Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08F—MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS
  • C08F8/00—Chemical modification by after-treatment
  • C08F8/26—Removing halogen atoms or halogen-containing groups from the molecule

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method of dehydrofluorinating a fluoropolymer
• Unsaturated fluorocarbons can be ingredients or intermediates in the production of other fluorinated materials. For example Moggi et al.,
• Fluoroelastomers Reaction Products in Early Stages of Network Formation, Biol. Synth. Polym Networks, 255, (1988) describe unsaturated fluoropolymers as a precursor to a vulcanized fluoroelastomer thermoset article In a distinct application, dehydrofluorinated polyvinylidene fluoride has been found to result in an electrically conducting polymer
• a possible reaction sequence includes the elimination of HF from the fluoropolymer backbone by a basic reagent such as KOH, to produce carbon-carbon unsaturation.
• the current state of the art of dehydrofluorination includes three main dehydrofluorination methods
• fluoropolymers that are soluble in organic solvents e.g., tetrahydrofuran, dimethyl acetamide, dirnethylsulfonamide, dimethylformamide, and others
• a base such as a tertiary amine, tetraalkyl ammonium hydroxide compound, or metal alkoxide such as sodium methoxide
• Wood et al., US Patent 3,507,844 describe a dehydrofluorination method using solvents such as hot dimethylformamide.
• Ito et al. U.S. patent 4,758,618) describe dehydrofluorination using an alkaline solution, and specify the need for an onium phase transfer catalyst and/or a cosolvent.
• a disadvantage of homogeneous solution dehydrofluorination methods is that these methods only allow dehydrofluorination of fluoropolymers that are soluble in organic solvents. Additionally, although homogeneous solution dehydrofluorination methods are faster and easier to control than some other dehydrofluorination methods, the use of solvent is undesirable due to the harmful impact that organic solvents produce on the environment, and the present trend toward elimination of solvent-based processes. Finally, dehydrofluorinated fluoropolymer prepared by solvent-based methods typically require subsequent processing of the fluoropolymer (e.g., workup and purification), which adds complication and cost to production methods.
• unsaturation of a fluoropolymer can be achieved by dissolving a fluoropolymer in a water immiscible solvent (e.g., MIBK), and mixing this solution with a second, aqueous phase that contains an alkali metal hydroxide and a phase transfer catalyst.
• a water immiscible solvent e.g., MIBK
• Two-phase solution dehydrofluorination methods such as these also require the use of organic solvents, and only allow dehydrofluorination of fluoropolymers that are soluble in organic solvent.
• a third type of dehydrofluorination method are bulk dehydrofluorination methods, wherein fluoropolymers undergo dehydrofluorination by treatment with an excess of a basic reagent and optionally a phase transfer catalyst, in bulk.
• a bulk technique a mixture of fluoropolymer and Ca(OH) 2 can be thermally extruded at a temperature of around 200°C, resulting in a loss of HF from the fluoropolymer backbone, and carbon-carbon unsaturation.
• a drawback of bulk dehydrofluorination processes is the requirement of a large stoichiometric excess of basic reagent, and the need for elevated temperatures.
• the required temperatures can cause degradation of the fluoropolymer due to chain cleavage reactions, which results in loss of molecular weight and mechanical properties of the fluoropolymer.
• extrusion methods result in a dehydrofluorinated fluoropolymer, there is little control over the amount of unsaturation produced within the dehydrofluorinated fluoropolymer, and there is no easy method to remove the base residue from the dehydrofluorinated fluoropolymer. What is needed but not provided by the prior art is a method of dehydrofluorinating a fluoropolymer wherein dehydrofluorination takes place in an aqueous solution.
• an aqueous fluoropolymer emulsion can be treated with a base compound to produce unsaturation within the fluoropolymer.
• the reaction can preferably be accomplished under relatively mild conditions, and without the need for organic solvent or a phase transfer catalyst. Because dehydrofluorination takes place within an aqueous fluoropolymer emulsion, there is no requirement that the fluoropolymer be soluble in organic solvent, and therefore it becomes possible to dehydrofluorinate fluoropolymers that are insoluble in organic solvent.
• the amount of unsaturation within the dehydrofluorinated fluoropolymer can be controlled by selection of the base compound, the fluoropolymer, and the dehydrofluorination reaction conditions (e.g., reaction temperature and reaction time).
• the resulting dehydrofluorinated fluoropolymer materials preferably do not contain any residual base or metal fluoride salt residues, residual solvents, or residual catalyst.
• An aspect of the present invention relates to a method of dehydrofluorinating a fluoropolymer.
• a fluoropolymer emulsion is provided that contains water and a fluoropolymer comprising a structural segment having the general formula:
• X and X' are each independently either hydrogen or an electron- withdrawing group.
• the hydrogen atom is sufficiently acidic to result in dehydrofluorination of the fluoropolymer upon the addition of a base compound to the fluoropolymer emulsion
• the base compound is added to the fluoropolymer emulsion at a concentration and in an amount that will not cause coagulation of the fluoropolymer.
• the fluoropolymer emulsion preferably contains substantially no organic solvent or phase transfer catalyst
• the fluoropolymer emulsion is exposed to reaction conditions sufficient to cause dehydrofluorination of the fluoropolymer
• the dehydrofluorinated fluoropolymer emulsion prepared by the method of the present invention can be used in the same manner as an untreated (i e , non- dehydrofluorinated) fluoropolymer emulsion.
• the dehydrofluorinated fluoropolymer can be coagulated and washed, or it can be spray-dried
• the dehydrofluorinated fluoropolymer can be treated similarly to dehydrofluorinated fluoropolymer that has been dehydrofluorinated by other known dehydrofluorination methods
• coagulation refers to the condition of fluoropolymer precipitation out of the fluoropolymer emulsion as a solid. Coagulation can occur due to the creation of an instability within the emulsion, which can be caused by the addition of a sufficiently concentrated base compound to the fluoropolymer emulsion
• fluoropolymer emulsion refers to an aqueous emulsion that contains fluoropolymer, water, and optionally a suitable emulsifying surfactant, and that contains substantially no organic solvent, e g., less than about 5% by weight organic solvent, preferably less than about 1% by weight organic solvent, and more preferably less than about 0 5% by weight organic solvent Even more preferably, the fluoropolymer emulsion consists essentially of fluoropolymer, an emulsifying surfactant, and water
• the fluoropolymer can be any fluorinated polymer, copolymer, or oligomer that contains somewhere within its structure a structural sequence a carbon atom substituted with a fluorine atom and a chemical group X, adjacent to a carbon atom substituted with a
• X and X' each represent a hydrogen atom or an electron-withdrawing group.
• at least one of the X or X' groups is an electron withdrawing group that exhibits sufficient electron-withdrawing power that the hydrogen atom bonded to the carbon atom adjacent to the fluorinated carbon atom is sufficiently acidic to undergo dehydrofluorination upon exposure to a base
• some preferred electron withdrawing groups include fluorine, lower fluoroalkyls such as fluoromethyl and fluoroethyl, with perfluorinated groups being particularly preferred, including -CF ⁇ , -C 2 Fs, C 4 F 9 , etc., and lower fluoroalkoxys, including - CF 2 OR, -C 2 F 4 OR, etc , wherein R can be a lower alkyl or fluoroalkyl group
• R can be a lower alkyl or fluoroalkyl group
• the fluoropolymer can be any fluoropolymer comprising the above identified structural sequence Such fluoropolymers are among the polymers, copolymers, terpolymers, and oligomers described in The Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, Volume 8, pages 990-1003 (4th ed 1993)
• the fluoropolymer can be prepared from monomers comprising olefinic fluorinated monomers, including one or more of vinylidene fluoride (VDF), hexafluoropropylene (HPF), and tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), among others
• the fluoropolymer can be prepared from monomers further comprising other fluorinated olefinic monomers, or non-fluorinated olefinic monomers, including chlorotrifluoroethylene, trifluoroethylene, vinyl fluoride, a perfluoro(alklyvinyl ether), a perfluoro(alkoxyvinyl ether), ethylene,
• the fluorinated and optional non-fluorinated monomers can be polymerized to produce an aqueous fluoropolymer emulsion by aqueous polymerization methods that are known in the fluoropolymer art, including those described by Kirk-Othmer, supra These include, for example, emulsion polymerization methods and suspension polymerization methods These aqueous polymerization methods provide fluoropolymer emulsions that contain little or substantially no organic solvent.
• the fluoropolymer can be in either a crystalline or an amorphous state within the fluoropolymer emulsion, and preferably exists in an emulsion having from about 5 to 40 percent by weight solids, more preferably from about 25 to 35 weight percent solids, in water
• the emulsifying surfactant within the fluoropolymer emulsion can be one of various emulsifying surfactant known in the fluoropolymer emulsion art These include, for example, anionic surfactants such as fatty acid soaps (sodium or potassium stearate, laurate, palmitate), sulfates and sulfonates (sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate), nonionic surfactants such as poly(ethylene oxide), poly( vinyl alcohol) and hydroxyethyl cellulose, and fluorinated surfactants including perfluorinated carboxylic acids These and other emulsifying surfactants can be used alone or in combinations of two or more emulsifying surfactants, and can be present in any effective amount, i e , and amount that will result in an emulsion. (See, e.g , George Odian, Principles of Polymerization, 332-3 (2nd
• Fluoropolymers that have been found to be useful in the practice of the present invention are also commercially available.
• suitable commercially available fluoropolymer emulsions include fluoropolymer emulsions commercially available from The Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (3M) under the trade names THV 230R, THV 400, THV 530R, FCTM-2230, and FTTM-5830
• the base compound can be any base compound that, when added to the fluoropolymer emulsion, will react at the above-described reaction site of the fluoropolymer to remove a hydrogen atom and a fluorine atom from the reaction site, and thereby create carbon-carbon unsaturation in the fluoropolymer
• the base compound can be, for example, a hydroxide such as potassium hydroxide (KOH), ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), lithium hydroxide (LiOH), or a carbonate such as potassium carbonate (K 2 CO 3 ), sodium carbonate (Na 2 CO 3 ), etc
• the base compound is added to the fluoropolymer emulsion to produce what is referred to herein as an "aqueous reaction solution"
• the base compound can be added to the fluoropolymer emulsion at any concentration, and in any amount, that will not cause coagulation of the fluoropolymer within the aqueous reaction solution.
• the base compound is added to the fluoropolymer emulsion as a relatively weak, basic solution
• Weak basic solutions are preferred over relatively stronger basic solutions in order to prevent coagulation
• the use of a weaker basic solution can result in a longer reaction time to achieve a desired amount of dehydrofluorination of the fluoropolymer Therefore, the need to avoid coagulation of the fluoropolymer should be balanced with the need to provide an efficient dehydrofluorination process
• An appropriate concentration of base compound within the basic solution can depend on factors such as the particular base compound chosen and the particular fluoropolymer emulsion used
• a basic solution of potassium hydroxide (KOH) can be added to a fluoropolymer emulsion at a KOH concentration of up to about 0.3 normality, without causing coagulation of the fluoropolymer.
• KOH potassium hydroxide
• NH 4 OH can be added to a fluoropolymer emulsion as a 1 ON basic solution without causing coagulation, and is even useful when added as a concentrated basic solution (i.e., 15.7N).
• the concentration of the base compound in the aqueous reaction solution can be any concentration of the base compound that is sufficient to result in effective dehydrofluorination of the fluoropolymer, and that will not cause coagulation of the fluoropolymer.
• the lower limit of the concentration of base compound in the aqueous reaction solution can be considered to be the lowest concentration that will effectively dehydrofluorinate the fluoropolymer
• the upper limit will be the greatest amount of base compound that can be present without causing coagulation of the fluoropolymer.
• the proper concentration of the base compound within the aqueous reaction solution will vary with factors such as the identity of the base compound and the fluoropolymer emulsion, — e g., the exact fluoropolymer and the percent solids of fluoropolymer in the fluoropolymer emulsion. Also, it has been found that the upper concentration limit of the base compound within the aqueous reaction solution can vary depending on the concentration of the base in the basic solution that is added to the fluoropolymer. The higher the concentration of base in the basic solution added to the fluoropolymer emulsion, the more likely it will be that addition of the basic solution to the fluoropolymer emulsion will cause coagulation of the fluoropolymer.
• a basic solution of KOH can be added to a fluoropolymer emulsion at a concentration of 0.3N to provide a KOH concentration in the aqueous reaction solution up to 0 18 meq (milliequivalents) KOH per gram emulsion, without causing coagulation.
• KOH as a basic solution having a lower concentration (e.g., 0.20N)
• the upper limit of KOH that can be present in the aqueous reaction solution without causing coagulation increases to about 0.50 meq KOH/g emulsion.
• a 0.3N basic solution can be added to a fluoropolymer emulsion to create an aqueous reaction solution having 1.50 meq NH 4 OH per gram fluoropolymer emulsion without causing coagulation
• the upper limit of the base concentration within the aqueous reaction solution is about 1 01 meq NH OH per gram fluoropolymer emulsion without causing coagulation
• Concentrated NH»OH (15 7N) can be added to a fluoropolymer emulsion to create an aqueous reaction solution having a concentration of 6.34 meq NFLtOH per gram emulsion The fluoropolymer of this aqueous reaction solution does not coagulate, yet the solution can gel when heated overnight. Similar upper concentration limits of a base compound within the aqueous reaction solution will be apparent for other useful base compounds
• reaction conditions refers to such factors as the temperature to which the aqueous reaction solution is exposed, and the time allowed for reaction
• the dehydrofluorination reaction temperature can be any useful temperature, and can depend on the particular identity of the different components of the aqueous reaction solution In the practice of the present invention, however, the reaction temperature can be relatively mild, for instance in the range from about 40 to 100 degrees Celsius Likewise, the length of time of the dehydrofluorination reaction (reaction time) can be chosen depending on the
• the extent of dehydrofluorination of the fluoropolymer can be controlled to result in a desired level of dehydrofluorination, by appropriately choosing the fluoropolymer emulsion, the base compound the concentration of base compound within the aqueous reaction solution, and the above-identified reaction conditions For example, by controlling one or more of these factors, the amount of dehydrofluorination produced within the fluoropolymer can be controlled such that from about 0 to 5 or 10 mole percent of the monomeric units used to prepare the fluoropolymer contain carbon-carbon unsaturation, as measured by NMR spectroscopy
• Dehydrofluorinated fluoropolymer Samples 1 through 5 were prepared from 100 grams of THVTM 230R fluoropolymer emulsion from 3M Co (a 30% solids emulsion in water which is a crystalline terpolymer derived from 42mol% tetrafluoroethylene, 20mol% hexafluoropropylene and 38mol% vinylidene fluoride monomers) LR analysis of the fluoropolymer emulsion showed no peak at 1723 cm '1 , indicating no carbon-carbon unsaturation within the fluoropolymer To the fluoropolymer emulsion was added an appropriate amount of a basic 0 2M KOH solution (0 5meq KOH/g-fluoropolymer emulsion) to provide an aqueous reaction solution having the concentrations of base compound (KOH) (meq KOH/g emulsion) reported in Table 1
• KOH base compound
• THVTM 530R is a fluoropolymer emulsion available from 3M Co , (a 30% solids crystalline terpolymer emulsion containing 60 mol% tetrafluoroethylene, 18mol% hexafluoropropylene and 22mol% vinylidene fluoride) was reacted with 0.4 meq KOH/g emulsion at different temperatures to show that in the practice of the present invention, the degree of dehydrofluorination of this fluoropolymer could be controlled as a function of reaction temperature.
• lOOg of THVTM 530R fluoropolymer emulsion was mixed with 400g of 0.
• THVTM 530 is not soluble in common solvent and therefore no NMR analyses were possible.
• FC 2230TM fluoropolymer emulsion available from 3M Co , is a fluoroelastomer copolymer containing 78mol% vinylidene fluoride and 22 mol% hexafluoropropylene
• FT 5830TM fluoropolymer emulsion available from 3M Co , is a 30% solids terpolymer elastomer emulsion containing 26 mol% tetrafluoroethylene, 25 mol% hexafluoropropylene, 49 5 mol% vinylidene fluoride

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• 1996
  • 1996-08-26 US US08/703,422 patent/US5733981A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1996-12-23 CA CA002263307A patent/CA2263307C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1996-12-23 EP EP96945045A patent/EP0920457B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
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  • 1996-12-23 AU AU13503/97A patent/AU1350397A/en not_active Abandoned

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