H2O2-photosensitized emulsion copolymerization of tetrafluoroethylene with propylene

The H₂O₂-photosensitized emulsion copolymerization of tetrafluoroethylene with propylene was carried out at room temperature in the presence of gaseous monomers of 50 mole-% tetrafluoroethylene content. The conversion increased almost linearly with irradiation time. The rate of polymerization was proportional to the 1.0 power of H₂O₂ concentration up to 3.5 × 10^?3M H₂O₂ and the 0.46 power of H₂O₂ concentration above 3.5 × 10^?3M H₂O₂. The result obtained at low H₂O₂ concentration was almost consistent with that obtained in the radiation-induced method. The rate of polymerization was proportional to the 0.58 power of the emulsifier concentration, and the degree of polymerization was independent of the emulsifier concentration. The H₂O₂-photosensitized emulsion copolymerization of tetrafluoroethylene with propylene is terminated mainly by degradative chain transfer of the propagating radical to propylene at low H₂O₂ concentration and by the reaction of the propagating radical with OH radical from photolysis of H₂O₂–aqueous solution at high H₂O₂ concentration.