Expandable Functional TFE Copolymer Fine Powder, the Expandable Functional Products Obtained Therefrom and Reaction of the Expanded Products
First Claim
1. A functional TFE copolymer fine powder resin comprisinga TFE copolymer comprising a polymer chain of TFE and at least one comonomer having a functional group pendant to the polymer chain,wherein the functional TFE copolymer fine powder resin is paste extrudable and expandable into a porous functional TFE copolymeric material having a microstructure characterized by nodes interconnected by fibrils.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A functional TFE copolymer fine powder is described, wherein the TFE copolymer is a polymer of TFE and at least one functional comonomer, and wherein the TFE copolymer has functional groups that are pendant to the polymer chain. The functional TFE copolymer fine powder resin is paste extrudable and expandable. Methods for making the functional TFE copolymer are also described. The expanded functional TFE copolymer material may be post-reacted after expansion.
-
Citations
82 Claims
-
1. A functional TFE copolymer fine powder resin comprising
a TFE copolymer comprising a polymer chain of TFE and at least one comonomer having a functional group pendant to the polymer chain, wherein the functional TFE copolymer fine powder resin is paste extrudable and expandable into a porous functional TFE copolymeric material having a microstructure characterized by nodes interconnected by fibrils.
-
15. A functional TFE copolymer dispersion comprising
a fluorosurfactant, water, and polymerized particles of a functional TFE copolymer having a polymer chain of TFE and at least one comonomer having a functional group that is pendant to the polymer chain, wherein the dispersion can be processed to form a fine powder resin that is paste extrudable and expandable into a porous polymeric material having a microstructure characterized by nodes interconnected by fibrils.
-
16. A process for making an expandable functional TFE copolymer fine powder comprising:
-
a) emulsifying at least one comonomer having a functional group to form an emulsion comprising the functional comonomer, water and a fluorosurfactant; b) providing at least a portion of the emulsion to the polymerization vessel; c) providing TFE to the polymerization vessel; and d) polymerizing TFE and the at least one functional comonomer in an aqueous dispersion polymerization process e) essentially completely consuming in the polymerization the at least one or removing the at least one comonomer from the polymerization vessel prior to completion of the polymerization; f) continuing the polymerization of the TFE after essentially completely consuming or removing the at least one functional comonomer to form functional TFE copolymer; and g) collecting a dispersion of particles of a functional TFE copolymer having pendant functional groups that can be formed into a fine powder resin that is paste extrudable and expandable into a microstructure having nodes interconnected to fibrils. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
- 23. An expanded polymeric material comprising a functional TFE copolymer material having a microstructure characterized by nodes interconnected by fibrils wherein the TFE copolymer comprises a polymer chain of TFE and at least one comonomer having a functional group that is pendant to the polymer chain.
-
39. A process for making an expanded functional TFE copolymer material comprising:
-
a) emulsifying at least one functional comonomer having a functional group to form a functional comonomer emulsion comprising water, and a fluorosurfactant; b) providing at least a portion of the functional comonomer emulsion to the polymerization vessel; c) providing TFE to a polymerization vessel; d) polymerizing TFE and the at least one functional comonomer in an aqueous dispersion polymerization process; e) essentially completely consuming in the polymerization or removing the at least one functional comonomer prior to completion of the polymerization; f) continuing polymerization of the TFE after essentially completely consuming the at least one functional comonomer and collecting a dispersion of particles of a functional TFE copolymer having pendant functional groups, g) coagulating the dispersion of particles or fine powder of the functional TFE copolymer; h) washing and drying the coagulated particles or fine powder of the functional TFE copolymer; and i) processing by paste extrusion and expanding into a porous polymeric material having a microstructure of nodes interconnected to fibrils. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 53)
-
-
43. A process comprising
a) polymerizing TFE and at least one comonomer comprising a functional group to form a functional TFE copolymer having a multiplicity of functional groups that are pendant to the polymer chain; -
b) expanding the functional TFE copolymer to form an expanded TFE copolymeric material having functional groups and a microstructure characterized by nodes interconnected by fibrils; and c) reacting the functional groups after the step of expanding the functional TFE copolymer to change a chemical or physical property of the expanded functional TFE copolymer material. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
-
-
77. A process comprising
a) providing an expanded polymeric material having a microstructure characterized by nodes interconnected by fibrils wherein the polymer is a functional TFE copolymer of TFE and at least one fluorinated comonomer comprising nitrile functional groups pendant to the polymer chain; - and
b) reacting the functional groups to form an expanded TFE copolymer containing triazine groups.
- and
-
78. A hydrophilic expanded polymeric material comprising a functional TFE copolymer material comprising a microstructure characterized by nodes interconnected by fibrils, wherein the functional TFE copolymer material comprises a functional copolymer of TFE, PSVE and sulfonic acid pendant to the polymer chain.
-
79. A composite comprising an expanded functional TFE copolymer of TFE and 8 CNVE wherein the expanded TFE copolymer is cross linked with a fluoroelastomer.
-
80. A cross linked expanded polymeric material comprising a functional copolymer of TFE and a cyano vinyl ether having cyano groups that are pendant to the polymer chain that is expanded and reacted to form a triazine structure.
- 81. A composite comprising an expanded functional TFE copolymer material characterized by nodes interconnected by fibrils comprising a copolymer of TFE and at least one comonomer having a carboxylic acid functional group that is pendant to the polymer chain, and a polysaccharide containing a hydroxyl functional group wherein the composite comprises an ester bond between the expanded functional TFE copolymer material and polysaccharide.
Specification