The use of crosslinking promoters in the γ-radiolysis of poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-perfluoromethylvinyl ether). II.

✍ Scribed by J. S. Forsythe; D. J. T. Hill; A. L. Logothetis; P. J. Pomery; A. K. Whittaker

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 165 KB
• Volume: 75
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-8995
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4628(20000321)75:12<1447::aid-app2>3.0.co;2-4

✦ Synopsis

Incorporation of 0.5 mol % of nitrile and bromine functionalities was found to enhance the radiation crosslinking of the copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene-co-perfluoro(methylvinyl ether) (TFE/PMVE) by a factor of 2 for ␥-irradiations carried out at room temperature to doses in the range 0 -50 kGy. The functional groups, nitrile, perfluorophenyl, and hydrogen were found to greatly enhance crosslinking well below the glass transition temperature of TFE/PMVE (276 K). Increased amounts of gel formation as well as improved tensile properties were obtained for irradiations carried out below the T g of the polymers containing functionalized monomers. These functional groups appear to be acting as catalysts for the radiation crosslinking of TFE/PMVE but they do not get incorporated into the crosslink.