RADIATION DEGRADATION OF FLUOROPOLYMERS - CARBOXYLATED FLUOROPOLYMERSFROM RADIATION DEGRADATION IN PRESENCE OF AIR

Irradiation of PTFE by accelerated electrons in the presence of air gi ves rise to a carboxylated structures at doses above 50 kGy. The surfa ce of the irradiated suspension polymerizate TF 1750 is more carboxyla ted than is the bulk. The influence of oxygen content and radicals is much higher than it is with the emulsion polymerizate TF 2025. The mel ting point of irradiated PTFE increases at low doses. Electron-beam ir radiation of the fluorinated copolymers perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) and tetr afluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene (FEP) leads to loss of fluorine. I n all cases, the oxygen uptake was higher near the surface than in the bulk. PFA was better carboxylated than was FEP. The fact that cross-l inking was not found to a measurable extent up to 800 kGy suggested th at double-bound formation was important. The main effects of electron- beam irradiation are chain scission, oxidation, and unsaturation depen ding on dose rate, oxygen content, and particle size.