Fluorovinyl ether polymers

Abstract

Fluorovinyl ether polymers consisting essentially of 60 to 99.9 mole percent of monomeric units --CF.sub.2 CFY-- and 0.1 to 40 mole percent of the structural units ##STR1## wherein Y is F, H, Cl, Br, R.sub.f or OR.sub.f, R.sub.f is perfluoroalkyl, R is alkyl, Q is F or OR, and m is 0 or 1, are prepared by contacting a fluoropolymer of the formula (CF.sub.2 CFY).sub.x wherein at least 1% of the Y's are reactive sites selected from the group consisting of H, Cl and Br, with an alkali or alkaline earth metal alkoxide. Electrolytic cell diaphragms are prepared by forming the above fluorovinyl ether polymer and fibrous material into a diaphragm, heating the diaphragm thereby converting alkyl ether groups to carbonyl groups, and treating with an alkali metal hydroxide thereby converting carbonyl groups to carboxylate ion groups.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.