The present invention provides a binder composition which suppresses a swelling ratio in an electrolyte solution while having sufficient peel strength. The binder composition according to the present invention contains a copolymer including monomer units derived from vinylidene fluoride, a fluorine-containing alkyl vinyl compound, and a crosslinkable monomer; the content of the monomer unit derived from the fluorine-containing alkyl vinyl compound in the copolymer being not less than 2 mass % and less than 10 mass %; and the content of the monomer unit derived from the crosslinkable monomer being less than 5 mass %.

A copolymer comprising trans-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene units and vinylidene fluoride units, and methods of making the same. A method of preventing biofouling on an article of manufacture, comprising applying such copolymer to the article of manufacture. A process of preparing a surface having a surface energy of between about 20 and about 30 mJ/m.sup.2, comprising applying such a copolymer to a support. A method of preventing accumulation of ice on an article of manufacture, comprising applying such a copolymer to an article of manufacture. A method of preparing a polymer, comprising a step of adding trans-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene/vinylidene fluoride copolymer as a polymer processing additive/aid to said polymer.

Described are methods of making a curable fluoropolymer having repeating units derived from vinylidenfluoride (VDF) and at least one perfluorinated monomer selected from hexafluoropropene (HFP), tetrafluoroethene (TFE), a perfluorovinyl ether (PAVE), a perfluoroallylether (PAAVE) or a combination thereof. The method includes polymerizing the monomers in an aqueous medium in a radical reaction containing one or more reaction initiators, one or more chain transfer agent containing one or more halogens selected from iodine, bromine or a combination thereof and one or more non-fluorinated aliphatic polyhydroxy emulsifiers. The polymerization is carried out without adding a fluorinated emulsifier. Also provided are curable fluoropolymers obtainable by such methods and cured fluoropolymers obtainable by curing the curable fluoropolymers, and their applications.

Described herein is a composition comprising a fluorothermoplastic polymer, wherein the fluorothermoplastic polymer is derived from: (a) 60-85 mol % tetrafluoroethene; (b) 2-12 mol % hexafluoropropene; (c) 10-30 mol % vinylidene fluoride; (d) 0.2 to 5 mol % of a bromine-containing monomer. Such compositions can be used in multilayer constructions in, for example, fuel hose applications.

The invention pertains to a fluoroelastomer composition comprising: (a) a vinylidene fluoride-based fluoroelastomer [fluoroelastomer (A)] comprising recurring units derived from vinylidene fluoride (VDF) and recurring units derived from at least one additional (per)fluorinated monomer; said fluoroelastomer (A): possessing a polydispersity index (IMWD) of between 1.5 and 3.5, comprising an amount of polar end groups of formula CF.sub.2CH.sub.2OH of at least 3 mmol/kg and at most 6 mmol/kg, and further comprising end of chain groups of formula CF.sub.2H, CF.sub.2CH.sub.3, and, optionally, OC(0)R.sub.H (with R.sub.H being a C.sub.1-C.sub.6 alkyl group) in an amount such to satisfy the following inequality: [CF.sub.2CH.sub.2OH]+[CF.sub.2H]+[CF.sub.2CH.sub.3HOC(0)R.sub.H]30+(210.sup.6)/M.sub.n, (b) at least one polyhydroxylated curing agent; (c) at least one accelerant; (d) at least one metal oxide selected from the group consisting of divalent metal oxides; and (e) optionally, at least one metal hydroxide, wherein the amount of said metal hydroxide, if present, is below 3 phr, based on 100 weight parts of fluoroelastomer (A).

The invention pertains to a process for manufacturing a fluoroelastomer [fluoroelastomer (A)] having a heat of fusion of less than 5 J/g as measured by ASTM D-3418-08, said method comprising emulsion polymerizing vinylidene fluoride (VDF) in the presence of at least one additional fluorinated monomer, in an aqueous polymerization medium, said method comprising polymerizing VDF and said additional fluorinated monomer(s) in the presence of a redox radical initiator system comprising: at least one organic oxidizing agent [agent (O)]; at least one organic reducing agent [agent (R)]; wherein agent (O) is fed to said polymerization medium separately from agent (R), so that agent (O) comes in contact with agent (R) exclusively in said polymerization medium comprising VDF and optional additional monomer(s), to fluoroelastomers having low amount of chain defects and low amount of polar end groups, notably obtainable from said process, and to curable compositions therefrom.

Described herein is a millable fluorinated block copolymer having at least one A block and at least one B block, wherein the A block is a semi-crystalline segment comprising repeating divalent monomeric units derived from TFE, HFP and VDF; and the B block is a segment comprising repeating dilvalent monomeric units derived from HFP and VDF; and wherein the millable fluorinated block copolymer has a modulus of 0.1 to 2.5 MPa at 100 C.

The invention pertains to a fluoroelastomer composition [composition (C)] comprising:at least one fluoroelastomer [fluoroelastomer (A)];at least one basic compound [base (B)];at least one pyridinium-type salt [salt (P)] having at least two groups in ortho or para position to the quaternized nitrogen bearing a reactive hydrogen atom.

The invention relates to fluoropolymers that have been modified with low molecular weight, polymeric chain transfer agents, and uses of the modified fluoropolymers. The modified fluoropolymers provide enhanced properties to the fluoropolymer, such as increased adhesion, and hydrophilic characteristics. The modified functional fluoropolymers are useful in many applications, including as binders in electrode-forming compositions and separator compositions, for hydrophilic membranes and hollow fiber membranes, as an aqueous and a solvent cast coating for baked decorative and protective coatings, and as a tie layer between a fluoropolymer layer and an incompatible polymer layer.

Curable fluoropolymer containing repeating units derived from VDF and TFE and at least one other fluorinated co-monomer and further containing CF.sub.2CH.sub.2I end groups and branching sites derived from one or more perfluorinated bisolefinic ether(s) used as modifier(s), wherein the one or more perfluorinated bisolefinic ether(s) used as modifier(s) correspond to the general formula:

CF.sub.2CF(CF.sub.2)nO(R.sub.1)O(CF.sub.2).sub.mCFCF.sub.2

wherein n and m are independent from each other either 1 or 0 and wherein R.sub.1 represents a perfluorinated linear or branched, cyclic or acyclic aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon residue that may be interrupted by one or more oxygen atoms and comprises up to 30 carbon atoms. Further provided are methods of making the curable fluoropolymers and for making an article containing the curable polymers.