Peroxide curable fluoropolymers obtainable by polymerization using non-fluorinated polyhydroxy emulsifiers

Method of making a curable fluoropolymer comprising (i) repeating units derived from vinylidene fluoride and (ii) at least one perfluorinated monomer selected from hexafluoropropene, tetrafluoroethene, a perfluorovinyl ether, a perfluoroallylether, and a combination thereof,

• said method comprising polymerizing the monomers in an aqueous medium in a radical reaction containing (a) a first material selected from one or more reaction initiators, one or more chain transfer agent containing one or more halogens selected from iodine, bromine and a combination thereof, and (b) one or more non-fluorinated aliphatic polyhydroxy emulsifier containing at least one polyhydroxy unit having at least two adjacent hydroxyl groups and at least one long chain unit containing from 4 to 40 carbon atoms and,
• wherein the polymerization is carried out without adding a fluorinated emulsifier;
• and
• wherein the curable fluoropolymer has a CF2CH2I to CF2CH2OH group ratio of at least 10.