Process for producing elastic fluorocopolymer and crosslinked fluororubber

Abstract

A process for producing an elastic fluorocopolymer, which comprises emulsion-polymerizing at least one fluoromonomer (a) selected from the group consisting of tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene, vinylidene fluoride and a perfluorovinyl ether represented by CF2═CF—O—Rf (wherein Rf is a C1-8 perfluoroalkyl group or a perfluoro(alkoxyalkyl) group), a vinyl ester monomer (b) represented by the formula CR1R2═CR3COOCH═CH2 (wherein each of R1 and R2 which are independent of each other, is a hydrogen atom, a C1-10 alkyl group or a C1-10 alkoxyalkyl group containing an etheric oxygen atom, and R3 is a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom or a methyl group), and as the case requires, at least one hydrocarbon monomer (c) selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene and a vinyl ether represented by CH2═CH—O—R4 (wherein R4 is a C1-8 alkyl group or an alkoxyalkyl group), in an aqueous medium to produce an elastic fluorocopolymer latex, adjusting the pH of the elastic fluorocopolymer latex to from 1 to 9, and coagulating the elastic fluorocopolymer latex to isolate an elastic fluorocopolymer.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.