Polymer fluorinated polycarbonates

Fig. 2.21 Effect of char yield of polymers on oxygen index The straight line represents the calculated oxygen indices while the points are actual measured values. Notations at the measured points 12,13,22 polyethersulphone 11,20,24 polyphenylene-sulphide 15 polyarylsulphone 18 ABS 17, 25 chlorinated PVC 14, 19 polycarbonate 30, 31 phenolphthalein/polycarbonate copolymer 23 fluorinated polycarbonate/poly(dimethyl siloxane) copolymer 32 poly(vinyl fluoride) 58 poly(vinylidene fluoride) Reprinted from Ref. 40 by permission of Marcel Dekker, Inc. Copyright Marcel Dekker, Inc.,...

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. 

In the first stage in order to test the process of various types of polymer films were surface-fluorinated. From 1990 to 1994 it was shown that XeF2 could be used effectively for surface fluorination of a variety of plastics. Polyethylene film and plates,18 aromatic polysulfone,19 polyvinyltrimethylsilane,20 and polycarbonate,21 among other polymeric materials, were fluorinated successfully. 

Much attention has been paid to the synthesis of fluorine-containing condensation polymers because of their unique properties (43) and different classes of polymers including polyethers, polyesters, polycarbonates, polyamides, polyurethanes, polyimides, polybenzimidazoles, and epoxy prepolymers containing pendent or backbone-incorporated bis-trifluoromethyl groups have been developed. These polymers exhibit promise as film formers, gas separation membranes, seals, soluble polymers, coatings, adhesives, and in other high temperature applications (103,104). Such polymers show increased solubility, glass-transition temperature, flame resistance, thermal stability, oxidation and environmental stability, decreased color, crystallinity, dielectric constant, and water absorption. 

REDOR was also applied to examine the structure and dynamics of interfaces of heterogeneous polymer blends. A heterogeneous blend was prepared from [carbonyl- C]polycarbonate and poly(p-fluorostyren-co-styrene) copolymer of p-fluorostylene. The blend was formed by coprecipitation from chloroform into methanol. A fluorine dephased REDOR signal indicates that the 1 polycarbonate chain in 20 exists at the interface, suggesting that the polycarbonate phase is embedded in a continuous polystyrene matrix which is 200 A thick or 400 A in diameter [54],... 

A variety of polymers are used in engineering and medical applications which have relatively little impact on the environment. These are mainly high performance and relatively expensive polymers such as the silicones in rubbers, the specialised polyamides referred to above in gear wheels, polycarbonates (in office equipment), chlorinated and sulfonated rubbers, fluorinated polymers such as poly tetrafluoroethylene) Teflon ) in metal coating and the polyimides which, owing to their ladder structure, are extremely stable in high temperature apphcations. Since these polymers are high-cost durable materials, they rarely appear in the waste stream. 

Polymeric optical fibers have been prepared from various amorphous polymers such as polycarbonate, poly(methyl methacrylate), polystyrene and diglycol diallylcarbonate resin [339,340]. In these cases, the light attenuation of the respective optical fibers is due to absorption by the higher harmonics of C—H vibrations. The substitution of hydrogen by deuterium, fluorine or chlorine results in a shift to higher wavelengths of the absorption due to overtone vibrations, and reduces the attenuation at key communication wavelengths (as shown in Table 3.37). 

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