SURFACE-TENSION OF POLYTRIFLUOROPROPYLMETHYLSILOXANE

Surface tension studies of the most common fluorosilicone, poly(3,3,3-trifluoropropylmethylsiloxane) (PTFPMS), give unexpected results. Compared to polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) the liquid surface tension is higher, the critical surface tension of wetting similar, and the solid surface tension, determined by water and methylene iodide contact angles and the method of D. K. Owens and R. C. Wendt, considerably lower. As the outermost surface of the lowest energy materials are comprised of close-packed perfluoromethyl groups and as a flexible polymer backbone should aid in the adoption of the lowest surface energy configuration, fluorosilicones could in principle be the lowest surface energy polymers.