Fluorination of polyethylene and polyvinyl alcohol was carried out by dichlorodifluoromethane under cobalt-60 gamma radiation and under electric spark discharge. The effect of temperature, reaction time, catalyst, inert diluent etc. was studied. Simultaneous chlorination of the polymer samples was observed along with fluorination.The extent of fluorination under electric spark discharge is usually higher than that under gamma radiation. Again, the extent of chlorination is higher than that of fluorination in both the cases. The extent of fluorination as well as chlorination is the highest in case of polyvinyl alcohol.
ZUSAMMENFASSUNG:Die Fluorierung von Polyethylen und Polyvinylalkohol wurde mit Dichlordifluormethan CCl,F, (Freon 12) unter Verwendung von Cobalt-60 y-Strahlung bzw. elektrischer Lichtbogenentladung durchgefiihrt und der Einflun von Reaktionstemperatur und -zeit, Katalysator, Verdiinnung etc. untersucht. Dabei wurde bei Polyethylen sowohl die Fluorierung als auch die gleichzeitige Chlorierung beobachtet, wobei der Anteil an Fluorierung bei elektrischer Lichtbogenentladung gewohnlich hoher war als bei Verwendung von y-Strahlung; in beiden Fallen war dennoch die Chlorierung deutlich bevorzugt. Bei Polyvinylalkohol konnten noch hohere Fluorierungs-bzw. Chlorierungsgrade ermittelt werden. cheap, and readily available chemical, i. e. dichlorodifluoromethane gas, as a safe fluorinating agent. In this paper we report the fluorination of polyethylene and a few other polymers by dichlorodifluoromethane under cobalt-60 gamma radiation and under electric spark discharge.
Experimental
MaterialsLow density polyethylene (LDPE) beads and films (ICI, India), starch (Merck, Germany), and polyvinyl alcohol (Fluka, Switzerland) were used as received. PVC powder (NOCIL, India) was purified by Soxhlet extraction in methanol for 96 h. Dichlorodifluoromethane, Freon-12 (Navin Fluorine Industries, India), was used after drying over preheated silica gel before use. Azobisisobutyronitrile, AIBN (British Drug House, England), was recrystallized from methanol and dried in air. Commercial argon gas was used after purification by passing through alkaline pyrogallate solution. LDPE powder was prepared by dissolving 5 g LDPE beads in 500 ml hot xylene and precipitation in methanol in the form of very fine particles. The precipitate was collected by filtration, washed thoroughly with water and methanol, and air-dried.