Fluoropolymer Based On Trifluoroethyl Methacrylate (TFEMA): Synthesis, Characterization And Properties

Poly trifluoroethyl methacrylate have excellent water and oil repellency, chemicalresistance, resistance to ultraviolet radiation, etc., but its higher glass transitiontemperature （72.5℃） and the brittle of polymer film was unsuitable for aqueous paintfilm formation at room temperature. Random copolymers of the different componentsproportion of poly-trifluoroethyl methacrylate（TFEMA）/methyl acrylate（MA） weresynthetized with tetrahydrofuran （THF） as the solvent, azo-bis-isobutyronitrile（AIBN） as initiator. The conversion was close to or higher than90%. The proportion ofthe two components in the copolymer was consistent with the ratio of two monomerfeed. The characterization by infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance（NMR） spectra of the polymer structure proved to be successful in synthesizing a poly-trifluoroethyl acrylate/methyl acrylate random copolymer. The results showed that thecopolymer glass temperature （TFEMA/MA feed mass ratio was4/6） dropped to29.2℃,that was suitable for film formation at room temperature, and then the water contactangle of the hydrophobic polymer film was91.9°.The copolymer of TFEMA/MA feed mass ratio4/6met both the suitability of thefilm formation temperature, but also ensureed the low surface energy of film. Theresults show that adding a certain amount of non-fluorinated hydrophobic monomer ofthe polymer has little effect to surface energy of polymer film. we used actually polyrate theory to calculate the distribution of the two components of the polymer in thepolymer chain. When TFEMA/MA=4/6（mass ratio; M₁=TFEMA, M₂=MA）, theprobability （M₁）1segment was51.2%, and the probability （M₁）₂segment was24.9%,the polymer was copolymes, rather than a mixture of two kinds of homopolymer. Thewater contact angle Polymer film wass91.9°, because of the migration of-CH₂CF₃into the air.Due to environmental effects, emulsion according to the above the results ofTFEMA and the best ratio of MA were successfully synthesized. Emulsion conversionwas above90%, and latex particle size was controllable and distribution was narrow.The studies showed that tthe particle size of the latex particles ranged from59¹00nm when the SDS range from2.0wt%to0.5wt%, while the particle size distribution（PDI） little change; the latex particle size increases slightly when the initiator increased;feeding molar ratio of the monomers was almost no effect on the size of the latexparticles. Trifluoroethyl methacrylate/methyl acrylate in a mass ratio of4/6, theemulsion apearanced translucent blue, standing stability, dilution stability, good heat/cold stability. The formed film surface was smooth, no cracks at room temperature（25℃）.Living polymerization of synthetic polymers with controlled structure, narrowdistribution had higher application and research value. Poly trifluoroethyl methacrylateand methyl acrylate were successfully synthesized with emulsion electronic activationregeneration atom transfer radical polymerization （AGET ATRP）. The conversion wasmore than90%, latex particle size was controllable and distribution was narrow. Blockcopolymer latex particles had two core-shell latex particle size of210nm. The polymermolecular weight distribution was narrow, and molecular size met the design molecularweight. IR and NMR characterization of the structure of the block copolymer proved tobe successful synthesis of block copolymers. The contact angle of the polymer film wasstill more than90°with adding two-fold molar amount of the non-fluorine-containingmonomer, because of the-CF₃is more easily migrate to the surface of the polymer film.