CROSS-LINKING AND THERMAL-DESTRUCTION PROCESSES IN THIN-FILMS FORMED FROM DILUTE-SOLUTIONS OF A COPOLYMER OF TRIFLUOROCHLOROETHYLENE AND VINYLIDENE FLUORIDE

Thermal desorption mass spectrometry has been used to investigate the mechanisms for thermal destruction of films prepared from dilute solut ions of a copolymer of trifluorochloroethylene and vinylidene fluoride . It is shown that compared with films obtained from concentrated solu tions, the ratio of the intensities of the low- and high-temperature s tages of HCl and HF release changes substantially in this case. It is concluded that the low-temperature stage of hydrogen halide release is attributable to cross-linking processes rather than to intramolecular reactions caused by the formation of double bonds in the chain. (C) 1 998 American Institute of Physics. [S1063-7850(98)00203-1]