Radiation-Initiated Synthesis of Tetrafluoroethylene Telomers with Terminal Hydroxy Groups and Controllable Chain Length

Abstract

Radiation-induced telomerization of tetrafluoroethylene in mixtures of trifluoroethanol and Freon 113 with ethanol at room temperature was studied. Tetrafluoroethylene telomers with different mean chain length and terminal hydroxy groups were obtained. The properties of the telomers were studied by thermal gravimetric analysis, elemental analysis, and IR spectroscopy. The reactive hydroxy groups in the telomers improve the properties of hydrophobic coatings and composites prepared from them owing to enhanced adhesion of the telomeric coating to the support and to formation of chemical bonds with the matrix of fluorine-containing composite materials, in particular, of those based on epoxy resins.