Dyeable fluoropolymer fibers and films

A fiber, comprising a terpolymer, comprising:

• monomeric units of:
• a first termonomer of tetrafluoroethylene;
• a second termonomer selected from the group consisting of:
• a fluoroalkyl vinyl ether, a fluoroalkene having at least 3 carbons, and ethylene;
• and
• a third termonomer comprising a fluoroalkenyl radical having attached thereto a pendant group comprising a radical represented by the formula
• —(O—CF2CFR)aO—CF2CFR′Q,
• wherein:
• R and R′ are independently selected from F, CL, or a perfluorinated alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms;
• a=0, 1 or 2;
• Q is selected from the group consisting of:
• —SO3—Z+ and —SO2X;
• Z+ is H+, an alkali metal cation, or a cation derived from a compound selected from the group consisting of;
• a cationic dye, a cationic whitener, a cationic flame retardant, a cationic antistatic agent, and mixtures thereof;
• and
• X is F or Cl;
• said terpolymer comprising about 0.5-5 mol-% of the second termonomer and about 0.1-2 mol-% of the third termonomer.

A process for producing a fiber, the process comprising the steps of:

• mixing a first copolymer and a second copolymer to form a mixture, said first copolymer comprising monomeric units of tetrafluoroethylene and a first comonomer selected from the group consisting of a fluoroalkyl vinyl ether, a fluoroalkene having at least 3 carbons, and ethylene;
• and said second copolymer comprising monomeric units of tetrafluoroethylene and a second comonomer comprising a fluoroalkenyl radical having attached thereto a pendant group comprising a radical represented by the formula —(O—CF2CFR)aO—CF2CFR′SO2X, wherein R and R′ are independently selected from F, Cl or a perfluorinated alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms;
• a=0, 1 or 2;
• and X is F or Cl;
• said first copolymer comprising about 0.5-20 mol-% of the first comonomer, and said second copolymer comprising about 5-25% of monomeric units of said second comonomer;
• heating said first and second copolymers, simultaneously with or subsequent to mixing, to a temperature sufficient to form a molten blend without significant degradation of either copolymer, said blend comprising about 1-10% by weight of said second copolymer;
• feeding the molten blend to a melt spinning device having a spinneret having at least one aperture, each aperture defined therein by a wall;
• extruding the molten blend through the at least one aperture to form a fiber.

A process for producing a fiber, comprising the steps of:

• extruding a composition comprising a molten terpolymer through at least one aperture of a spinneret of a melt spinning device to form a fiber, each aperture defined by a wall within said spinneret, said terpolymer comprising monomeric units of a first termonomer of tetrafluoroethylene;
• a second termonomer selected from the group consisting of a fluoroalkyl vinyl ether, a fluoroalkene having at least 3 carbons, and ethylene;
• and a third termonomer comprising a fluoroalkenyl radical having attached thereto a pendant group comprising a radical represented by the formula —(O—CF2CFR)aO—CF2CFR′SO2X, wherein R and R′ are independently selected from F, Cl or a perfluorinated alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a=0, 1 or 2, and X is F or Cl;
• said termonomer comprising about 0.5-5 mol-% of the second termonomer and about 0.1-2 mol-% of the third termonomer.