Appeal 2007-1067
Application 10/108,793
Appellant’s invention is directed to a thermoplastic composition
including ethylene acid copolymers (ionomer) that is said to have a balance
of high softness (low compression) and high resilience (high restitution
coefficient). Also, a golf ball, or various parts thereof (covers, cores,
centers, mantles, intermediate layers), that include the allegedly inventive
copolymer composition are included in the claimed subject matter. The
copolymers are at least partially neutralized, and are made from ethylene and
two co-monomers. One co-monomer is an alpha, beta ethylenically
unsaturated carboxylic acid including 3 to 8 carbon atoms. The other is a
softening co-monomer that allegedly disrupts the polymer crystallinity, such
as alkyl acrylate or alkyl methacrylate wherein the alkyl groups have 1-8
carbon atoms. Claim 1 is illustrative and reproduced below:
1. A thermoplastic composition comprising E/X/Y copolymers where E is
ethylene, X is a C3 to C8 α,β ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, and Y
is a softening comonomer selected from alkyl acrylate and alkyl
methacrylate wherein the alkyl groups have from 1-8 carbon atoms, wherein
a. the E/X/Y copolymer prior to neutralization has a melt index measured in
accord with ASTM D-1238, condition E, at 190 °C using a 2160 gram
weight of at least 75 gram per ten minutes,
b. X is about 2-30 wt.% of the E/X/Y copolymer and Y being about 17-40
wt.% of the E/X/Y copolymer, and
c. at least 55% of X is neutralized by one or more alkali metal, transition
metal, or alkaline earth metal cations;
said neat E/X/Y copolymer, after neutralization, having an Atti compression
and a coefficient of restitution (COR) measured at 125 ft/sec, wherein the
2
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