The present teachings relate to a photopatternable composition including a vinylidene fluoride-based polymer, a photosensitive non-nucleophilic base, and a crosslinking agent. The photopatternable composition can be used to prepare a patterned thin film component for use in an electronic, optical, or optoelectronic device such as an organic thin film transistor. The patterned thin film component can be used as a gate dielectric with a high dielectric constant, for example, a dielectric constant greater than 10.

The invention relates to a method of polymerizing at least one fluorinated monomer comprising an ethylene bond, the method comprising putting in contact the at least one fluorinated monomer with a polymerization initiator and a chain transfer agent, the chain transfer agent being a polysulfide compound, preferably a disulfide compound. The invention also relates to a telechelic fluoride-based polymer obtained with said method.

The invention pertains to a method for emulsion polymerization of at least one fluoromonomer, said method comprising: (i) providing at least one aqueous emulsion comprising at least one surfactant and a monomer mixture [mixture (M)] comprising at least one fluoromonomer [monomer (F)] and optionally at least one additional monomer, and at least one RAFT/MADIX agent; (ii) initiating the polymerization of said monomer mixture in said aqueous emulsion adding at least one radical initiator; (iii) continuing the polymerization by adding additional amounts of said mixture (M) and said RAFT/MADIX agent, until converting the targeted amount of said mixture (M), and (iv) terminating the polymerization and recovering a latex of fluoropolymer [polymer (F)]; wherein the amount of RAFT/MADIX agent is comprised between 0.1 and 0.5% moles, with respect to the total amount of converted monomers of said monomer mixture, and wherein the amount of said RAFT/MADIX agent present in the aqueous emulsion when initiating the polymerization in step (ii) is of at most 50% with respect to the total amount of said RAFT/MADIX agent.

The invention pertains to certain fluoroelastomer compositions comprising an iodine-containing (per)fluoroelastomer of low molecular weight and certain organic peroxides, possessing outstanding cross-linking behaviour at limited temperatures, and yielding resulting final parts exhibiting good mechanical and sealing properties, while avoiding discoloring/degradation phenomena, and enabling easy colour match in a wide range of colours.

The vinylidene fluoride copolymer of the present invention is a polymer obtained by copolymerizing at least one type of fluorine-based monomer selected from hexafluoropropylene and chlorotrifluoroethylene, vinylidene fluoride, and a compound represented by formula (1) (wherein X is an atomic group having a hydroxyl group or a carboxyl group and having a molecular weight of not greater than 517 with a main chain having from 1 to 19 atoms) and is obtained by adding the compound represented by formula (1) to the fluorine-based monomer and vinylidene fluoride in divided portions or continuously during copolymerization. The gel electrolyte of the present invention contains the vinylidene fluoride copolymer and a non-aqueous electrolyte solution, and the gel electrolyte has an excellent balance of ionic conductivity and gel strength. ##STR00001##

Described herein is a composition comprising (i) a hydrofluorothermoplastic polymer, wherein the hydrofluorothermoplastic polymer is derived from: (a) 50-85 mol % tetrafluoroethene; (b) 2-15 mol % hexafluoropropene; (c) 10-35 mol % vinylidene fluoride; and (d) 0.1 to 5 mol % of a bromine-containing monomer; and (ii) a perhalogenated thermoplastic polymer. Such compositions can be used in multilayer constructions in, for example, fuel hose applications.

This invention pertains to fluoroallylsulfonyl azide compounds of formula: CF.sub.2CFCF.sub.2R.sub.fSO.sub.2N.sub.3 formula (I) wherein R.sub.f is a divalent (per)fluorinated group, optionally comprising one or more than one ethereal oxygen atom [monomer (Az)], which are useful as functional monomers in fluoropolymers, to the fluoropolymers which comprise recurring units derived from such fluoroallylsulfonyl azide compounds, to a process for their manufacture, to a curable compound comprising the same and to a method for crosslinking the same.

Provided herein are copolymers that comprise copolymerized residues of a perfluorotrivinyltriazine monomer of Formula 1.

##STR00001##

Preferred R.sub.f groups include, without limitation, (CF.sub.2).sub.n (n=1-6); (CF.sub.2).sub.m[OCF(CF.sub.3)CF.sub.2].sub.p (m=1-4, p=1-4); and [(CF(CF.sub.3)O).sub.x(CF.sub.2).sub.k] (x=1-3, k=1-5). Preferred comonomers for copolymerization with the perfluorotrivinyltriazine monomer (1) include, without limitation, tetrafluoroethylene (TFE); vinylidene fluoride (VF2); hexafluoropropylene (HFP); vinyl fluoride (VF); EVE; PSEPVE; perfluoro-(long chain vinyl ethers); E; P; PFBE; PEVE; EVE-OH; EVE-P; PDD; and the cure-site monomers BTFB, ITFB, 8-CNVE, 8-SAVE, and the like. Also provided are methods of synthesizing the copolymers and articles comprising the copolymers.

The invention pertains to a (per)fluoroelastomer composition comprising: a (per)fluoroelastomer [fluoroelastomer (A)]; and at least one (per)fluoropolyether additive [polymer (E)] comprising a (per)fluoropolyether chain comprising recurring units having at least one catenary ether bond and at least one fluorocarbon moiety, and comprising at least one chain end comprising at least one per(halo)fluorinated aromatic group [group (AO], said polymer (E) being comprised in the composition in an amount of 0.5 to 30 phr, with respect to fluoroelastomer (A).

The invention pertains to a method for manufacturing a (per)fluoroelastomer [fluoroelastomer (A)] comprising the following steps: step (a): polymerizing in an aqueous emulsion in the presence of a surfactant by feeding in a first reactor comprising feeding the following ingredients: (i) a monomer mixture [mixture (M1)] comprising at least one fluoromonomer [monomer (F)], (ii) at least one iodinated and/or brominated chain-transfer agent(s), (iii) at least one branching agent possessing at least two ethylenic unsaturations; and (iv) at least one radical initiator, so as to obtain a pre-polymer latex [latex (P)]; step (b): recovering the said latex (P) from the said first reactor and storing the same in a storage tank; and step (c): feeding the said latex (P) from the said storage tank to a second reactor; step (d): polymerizing in the said second reactor at least a second monomer mixture [mixture (M2)] comprising at least one monomer (F) in the presence of a radical initiator, so as to obtain a final latex [latex (F)]; and step (d): recovering the (per)fluoroelastomer from the said latex (F).