Golf ball formed from a poly-(dimethyl siloxane) ionomer

1. A golf ball comprising a core and at least one outer layer, wherein the outer layer is formed from a composition comprising a poly(dimethyl siloxane) ionomer consisting of repeating siloxane units, wherein the poly(dimethy siloxane) ionomer is made by the steps of:

polycondensating hydroxyl terminated poly(dimethyl siloxane) chains with a dicholoro silane compound containing a tert-butyl group;

cleaving of a tert-butyl group using triflic acid catalyst; and

neutralizing the acid moiety in the polymer either partially or fully with a suitable metal salt selected from the group consisting of lithium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, zinc acetate or magnesium oxide and molding into the outer layer of a golf ball.

2. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer has an acid content from 5 to 50 weight percent.

3. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein the triflic acid catalyst content is from 2 to 3 micro-liter per 10 grams of the polymer.

4. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein flow modifiers are incorporated into the polymer composition and the composition has a neutralization level of 70 to 100 percent.

5. The golf ball according to claim 4 , wherein the flow modifier is a salt of a fatty acid selected from a group consisting of butyric acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, margaric acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, behenic acid, lignoceric acid, palmitoleic acid, petroselinic acid, oleic acid, elaidic acid, cis-vaccenic acid, trans-vaccenic acid, gadoleic acid, gondoic acid, erucic acid, nervonic acid, linoleic acid, .gamma.-linolenic acid, .alpha.-linolenic acid, stearidonic acid, dihomo-.gamma.-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, timnodonic acid, clupandonic acid, dimers, trimers and mixtures thereof.

6. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein the neutralizing of the acid in the polymer with an inorganic metal cation selected from a group consisting of barium, lithium, sodium, zinc, bismuth, chromium, cobalt, copper, potassium, strontium, titanium, tungsten, magnesium, cesium, iron, nickel, silver, aluminum, tin, calcium, manganese and mixtures thereof.

7. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one outer layer comprises an outer core layer and a cover.

8. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one outer layer comprises an outer core layer, an intermediate layer and a cover.

9. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one outer layer comprises an outer core layer, an intermediate layer, an inner cover layer, and a cover.

10. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one outer layer comprises an inner cover layer and a cover.

11. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the core has an outer diameter of at least about 1.51 inches.

12. The golf ball of claim 11 , wherein the core has an outer diameter of between about 1.57 inches and about 1.62 inches.

13. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the at least one outer layer that is formed from poly(dimethy siloxane) ionomer has a hardness between 30 to 70 Shore D.

14. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the at least one outer layer that is formed from poly(dimethy siloxane) ionomer has a flexural modulus between 10 to 80 kpsi.