatty acid component constituting the saturated fatty acid and the saturated fatty acid metal salt is not particularly limited and may be either a linear saturated fatty acid or a saturated fatty acid having a branched chain, but a linear saturated fatty acid is preferable.

The number of carbon atoms of the fatty acid component constituting the saturated fatty acid and the saturated fatty acid metal salt is preferably 4 or more, more preferably 6 or more, further preferably 8 or more, preferably 30 or less, more preferably 28 or less, still more preferable. Is 26 or less, particularly preferably 17 or less.

Examples of the saturated fatty acids include butanoic acid, pentanoic acid, hexanoic acid, heptanic acid, octanoic acid, nonanoic acid, decanoic acid, undecanoic acid, dodecanoic acid, tridecanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, pentadecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, heptadecanoic acid and octadecanoic acid. , Nonadecanic acid, Icosanoic acid, Henicosanoic acid, Docosanoic acid, Tricosanoic acid, Tetracosanoic acid, Pentacosanoic acid, Hexacosanoic acid, Heptacosanoic acid, Octakosanoic acid, Nonacosanoic acid, Triacanthanoic acid and the like.

Examples of the aromatic carboxylic acid include those having a benzene ring in the molecule and those having a complex aromatic ring in the molecule. Examples of the carboxylic acid having a benzene ring include an aromatic carboxylic acid in which a carboxy group is directly bonded to the benzene ring, an aromatic-aliphatic carboxylic acid in which an aliphatic carboxylic acid is bonded to the benzene ring, and a carboxy group in the condensed benzene ring. Examples thereof include a directly bonded polynuclear aromatic carboxylic acid and a polynuclear aromatic-aliphatic carboxylic acid in which an aliphatic carboxylic acid is bonded to a condensed benzene ring. Examples of the carboxylic acid having a complex aromatic ring include those in which a carboxy group is directly bonded to the complex aromatic ring.

Examples of the aromatic carboxylic acid having a benzene ring in the molecule include benzoic acid, butylbenzoic acid, anisic acid (methoxybenzoic acid), dimethoxybenzoic acid, trimethoxybenzoic acid, dimethylaminobenzoic acid, chlorobenzoic acid, and dichlorobenzoic acid. , Trichlorobenzoic acid, acetoxybenzoic acid, biphenylcarboxylic acid, naphthalenecarboxylic acid, anthracenecarboxylic acid and the like. Examples of the aromatic carboxylic acid having a complex aromatic ring in the molecule include furancarboxylic acid and tenoyl acid.

Examples of the cationic component of the (e) carboxylate metal salt include monovalent metal ions such as sodium, potassium, lithium, and silver; magnesium, calcium, zinc, barium, cadmium, copper, cobalt, nickel, manganese, and the like. Divalent metal ions; trivalent metal ions such as aluminum and iron; other ions such as tin, zirconium and titanium. The cationic component can also be used alone or as a mixture of two or more kinds.

The blending amount of the (e) carboxylic acid and / or the metal salt thereof is preferably 1 part by mass or more, more preferably 2 parts by mass or more, and further preferably 3 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the base material rubber. It is 5 parts or more, preferably 35 parts by mass or less, more preferably 30 parts by mass or less, further preferably 25 parts by mass or less, and particularly preferably 10 parts by mass or less. (E) When the blending amount of the carboxylic acid and / or the metal salt thereof is 1 part by mass or more, the dispersibility of each material in the rubber composition becomes better, and when it is 35 mass or less, the (e) carboxylic acid. Changes in the physical properties of the rubber composition due to the inclusion of and / or the metal salt thereof can be suppressed.

In addition, (b) α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and / or a metal salt thereof may be treated with zinc stearate or the like in order to improve dispersibility in rubber. is there. When such a co-crossing agent surface-treated with zinc stearate or the like is used, the cation component and anion component such as zinc stearate, which is a surface treatment agent, are also the cation component and the anion component of the component (e). It shall be included in.

(F) Metal Compound When only α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms is blended as the co-crosslinking agent, it is preferable to further blend (f) the metal compound in the rubber composition for the core. .. The (f) metal compound is not particularly limited as long as it can neutralize (b) an α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms in the rubber composition. Examples of the metal compound (f) include metal hydroxides such as magnesium hydroxide, zinc hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and copper hydroxide; magnesium oxide and calcium oxide. , Metal oxides such as zinc oxide and copper oxide; metal carbon oxides such as magnesium carbonate, zinc carbonate, calcium carbonate, sodium carbonate, lithium carbonate and potassium carbonate. The metal compound (f) is preferably a divalent metal compound, and more preferably a zinc compound. This is because the divalent metal compound reacts with an α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms to form a metal crosslink. Further, by using a zinc compound, a golf ball having high resilience can be obtained. (F) The metal compound may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of (f) the metal compound is appropriately adjusted according to the desired degree of neutralization of (b) α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and (d) unsaturated fatty acid. Just do it.

(G) Organic Sulfur Compound It is preferable to further add (g) an organic sulfur compound to the core rubber composition. When the rubber composition contains (g) an organic sulfur compound, the resilience of the spherical core is further improved. The organic sulfur compound (g) can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The (g) organic sulfur compound is not particularly limited as long as it is an organic compound having a sulfur atom in the molecule, and is, for example, a thiol group (-SH) or a polysulfide bond having 2 to 4 sulfur numbers (-). Organic compounds having S-S-, -S-S-S-, or -S-S-S-S-), or metal salts thereof (-SM, -S-MS-, -S-" M is a metal atom, such as MSS-, -S-S-M-S-S-, -S-M-S-S-S-, etc.). Examples of the metal salt include monovalent metal salts such as sodium, lithium, potassium, copper (I) and silver (I), zinc, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, titanium (II) and manganese (II). Examples thereof include divalent metal salts such as iron (II), cobalt (II), nickel (II), zirconium (II) and tin (II). The (g) organic sulfur compound includes aliphatic compounds (aliphatic thiol, aliphatic thiocarboxylic acid, aliphatic dithiocarboxylic acid, aliphatic polysulfide, etc.), heterocyclic compounds, and alicyclic compounds (alicyclic thiol, alicyclic thiol, etc.). It may be any of an alicyclic thiocarboxylic acid, an alicyclic dithiocarboxylic acid, an alicyclic polysulfide, etc.) and an aromatic compound.

The (g) organic sulfur compound includes, for example, thiols (thiophenols, thionaphthols), polysulfides, thiurams, thiocarboxylic acids, dithiocarboxylic acids, sulfenamides, dithiocarbamate and thiazoles. At least one selected from the group is mentioned.

Examples of thiols include thiophenols and thionaphthols. Examples of the thiophenols include thiophenols; 4-fluorothiophenol, 2,5-difluorothiophenol, 2,6-difluorothiophenol, 2,4,5-trifluorothiophenol, 2,4,5. , 6-Tetrafluorothiophenols, pentafluorothiophenols and other fluorophenols substituted with fluorophenols; 2-chlorothiophenols, 4-chlorothiophenols, 2,4-dichlorothiophenols, 2,5-dichlorothiophenols Thiophenols substituted with chloro groups such as phenol, 2,6-dichlorothiophenol, 2,4,5-trichlorothiophenol, 2,4,5,6-tetrachlorothiophenol, pentachlorothiophenol; 4 -Bromothiophenol, 2,5-dibromothiophenol, 2,6-dibromothiophenol, 2,4,5-tribromothiophenol, 2,4,5,6-tetrabromothiophenol, pentabromothiophenol, etc. Thiophenols substituted with the bromo group of; 4-iodothiophenol, 2,5-diiodothiophenol, 2,6-diiodothiophenol, 2,4,5-triiodothiophenol, 2,4 Thiophenols substituted with iodo groups such as 5,6-tetraiodothiophenols, pentaiodothiophenols; or metal salts thereof. As the metal salt, a zinc salt is preferable.

Examples of the thionaphthols (naphthalenethiols) include 2-thionaphthol, 1-thionaphthol, 1-chloro-2-thionaphthol, 2-chloro-1-thionaphthol, 1-bromo-2-thionaphthol, and 2 -Bromo-1-thionaphthol, 1-fluoro-2-thionaphthol, 2-fluoro-1-thionaphthol, 1-cyano-2-thionaphthol, 2-cyano-1-thionaphthol, 1-acetyl-2- Thionaphthol, 2-acetyl-1-thionaphthol, or metal salts thereof can be mentioned, with 2-thionaphthol, 1-thionaphthol, or metal salts thereof being preferred. The metal salt is preferably a divalent metal salt, more preferably a zinc salt. Specific examples of the metal salt include a zinc salt of 1-thionaphthol and a zinc salt of 2-thionaphthol.

The polysulfides are organic sulfur compounds having a polysulfide bond, and examples thereof include disulfides, trisulfides, and tetrasulfides. As the polysulfides, diphenyl polysulfides are preferable.

Examples of diphenyl polysulfides include diphenyl disulfide, bis (4-fluorophenyl) disulfide, bis (2,5-difluorophenyl) disulfide, bis (2,6-difluorophenyl) disulfide, and bis (2,4,5-). Trifluorophenyl) disulfide, bis (2,4,5,6-tetrafluorophenyl) disulfide, bis (pentafluorophenyl) disulfide, bis (4-chlorophenyl) disulfide, bis (2,5-dichlorophenyl) disulfide, bis ( 2,6-dichlorophenyl) disulfide, bis (2,4,5-trichlorophenyl) disulfide, bis (2,4,5,6-tetrachlorophenyl) disulfide, bis (pentachlorophenyl) disulfide, bis (4-bromophenyl) Disulfide, bis (2,5-dibromophenyl) disulfide, bis (2,6-dibromophenyl) disulfide, bis (2,4,5-tribromophenyl) disulfide, bis (2,4,5,6-tetrabromo) Phenyl) disulfide, bis (pentabromophenyl) disulfide, bis (4-iodophenyl) disulfide, bis (2,5-diiodophenyl) disulfide, bis (2,6-diiodophenyl) disulfide, bis (2,4) , 5-Triiodophenyl) disulfides, bis (2,4,5,6-tetraiodophenyl) disulfides, bis (pentaiodophenyl) disulfides and other diphenyl disulfides substituted with halogen groups; bis (4-methylphenyl) ) Disulfide, bis (2,4,5-trimethylphenyl) disulfide, bis (pentamethylphenyl) disulfide, bis (4-t-butylphenyl) disulfide, bis (2,4,5-tri-t-butylphenyl) Examples thereof include diphenyl disulfides substituted with alkyl groups such as disulfide and bis (penta-t-butylphenyl) disulfide.

Examples of thiurams include thiuram monosulfides such as tetramethylthium monosulfide, thiuram disulfides such as tetramethylthium disulfide, tetraethyl thiuram disulfide, and tetrabutyl thiuram disulfide, and thiuram tetrasulfides such as dipentamethylene thiuram tetrasulfide. Can be mentioned. Examples of thiocarboxylic acids include naphthalene thiocarboxylic acids. Examples of dithiocarboxylic acids include naphthalene dithiocarboxylic acids. Examples of sulfenamides include N-cyclohexyl-2-benzothiazolesulfenamide, N-oxydiethylene-2-benzothiazolesulfenamide, and N-t-butyl-2-benzothiazolesulfenamide. Can be mentioned.

As the (g) organic sulfur compound, thiophenols and / or metal salts thereof, thionaphthols and / or metal salts thereof, diphenyl disulfides and thiuram disulfides are preferable, and 2,4-dichlorothiophenols are more preferable. , 2,6-difluorothiophenol, 2,6-dichlorothiophenol, 2,6-dibromothiophenol, 2,6-diiodothiophenol, 2,4,5-trichlorothiophenol, pentachlorothiophenol, 1, -Thiophenol, 2-thionaphthol, diphenyl disulfide, bis (2,6-difluorophenyl) disulfide, bis (2,6-dichlorophenyl) disulfide, bis (2,6-dibromophenyl) disulfide, bis (2,6-- Diiodophenyl) disulfide and bis (pentabromophenyl) disulfide.

The blending amount of the (g) organic sulfur compound is preferably 0.05 parts by mass or more, more preferably 0.1 parts by mass or more, still more preferably 0.2 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the (a) base material rubber. It is 5 parts by mass or more, preferably 5.0 parts by mass or less, more preferably 3.0 parts by mass or less, and further preferably 2.0 parts by mass or less. If it is less than 0.05 parts by mass, the effect of adding the (g) organic sulfur compound cannot be obtained, and the resilience of the golf ball may not be improved. On the other hand, if it exceeds 5.0 parts by mass, the amount of compression deformation of the obtained golf ball becomes large, and the resilience may decrease.

(Rubber composition)
The (b) unsaturated fatty acid and / or its metal relative to the total number of carbon-carbon double bonds of the α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid and / or its metal salt having 3 to 8 carbon atoms. The ratio of the total number of carbon-carbon double bonds in the metal salt (component (d) / component (b)) is preferably 0.01 or more, more preferably 0.02 or more, still more preferably 0.03 or more. , 0.20 or less, more preferably 0.18 or less. When the ratio (component (d) / component (b)) is 0.01 or more, an addition reaction with the component (b) is likely to occur, and the obtained spherical core has high repulsion. On the other hand, when the ratio (component (d) / component (b)) is 0.20 or less, the amount of compression deformation of the spherical core is not changed, and the durability of the golf ball can be maintained.

The rubber composition preferably has a degree of neutralization (alkaline equivalent of metal ions when the acid equivalents of the carboxy group and the carboxylate group in the rubber composition are 100 mol%) of 100 mol% or more, preferably 105 mol%. The above is more preferable, 108 mol% or more is further preferable, 110 mol% or more is particularly preferable, 300 mol% or less is preferable, 270 mol% or less is more preferable, 250 mol% or less is further preferable, and 200 mol% or less is particularly preferable. preferable. When the degree of neutralization is 100 mol% or more, the durability of the golf ball can be maintained without changing the amount of compression deformation of the core. On the other hand, when the degree of neutralization is 300 mol% or less, the obtained spherical core is not too soft and the high resilience of the golf ball is not impaired. The degree of neutralization of the spherical core is defined by the following formula.

［式中、Σ（陽イオン成分のモル数×陽イオン成分の価数）は、（ｂ）成分の各金属イオンのモル数と各金属イオンの価数との積、（ｄ）成分の各金属イオンのモル数と各金属イオンの価数との積、（ｅ）成分の各金属イオンのモル数と各金属イオンの価数との積、（ｆ）成分の各金属イオンのモル数と各金属イオンの価数との積の合計である。Σ（陰イオン成分のモル数×陰イオン成分の価数）は、（ｂ）成分のカルボキシ基およびカルボキシレート基の総モル数、（ｄ）成分のカルボキシ基およびカルボキシレート基の総モル数、（ｅ）成分のカルボキシ基およびカルボキシレート基の総モル数の合計である。］

[In the formula, Σ (the number of moles of the cation component x the valence of the cation component) is the product of the number of moles of each metal ion of the component (b) and the valence of each metal ion, and each of the components (d). The product of the number of moles of metal ions and the valence of each metal ion, the product of (e) the product of the number of moles of each metal ion of the component and the valence of each metal ion, and (f) the number of moles of each metal ion of the component. It is the sum of the products of the valences of each metal ion. Σ (number of moles of anion component x valence of anion component) is the total number of moles of carboxy group and carboxylate group of (b) component, (d) total number of moles of carboxy group and carboxylate group of component, (E) It is the total number of moles of the carboxy group and the carboxylate group of the component. ]

If necessary, the rubber composition for the core may contain additives such as pigments, fillers for weight adjustment, anti-aging agents, deliquescent agents, and softeners. Further, the rubber composition for a core may contain a core of a golf ball or a rubber powder obtained by crushing scraps generated during core production. In the case of the second aspect, these components may be blended at the time of preparing the mixture, or may be blended at the time of kneading the mixture and the component (d).

Examples of the pigment to be blended in the rubber composition include a white pigment, a blue pigment, a purple pigment and the like. It is preferable to use titanium oxide as the white pigment. The type of titanium oxide is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use the rutile type because of its good hiding property. The content of titanium oxide is preferably 0.5 parts by mass or more, more preferably 2 parts by mass or more, and more preferably 8 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of (a) base rubber. It is preferably 5 parts by mass or less.

It is also a preferred embodiment that the rubber composition contains a white pigment and a blue pigment. The blue pigment is blended to make the white color appear vivid, and examples thereof include ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, and phthalocyanine blue. Examples of the purple pigment include anthraquinone violet, dioxazine violet, and methyl violet.

The filler used in the rubber composition is mainly blended as a weight adjusting agent for adjusting the weight of a golf ball obtained as a final product, and may be blended as necessary. Examples of the filler include inorganic fillers such as zinc oxide, barium sulfate, calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide, tungsten powder, and molybdenum powder.

The content of the anti-aging agent is preferably 0.1 part by mass or more and 1 part by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of (a) base rubber. The content of the deliquescent agent is preferably 0.1 part by mass or more and 5 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of (a) base rubber.

(2) Second Step In the second step, a spherical core is formed from the rubber composition for a core. The rubber composition for a core obtained by kneading is extruded into a rod shape by an extruder and cut to a predetermined length to prepare a preformed body (also referred to as a "plug"). Further, the rubber composition for a core may be formed into a thick sheet and punched out to form a plug. The size of the plug may be appropriately changed according to the size of the compression molding die. It is preferable that the obtained plugs are immersed in an adhesive solution so as not to stick to each other, dried, and then aged for about 8 to 48 hours.

Next, the plug is put into a core molding die and press-molded. The material temperature for molding into a spherical core is preferably 120 ° C. or higher, more preferably 130 ° C. or higher, further preferably 140 ° C. or higher, preferably 170 ° C. or lower, and more preferably 160 ° C. or lower. When the material temperature at the time of molding exceeds 170 ° C., the core surface hardness tends to decrease. The molding pressure is preferably 2.9 MPa to 11.8 MPa. The molding time is preferably 10 to 60 minutes.

The diameter of the spherical core is preferably 34.8 mm or more, more preferably 36.8 mm or more, further preferably 38.8 mm or more, preferably 42.2 mm or less, more preferably 41.8 mm or less, still more preferably. It is 41.2 mm or less, most preferably 40.8 mm or less. When the diameter of the spherical core is 34.8 mm or more, the thickness of the cover does not become too thick, and the resilience becomes better. On the other hand, when the diameter of the spherical core is 42.2 mm or less, the cover does not become too thin and the function of the cover is more exhibited.

When the diameter of the spherical core is 34.8 mm to 42.2 mm, the amount of compression deformation (the amount at which the center shrinks in the compression direction) from the state where the initial load of 98 N is applied to the time when the final load of 1275 N is applied is 1.90 mm. The above is preferable, more preferably 2.00 mm or more, further preferably 2.10 mm or more, preferably 5.00 mm or less, still more preferably 4.80 mm or less, still more preferably 4.60 mm or less. When the amount of compression deformation is 1.90 mm or more, the shot feeling is better, and when it is 5.00 mm or less, the resilience is better.

(3) Third Step In the third step, at least one cover covering the spherical core is formed on the spherical core. As a method for molding the cover, for example, a method of molding a hollow shell-shaped shell from a cover composition containing a resin component, covering the core with a plurality of shells, and compression molding (preferably, a cover composition). A method of molding a hollow shell-shaped half shell from the above and covering the core with two half shells and compression molding), or a method of directly injection molding a cover composition containing a resin component onto the core. be able to.

Examples of the resin component contained in the cover composition include ionomer resin, a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer commercially available from BASF Japan Co., Ltd. under the trade name "Elastolan (registered trademark)", and a trade name from Alchema Co., Ltd. Thermoplastic polyamide elastomer marketed under "Pevax (registered trademark)", thermoplastic polyester elastomer marketed under the trade name "Hitrel (registered trademark)" from Toray DuPont Co., Ltd., product from Mitsubishi Chemical Co., Ltd. Examples thereof include thermoplastic styrene elastomers commercially available under the name “Labaron (registered trademark)”.

The ionomer resin is, for example, an olefin in which at least a part of the carboxyl groups in the binary copolymer of an olefin and an α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms is neutralized with a metal ion. At least a part of the carboxyl group of the ternary copolymer of α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester is neutralized with metal ions, or , These mixtures can be mentioned. As the olefin, an olefin having 2 to 8 carbon atoms is preferable, and examples thereof include ethylene, propylene, butene, pentene, hexene, heptene, and octene, and ethylene is particularly preferable. Examples of the α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms include acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid, crotonic acid and the like, and acrylic acid or methacrylic acid is particularly preferable. As the α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester, for example, methyl, ethyl, propyl, n-butyl, isobutyl ester such as acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid and the like are used, and in particular, acrylic acid ester. Alternatively, a methacrylic acid ester is preferable. Among these, the ionomer resin includes a metal ion neutralized product of an ethylene- (meth) acrylic acid binary copolymer and an ethylene- (meth) acrylic acid- (meth) acrylic acid ester ternary copolymer. Metal ion neutralized products are preferred.

To exemplify a specific example of the ionomer resin by trade name, "Himilan (registered trademark) (for example, Himilan 1555 (Na), 1557 (Zn)," which is commercially available from Mitsui DuPont Polychemical Co., Ltd., 1605 (Na), 1706 (Zn), 1707 (Na), AM3711 (Mg) and the like can be mentioned, and examples of the ternary copolymer ionomer resin include Hymilan 1856 (Na) and 1855 (Zn)). ..

Further, as an ionomer resin commercially available from Dupont, "Surlin (registered trademark) (for example, Sarlin 8945 (Na), 9945 (Zn), 8140 (Na), 8150 (Na), 9120 (Zn)) , 9150 (Zn), 6910 (Mg), 6120 (Mg), 7930 (Li), 7940 (Li), AD8546 (Li) and the like. Examples of the ternary copolymer ionomer resin include surrin 8120 (Na). , 8320 (Na), 9320 (Zn), 6320 (Mg), HPF1000 (Mg), HPF2000 (Mg), etc.) ”.

Examples of the ionomer resin commercially available from Exxon Mobile Chemical Co., Ltd. include "Iotech (registered trademark)" (for example, Iotech 8000 (Na), 8030 (Na), 7010 (Zn), 7030 (Zn), etc. As the ternary copolymer ionomer resin, Iotech 7510 (Zn), 7520 (Zn), etc.) ”.

In addition, Na, Zn, Li, Mg and the like described in parentheses after the trade name of the ionomer resin indicate the metal species of these neutralized metal ions. The ionomer resin may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The cover composition constituting the cover of the golf ball of the present invention preferably contains a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer or an ionomer resin as a resin component. When an ionomer resin is used, it is also preferable to use a thermoplastic styrene elastomer in combination. The content of the polyurethane or ionomer resin in the resin component of the cover composition is preferably 50% by mass or more, more preferably 60% by mass or more, still more preferably 70% by mass or more.

In addition to the above-mentioned resin components, the cover composition includes pigment components such as white pigments (for example, titanium oxide), blue pigments and red pigments, weight modifiers such as zinc oxide, calcium carbonate and barium sulfate, and dispersants. An antiaging agent, an ultraviolet absorber, a light stabilizer, a fluorescent material, a fluorescent whitening agent, or the like may be contained within a range that does not impair the performance of the cover.

The content of the white pigment (for example, titanium oxide) is preferably 0.5 parts by mass or more, more preferably 1 part by mass or more, and 10 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the resin component constituting the cover. The following is preferable, and more preferably 8 parts by mass or less. By setting the content of the white pigment to 0.5 parts by mass or more, the cover can be provided with a concealing property. Further, if the content of the white pigment exceeds 10 parts by mass, the durability of the obtained cover may decrease.

As a method for molding the cover, for example, a hollow shell-shaped shell is formed from the cover composition, the core is covered with a plurality of shells, and compression molding is performed (preferably, the hollow shell-shaped shell is formed from the cover composition). A method of molding the half shell of the above and covering the core with two half shells and compression molding), or a method of injection molding the cover composition directly onto the core.

When the cover is molded by the compression molding method, the half shell can be molded by either the compression molding method or the injection molding method, but the compression molding method is preferable. The conditions for compression molding the cover composition to form a half shell include, for example, a pressure of 1 MPa or more and 20 MPa or less, and −20 ° C. or higher and 70 ° C. or lower with respect to the flow start temperature of the cover composition. The molding temperature can be mentioned. By setting the molding conditions, a half shell having a uniform thickness can be molded. As a method of molding the cover using the half shell, for example, a method of covering the core with two half shells and compression molding can be mentioned. The conditions for compression molding the half shell to form the cover are, for example, a molding pressure of 0.5 MPa or more and 25 MPa or less, and −20 ° C. or higher and 70 ° C. or lower with respect to the flow start temperature of the cover composition. The molding temperature can be mentioned. By setting the molding conditions, a golf ball cover having a uniform cover thickness can be molded.

When the cover composition is injection-molded to form the cover, the pellet-shaped cover composition obtained by extrusion may be used for injection-molding, or for a cover such as a base resin component or a pigment. The materials may be dry blended and directly injection molded. As the upper and lower molds for cover molding, it is preferable to use a mold having a hemispherical cavity, with pimples, and a part of the pimples also serving as a hold pin that can move forward and backward. In the molding of the cover by injection molding, the cover can be molded by protruding the hold pin, inserting the core to hold the cover, injecting the composition for the cover, and cooling the cover. For example, the cover can be molded at 9 MPa to 15 MPa. The cover composition heated to 200 ° C. to 250 ° C. is injected into the mold compacted by pressure in 0.5 seconds to 5 seconds, cooled for 10 seconds to 60 seconds, and opened.

When molding a cover, dents called dimples are usually formed on the surface. The total number of dimples formed on the cover is preferably 200 or more and 500 or less. If the total number of dimples is less than 200, it is difficult to obtain the effect of dimples. Further, when the total number of dimples exceeds 500, the size of each dimple becomes small, and it is difficult to obtain the effect of dimples. The shape of the dimples to be formed (planar shape) is not particularly limited, and a circle; a polygon such as a substantially triangle, a substantially quadrangle, a substantially pentagon, and a substantially hexagon; and other indefinite shapes; are used alone. Alternatively, two or more kinds may be used in combination.

The thickness of the cover is preferably 4.0 mm or less, more preferably 3.0 mm or less, still more preferably 2.0 mm or less. When the thickness of the cover is 4.0 mm or less, the resilience and shot feeling of the obtained golf ball become better. The thickness of the cover is preferably 0.3 mm or more, more preferably 0.5 mm or more, still more preferably 0.8 mm or more, and particularly preferably 1.0 mm or more. If the thickness of the cover is less than 0.3 mm, the durability and wear resistance of the cover may decrease. In the case of a plurality of cover layers, it is preferable that the total thickness of the plurality of cover layers is in the above range.

It is preferable that the golf ball body on which the cover is formed is taken out from the mold and, if necessary, surface-treated such as deburring, cleaning, and sandblasting. Further, if desired, a coating film or a mark can be formed. The film thickness of the coating film is not particularly limited, but is preferably 5 μm or more, more preferably 7 μm or more, preferably 50 μm or less, more preferably 40 μm or less, and further preferably 30 μm or less. This is because if the film thickness is less than 5 μm, the coating film is likely to wear away due to continuous use, and if the film thickness exceeds 50 μm, the effect of dimples is reduced and the flight performance of the golf ball is deteriorated.

[Golf ball]
The structure of the golf ball produced by the production method of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it has a spherical core and one or more covers covering the spherical core. The spherical core preferably has a single-layer structure. This is because the spherical core having a single-layer structure has no energy loss at the time of impact at the interface of the multi-layer structure, and the resilience is improved. Further, the cover may have a structure of one or more layers, and may have a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure of at least two or more layers. The golf ball includes, for example, a two-piece golf ball including a spherical core and a single-layer cover arranged so as to cover the spherical core; two arranged so as to cover the spherical core and the spherical core. A multi-piece golf ball having a cover of one or more layers (including a three-piece golf ball); a spherical core, a thread rubber layer provided around the spherical core, and a cover arranged so as to cover the thread rubber layer. A thread-wound golf ball having the above can be mentioned. The present invention can be suitably used for a golf ball having any of the above structures.

The diameter of the golf ball is preferably 40 mm to 45 mm. A diameter of 42.67 mm or more is particularly preferred from the perspective of meeting the standards of the United States Golf Association (USGA). From the viewpoint of suppressing air resistance, the diameter is more preferably 44 mm or less, and particularly preferably 42.80 mm or less. The mass of the golf ball is preferably 40 g or more and 50 g or less. From the viewpoint that a large inertia can be obtained, the mass is more preferably 44 g or more, and particularly preferably 45.00 g or more. From the viewpoint that the USGA standard is satisfied, the mass is particularly preferably 45.93 g or less.

When the golf ball has a diameter of 40 mm to 45 mm, the amount of compression deformation (amount of shrinkage in the compression direction) when the final load of 1275 N is applied from the state where the initial load of 98 N is applied is preferably 2.0 mm or more. It is more preferably 2.2 mm or more, further preferably 2.4 mm or more, preferably 4.0 mm or less, more preferably 3.5 mm or less, still more preferably 3.4 mm or less. A golf ball having a compression deformation amount of 2.0 mm or more does not become too hard and has a good shot feeling. On the other hand, when the amount of compression deformation is 4.0 mm or less, the resilience is increased.

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway sectional view showing a golf ball 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The golf ball 1 has a spherical core 2 and a cover 3 that covers the spherical core 2. A large number of dimples 31 are formed on the surface of this cover. The portion of the surface of the golf ball 3 other than the dimples 31 is the land 32. The golf ball 1 has a paint layer and a mark layer on the outside of the cover 3, but the illustration of these layers is omitted.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following Examples, and changes and embodiments within the scope of the present invention are all described in the present invention. Included within range.

[Evaluation method]
(1) Core hardness (shore C hardness)
The hardness measured on the surface of the core was defined as the core surface hardness. Further, the core was cut into a hemisphere, and the hardness measured at the center of the cut surface was defined as the core center hardness. The hardness was measured using an automatic hardness tester (Digitest II, manufactured by H. Burleys). As the detector, "Shore C" was used.

(2) Compressive deformation amount (mm)
The amount of deformation in the compression direction (the amount of shrinkage of the core or golf ball in the compression direction) from the state in which the initial load of 98N was applied to the core or golf ball to the time when the final load of 1275N was applied was measured.

(3) Coefficient of restitution A 198.4 g metal cylinder is made to collide with a core or a golf ball at a speed of 40 m / sec, and the speeds of the cylinder and the core or the golf ball before and after the collision are measured, and the respective speeds and masses are measured. The coefficient of restitution of the core or golf ball was calculated from. Twelve measurements were made for each core or golf ball, and the average value was taken as the coefficient of restitution of each golf ball. In Tables 3 and 4, the coefficient of restitution is the golf ball No. The difference from the coefficient of restitution of 13 was shown.

(4) Driver flight distance A metal head W # 1 driver (Dunrop Sports, XXIO S loft 11 °) is attached to a swing robot M / C manufactured by Golf Laboratory, and a golf ball is hit at a head speed of 40 m / sec. Then, the flight distance (distance from the starting point of launch to the stationary point) was measured. The measurement was performed 12 times for each golf ball, and the average value was used as the measured value of the golf ball. The flight distance of each golf ball is the golf ball No. It is shown by the difference from the flight distance of 13 (difference in flight distance = flight distance of each golf ball-flying distance of golf ball golf ball No. 13).

(5) Kneading workability The kneading workability was judged based on the following criteria (visual inspection).
◯: Adhesion to the kneader is equivalent to that of the normal blending (manufacturing method No. 13).
Δ: Adhesion to the kneader is slightly higher than that in the normal blending (manufacturing method No. 13).
X: Adhesion to the kneader is clearly higher than that in the normal blending (manufacturing method No. 13).

[Making golf balls]
(1) Preparation and Manufacturing Method No. of Rubber Composition for Core 1-12
The compounding materials shown in Table 1 were kneaded using a kneader to prepare a mixture. Subsequently, the obtained mixture and the component (d) were kneaded using a kneading roll so as to have the composition shown in Table 1 to prepare a rubber composition for a core.

Manufacturing method No. In 1 to 5, adhesion of the compound to the kneading device was suppressed in both the preparation of the mixture and the preparation of the rubber composition for the core. Manufacturing method No. In 6 to 12, in the preparation of the mixture, the adhesion of the mixture to the kneading device was suppressed. However, in the preparation of the rubber composition for the core, the amount of the compound adhered to the kneading device was large. It is considered that this is due to the by-product of the component (b) and the component (d) at the time of preparing the rubber composition for the core.

Manufacturing method No. 13-19
The compounding materials shown in Table 2 were kneaded using a kneader to prepare a rubber composition for a core. Manufacturing method No. In 14 to 19, the amount of the compound adhered to the kneading device was large in the preparation of the rubber composition for the core. It is considered that this is due to the by-product of the component (b) and the component (d) at the time of preparing the rubber composition for the core. Manufacturing method No. Since No. 13 did not contain the component (d), no adhesion of the compound to the mixing device was observed.

The materials used in Tables 1 and 2 are as follows.
Polybutadiene rubber: JSR Corporation, BR730 (High cis polybutadiene rubber (cis-1,4-bond content = 95% by mass, 1,2-vinyl bond content = 1.3% by mass, Mooney viscosity (ML _{1 + 4)} (100 ° C.)) = 55, molecular weight distribution (Mw / Mn) = 3))
ZN-DA90S: Zinc acrylate (containing 10% by mass of zinc stearate) manufactured by Nikko Techno Fine Chemical Co., Ltd.
Zinc oxide: "Ginmine R" manufactured by Toho Zinc Co., Ltd.
PBDS: Kawaguchi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Bis (pentabromophenyl) disulfide DCP: Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Dicumyl peroxide Barium sulfate: Sakai Chemical Co., Ltd., "Barium sulfate BD"
Oleic acid: Made by Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

(2) Preparation of Spherical Core The obtained rubber composition for a core was extruded with an extruder to prepare a plug. This plug was put into an upper and lower die having a hemispherical cavity and heated and pressed at 150 ° C. for 20 minutes to obtain a spherical core. The amount of compressive deformation, the coefficient of restitution, and the hardness of the obtained spherical core were measured, and the results are shown in Tables 3 and 4.

(3) Molding of Cover Using the compounding materials shown in Table 5, mixing was performed with a twin-screw kneading extruder to obtain a pellet-shaped cover composition. The extrusion conditions were a screw diameter of 45 mm, a screw rotation speed of 200 rpm, and a screw L / D = 35, and the formulation was heated to 160 ° C. to 230 ° C. at the position of the die of the extruder.

ハイミラン１６０５：三井・デュポン・ポリケミカル社製、ナトリウムイオン中和エチレン−メタクリル酸共重合体系アイオノマー樹脂
ハイミラン１７０６：三井・デュポン・ポリケミカル社製、亜鉛イオン中和エチレン−メタクリル酸共重合体系アイオノマー樹脂
酸化チタン：石原産業社製、Ａ２２０

Hymilan 1605: Mitsui-Dupont Polychemical, Sodium Ion Neutralized Ethylene-Methacrylic Acid Copolymerization System Ionomer Resin Hymilan 1706: Mitsui-Dupont Polychemical Co., Ltd., Zinc Ion Neutralized Ethylene-Methacrylic Acid Copolymerization System Ionomer Resin Titanium oxide: manufactured by Ishihara Sangyo Co., Ltd., A220

The cover composition obtained above was injection-molded onto the spherical core obtained as described above to form a cover covering the spherical core. The upper and lower molding dies for molding the cover have a hemispherical cavity, have pimples, and also serve as a hold pin on which a part of the pimples can move forward and backward. At the time of cover molding, the hold pin is projected, the core is put in and then held, and the resin heated to 210 ° C. to 260 ° C. is injected into the mold compacted with a pressure of 80 tons in 0.3 seconds and cooled for 30 seconds. The mold was opened and the golf ball was taken out.

The surface of the obtained golf ball body is sandblasted and marked, then clear paint is applied, and the paint is dried in an oven at 40 ° C. to obtain a golf ball having a diameter of 42.8 mm and a mass of 45.4 g. It was. The evaluation results of the obtained golf balls are shown in Tables 3 and 4.

Manufacturing method No. 1 to 5 are cases where (d) the kneading temperature after adding the unsaturated fatty acid and / or the metal salt thereof is 10 ° C. or higher and lower than 50 ° C. when preparing the rubber composition for the core. Golf ball No. obtained by these manufacturing methods. 1 to 5 are excellent in resilience performance.

Manufacturing method No. 6 to 12 and 14 to 19 are cases where (d) the kneading temperature after adding the unsaturated fatty acid and / or the metal salt thereof is 50 ° C. or higher when preparing the rubber composition for the core. Golf ball No. obtained by these manufacturing methods. 6 to 12 and 14 to 19 are golf ball Nos. 6 to 12 and 14 to 19 which do not contain the component (d). Repulsion performance is inferior to 13. It is considered that this is because a by-product of the component (b) and the component (d) is likely to be formed during the preparation of the rubber composition for the core, and the compounding material cannot be uniformly kneaded by this by-product. ..

1: Golf ball 2: Spherical core 3: Cover, 31: Dimple, 32: Land

Claims (12)

(A) Base rubber, (b) α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms as a co-crosslinking agent and / or a metal salt thereof, (c) Cross-linking initiator, (d) Unsaturated fatty acid And / or the first step of kneading the metal salt thereof ((b) excluding α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and the metal salt thereof) to prepare a rubber composition for a core.
The second step of forming a spherical core from the rubber composition for a core, and
It has a third step of forming at least one layer of a cover covering the spherical core on the spherical core.
In the first step, (a) a base rubber, (b) an α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms as a co-crosslinking agent and / or a metal salt thereof, and (c) initiation of cross-linking. After kneading the agent at a kneading temperature of 95 ° C. or higher and 125 ° C. or lower to prepare a mixture,
The kneading temperature after kneading the mixture with (d) an unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof to prepare a rubber composition for a core and adding (d) an unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof is determined. A method for producing a golf ball, which comprises 10 ° C. or higher and lower than 50 ° C. The method for producing a golf ball according to claim 1, wherein in the first step, (d) the kneading temperature after adding the unsaturated fatty acid and / or the metal salt thereof is 10 ° C. or higher and 47 ° C. or lower. The golf according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the number of carbon-carbon double bonds per unit mass of the (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof is 1.00 mmol / g to 10.00 mmol / g. How to make balls. In the rubber composition, the (b) non-compliance with respect to the total number of carbon-carbon double bonds of the α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acid and / or a metal salt thereof having 3 to 8 carbon atoms. Any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ratio of the total number of carbon-carbon double bonds ((d) / (b)) of the saturated fatty acid and / or its metal salt is 0.01 to 0.20. The method for manufacturing a golf ball according to. The (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof is an unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof having a carbon-carbon double bond at the end of a hydrocarbon chain, and / or a carbon-carbon in a cis-type arrangement. The method for producing a golf ball according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is an unsaturated fatty acid having at least one double bond and / or a metal salt thereof. The production of a golf ball according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or the metal salt thereof is an unsaturated fatty acid having 4 to 33 carbon atoms and / or a metal salt thereof. Method. Any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof is an unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof having one or two carbon-carbon double bonds. The method for manufacturing a golf ball according to the section. The method for producing a golf ball according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or the metal salt thereof is a linear unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof. Claim 1 in which the blending amount of the (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or the metal salt thereof in the rubber composition is 1 part by mass to 35 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the (a) base material rubber. The method for manufacturing a golf ball according to any one of 8 to 8. The method for producing a golf ball according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or the metal salt thereof has a melting point of less than 50 ° C. The method for producing a golf ball according to claim 10, wherein the (d) unsaturated fatty acid and / or the metal salt thereof is in a liquid state at the kneading temperature when preparing the mixture. The method for producing a golf ball according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein (d) an unsaturated fatty acid and / or a metal salt thereof is not added when preparing the mixture.

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