The Direct Fluorination of Polymers and the Synthesis of Poly(carbon monofluoride) in Fluorine Plasma

Abstract

The reactions of elemental fluorine with finely powdered hydrocarbon polymers and paraffins have been carefully controlled so that the products of the reactions are perfluorocarbon polymers. Potentially, this direct fluorination process is a new approach to the synthesis of fluorocarbon polymers. Polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyacrylonitrile, Polyacrylamide, “resol” phenol formaldehyde resin, and ethylene propylene copolymer have been fluorinated to produce perfluorocarbon polymers which are structurally similar to the hydrocarbon starting materials and have physical properties similar to known structurally related fluorocarbon polymers obtained by polymerization of fluorocarbon monomers.

Recently, there has been a large amount of interest, both academic and industrial in poly(carbon monofluoride) (CF_x)_η . This interest has been due primarily to the development of some new synthetic techniques at Rice University and to some degree to a process developed in Japan for preparing a similar fluorînated carbon material of lower molecular weight from activated charcoals and carbon black . The material, obtained from fluorination of graphite is the most thermally stable polymeric fluorocarbon material known. It is indefinitely stable to 600° and stable for short periods of time to 800° . A new fluidized bed plasma synthesis for poly (carbon monof1uoride) is reported.