Perfluorocarbon copolymer containing functional groups and a method for producing it

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for producing a perfluorocarbon copolymer containing functional groups, which comprises: emulsifying a perfluorocarbon monomer containing a functional group represented by the following general formula (1) into fine dispersions having an average diameter of 2 .mu.m or less in water: CF.sub.2 .dbd.CF--O--(CF.sub.2 CF(CF.sub.3)--O)n--(CF.sub.2)m--Z(1) wherein m is an integer of 2 to 4; Z is CO.sub.2 R (where R represents an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms) or SO.sub.2 F; n is 1 or 2 when Z is CO.sub.2 R and n is an integer of 0 to 2 when Z is SO.sub.2 F, adding at least one water-soluble organic chain transfer agent selected from the group consisting of aliphatic alcohols having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and ethers having 2 to 6 carbon atoms and polymerizing the perfluorocarbon monomer (1) containing a functional group with tetrafluoroethylene represented by the following formula (2): CF.sub.2 .dbd.CF.sub.2 (2). It also provides a perfluorocarbon copolymer containing functional groups obtained by this method. According to the production method of the present invention, a perfluorocarbon copolymer containing functional groups, which has good melt moldability and excellent performance, can be produced while the formation of a homopolymer of tetrafluoroethylene in the aqueous phase is inhibited.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.