Hyflon amorphous fluoropolymer

Perfluorinated dioxole monomers have been used to prepare a series of amorphous fluoropolymers such as Teflon AF and Hyflon AD. A third amorphous fluoropo-lymer, Cytop contains perfluorotetrahydrofuran and perfluorotetrahydropyran rings, but is prepared in a cyclopolymerization process from an acyclic monomer. These amorphous fluoropolymers retain the outstanding chemical, thermal, and surface properties associated with perfluorinated polymers while also having unique electrical, optical, and solubility characteristics. 

The other commercial dioxole monomer is 4-trifluoromethoxy-2,2,5-trifluoro-l, 3-dioxole, (TDD, XXI). Copolymers of TDD and tetrafluoroethylene are produced and sold by Solvay-Solexis as Hyflon AD amorphous fluoropolymer (XXII).Monomer XXII (TDD) has been synthesized by two related routes via perfluorohypofluorite intermediates (Eq 13.20). In the first route, trifluoromethylhypofluorite formed from either COF2 or CO and fluorine is added... 

Hyflon AD amorphous fluoropolymer is used in optical devices, pellicles in semiconductor manufacture, as a dielectric and as a separation membrane. Small amounts of TDD have been used as a modifier in ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene polymers to increase stress crack resistance. Minute amounts of TDD are used also as a modifier in polytetrafluoroethylene to improve elastic modulus, reduce creep and permeability and increase transparency. It has been suggested that the much higher reactivity of TDD and other fluorinated dioxoles relative to other modifiers gives a more uniform distribution of the modifier in the polymer chain that results in a greater increase in the desired properties at lower concentration of modifier in the polymer. 

All three commercial amorphous fluoropolymers. Teflon AF, Hyflon AD, and Cytop posses a unique set of properties. All dissolve in fluorinated solvents and thus may be spin coated to produce thin hlms and coatings. The polymers may also be extruded and molded using traditional polymer processing techniques. Note that the polymers are not soluble in hydrocarbon solvents or water and retain the chemical and thermal stability of perfluorinated polymers such as Teflon . These polymers have lower density than the well-known semicrystalline perfluorinated polymers such as pTFE that results in lower refractive index, lower thermal conductivity, higher gas permeability, and lower dielectric constant. The polymers are transparent and have excellent mechanical properties below their Tg due to their amorphous character. The presence of a heterocyclic ring in the polymer backbone of these materials is key... 

Hyflon AD is an amorphous perfluorinated copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and 2,2,4-trifluoro-5-trifluoromethoxy-l,3-dioxole (TTD). Compared to the situation in the Teflon AF series, the reduced intermolecular distance due to the structural change result in moderate fractional free volume of 23%. Thus, the gas permeabilities are lower than those of Teflon AF membranes, allowing the increase of permselectivities. While this fluoropolymer has the advantage of solubility in fluorinated liquid, such as Galden FIT 55 and HFE 7100, the permeation properties are affected by the kind of residual solvents as well. 

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