MELT CONDENSATION AND SOLUTION POLYMERIZATION OF HIGHLY FLUORINATED ALIPHATIC POLYESTERS

Highly fluorinated aliphatic polyesters were synthesized from a fluorodiol [HOCH2CH2(CF2)(8)CH2CH2OH] and both sebacoyl chloride and adipoyl chloride. Melt condensation polymerization followed by fractionation resulted in polymer samples with number average molecular weights in excess of 10 000. The use of solution polymerization yielded inferior results - with sebacoyl chloride the resultant polymers were of lower molecular weight, and with adipoyl chloride no polymer was formed. The fluoropolyesters have been characterized by H-1 NMR and FT-IR spectroscopies, solubility, water contact angle, DSC and TGA. Crosslinking via peroxide of the polyester derived from sebacoyl chloride was successful; however, the resultant elastomeric-type material possessed residual crystallinity (from the parent polymer) and a low melting point.