Partially fluorinated property control

In 1954 the surface fluorination of polyethylene sheets by using a soHd CO2 cooled heat sink was patented (44). Later patents covered the fluorination of PVC (45) and polyethylene bottles (46). Studies of surface fluorination of polymer films have been reported (47). The fluorination of polyethylene powder was described (48) as a fiery intense reaction, which was finally controlled by dilution with an inert gas at reduced pressures. Direct fluorination of polymers was achieved in 1970 (8,49). More recently, surface fluorinations of poly(vinyl fluoride), polycarbonates, polystyrene, and poly(methyl methacrylate), and the surface fluorination of containers have been described (50,51). Partially fluorinated poly(ethylene terephthalate) and polyamides such as nylon have excellent soil release properties as well as high wettabiUty (52,53). The most advanced direct fluorination technology in the area of single-compound synthesis and synthesis of high performance fluids is currently practiced by 3M Co. of St. Paul, Minnesota, and by Exfluor Research Corp. of Austin, Texas. 

These characteristics show that perfluorinated polyimides are promising materials for waveguides in integrated optics and optical interconnect technology. The thermal, mechanical, and optical properties of perfluorinated polyimides can be controlled by copolymerization in the same manner as partially fluorinated polyimides. ... 

Nowadays, partially or fuUy fluorinated surfactants are available with a variety of chemical structure and chain lengths. Therefore hydrophilic-lipophilic properties can be controlled and these new surfactant molecules may provide a rich phase behavior, which could be used to obtain well-organized mesoporous materials. 

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