Powder containing low molecular weight polytetrafluoroethylene particle and method for producing the same

A method for producing a powder containing a particle of a low molecular weight polytetrafluoroethylene, the method comprising:

• polymerizing tetrafluoroethylene in a reactor in the presence of a fluorine-containing surfactant, a polymerization initiator, and an aqueous medium to produce an aqueous dispersion containing a primary particle of the low molecular weight polytetrafluoroethylene;
• after the aqueous dispersion is produced, carrying out at least one of the operations of removing from the reactor tetrafluoroethylene remaining in the reactor, and recovering the aqueous dispersion in the reactor and accommodating the aqueous dispersion in a container different from the reactor;
• adding to the aqueous dispersion a radical generator in an amount of not less than 5 mol times per mole of the fluorine-containing surfactant used in the polymerization;
• subjecting to a heat treatment the aqueous dispersion containing the radical generator;
• coagulating the low molecular weight polytetrafluoroethylene in the aqueous dispersion subjected to the heat treatment to produce a wet powder containing the particle of the low molecular weight polytetrafluoroethylene;
• and
• drying the wet powder at a temperature not higher than a temperature that is 70° C. lower than the melting point of the low molecular weight polytetrafluoroethylene to produce the powder.