A composition comprising a mixture of fluoropolyether acids or salts having a number average value of about 800 to about 2500 g/mol. The amount of fluoropolyether acids or salt in the mixture having a molecular weight of not more than 500 g/mol is not more than 50 ppm by weight of the total amount of fluoropolyether acids or salts in the mixture. The amount of fluoropolyether acids or salts in the mixture having a molecular weight of 2500 g/mol or greater is not more than 40% by weight of the total amount of fluoropolyether acids or salts in the mixture. Preferably the fluoropolyether acids or salts comprise an anionic group selected from the group consisting of carboxylate, sulfonate, sulfonamide anion and phosphonate. Also disclosed is an aqueous dispersion polymerization process for fluoropolymer manufacture employing polymerization agent comprising the specified mixture of fluoropolyether acids or salts.

A method of using a dental filler is disclosed. The method may include securing a prosthetic to a dental implant, the prosthetic having an access channel therethrough. The method may also include filling a portion of the access channel by inserting a polytetrafluoroethylene dental plug into the access channel and compressing the polytetrafluoroethylene dental plug within the access channel.

A method of using a dental filler is disclosed. The method may include securing a prosthetic to a dental implant, the prosthetic having an access channel therethrough. The method may also include filling a portion of the access channel by inserting a polytetrafluoroethylene dental plug into the access channel and compressing the polytetrafluoroethylene dental plug within the access channel.

To provide a process for producing a PTFE molding powder having a high bulk density from granular polymer particles without using an emulsifying agent having problems of bioaccumulation and toxicity. A process for producing a polytetrafluoroethylene molding powder, which comprises a step of suspension-polymerizing a monomer containing at least 99.8 mass % of tetrafluoroethylene in an aqueous medium to produce granular polymer particles and a step of milling the granular polymer particles, wherein the aqueous medium contains a compound represented by R.sup.F(OCF(X.sup.1)CF.sub.2).sub.k-1OCF(X.sup.2)COO.sup.−M.sup.+, at a concentration of from 0.5 to 2,000 ppm. R.sup.F is a perfluorinated C.sub.1-10 monovalent organic group, X.sup.1 and X.sup.2 are fluorine atoms, etc., and M.sup.+ is an ammonium ion or the like.

To provide a process for producing a PTFE molding powder having a high bulk density from granular polymer particles without using an emulsifying agent having problems of bioaccumulation and toxicity. A process for producing a polytetrafluoroethylene molding powder, which comprises a step of suspension-polymerizing a monomer containing at least 99.8 mass % of tetrafluoroethylene in an aqueous medium to produce granular polymer particles and a step of milling the granular polymer particles, wherein the aqueous medium contains a compound represented by R.sup.F(OCF(X.sup.1)CF.sub.2).sub.k-1OCF(X.sup.2)COO.sup.−M.sup.+, at a concentration of from 0.5 to 2,000 ppm. R.sup.F is a perfluorinated C.sub.1-10 monovalent organic group, X.sup.1 and X.sup.2 are fluorine atoms, etc., and M.sup.+ is an ammonium ion or the like.

To provide a method for producing an aqueous dispersion of polytetrafluoroethylene, whereby formation of fluorinated oligomers as byproducts is little and CFT of a coating film to be formed is large.

A method for producing an aqueous dispersion of polytetrafluoroethylene, which comprises step A1 of polymerizing a non-fluorinated monomer in an aqueous medium to obtain a solution 1 containing a polymer comprising units based on said non-fluorinated monomer, step A2 of conducting polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene in said solution 1 without substantially adding a surfactant to said solution 1, to obtain an aqueous emulsion containing polytetrafluoroethylene particles, and step A3 of adding a nonionic surfactant to said aqueous emulsion, and then concentrating said aqueous emulsion to obtain an aqueous dispersion of polytetrafluoroethylene, wherein the amount of said non-fluorinated monomer used is at most 200 mass ppm to the amount of said tetrafluoroethylene supplied to the polymerization system.

To provide a method for producing an aqueous dispersion of polytetrafluoroethylene, whereby formation of fluorinated oligomers as byproducts is little and CFT of a coating film to be formed is large.

A method for producing an aqueous dispersion of polytetrafluoroethylene, which comprises step A1 of polymerizing a non-fluorinated monomer in an aqueous medium to obtain a solution 1 containing a polymer comprising units based on said non-fluorinated monomer, step A2 of conducting polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene in said solution 1 without substantially adding a surfactant to said solution 1, to obtain an aqueous emulsion containing polytetrafluoroethylene particles, and step A3 of adding a nonionic surfactant to said aqueous emulsion, and then concentrating said aqueous emulsion to obtain an aqueous dispersion of polytetrafluoroethylene, wherein the amount of said non-fluorinated monomer used is at most 200 mass ppm to the amount of said tetrafluoroethylene supplied to the polymerization system.

A tetrafluoroethylene polymer is provided in an air filter medium having a pressure loss that can be reduced and made uniform at a plurality of positions. The tetrafluoroethylene polymer may also be provided in an air filter medium, a filter pack, or an air filter unit. The tetrafluoroethylene polymer has drawability and non-melt processability. The tetrafluoroethylene polymer has a ratio S.sub.2/S.sub.1 of 0.60 or more, where S.sub.2 represents an endotherm mJ/mg in a range of T.sub.0° C. or higher and 350° C. or lower, T.sub.0° C. is a temperature 2.5° C. lower than a temperature T.sub.p° C. (340≤T.sub.p≤345) at which a minimum point is given on a heat-of-fusion curve obtained by measuring an unbaked polymer for measurement having no history of heating to a temperature of 300° C. or higher using a differential scanning calorimeter at a temperature-increasing rate of 2° C./min, and S.sub.1 represents an endotherm mJ/mg in a range of 320° C. or higher and T.sub.0° C. or lower.

An aqueous dispersion comprising a tetrafluoroethylene core-shell polymer and at least one surfactant corresponding to the general formula R.sub.10-[CH.sub.2CH.sub.20].sub.n[R.sub.20].sub.m-R.sub.3 wherein R.sub.1 represents a linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon group having at least 8 carbon atoms, preferably 8 to 18 carbon atoms, R2 represents an alkylene having 3 carbon atoms, R3 represents hydrogen, a C1-C3 alkyl group, or a C1-C3 hydroxyalkyl group, n has a value of 0 to 40, m has a value of 0 to 40 and the sum of n+m is at least 2, wherein the dispersion is free of fluorinated emulsifiers or contains them in an amount of less than 50 ppm based on the weight of the dispersion and wherein the core-shell polymer contains an outer shell of tetrafluoroethylene homopolymer. Further provided are methods of making the dispersions, coating compositions comprising the dispersions and article coated by the coating composition.

An aqueous dispersion comprising a tetrafluoroethylene core-shell polymer and at least one surfactant corresponding to the general formula R.sub.10-[CH.sub.2CH.sub.20].sub.n[R.sub.20].sub.m-R.sub.3 wherein R.sub.1 represents a linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon group having at least 8 carbon atoms, preferably 8 to 18 carbon atoms, R2 represents an alkylene having 3 carbon atoms, R3 represents hydrogen, a C1-C3 alkyl group, or a C1-C3 hydroxyalkyl group, n has a value of 0 to 40, m has a value of 0 to 40 and the sum of n+m is at least 2, wherein the dispersion is free of fluorinated emulsifiers or contains them in an amount of less than 50 ppm based on the weight of the dispersion and wherein the core-shell polymer contains an outer shell of tetrafluoroethylene homopolymer. Further provided are methods of making the dispersions, coating compositions comprising the dispersions and article coated by the coating composition.