16. PARTIALLY FLUORINATED POLYMER NETWORKS: SYNTHESIS AND STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION.

LUIS A. MICCIO; ROCIO LIAÑO; PE MONTEMARTINI; PA OYANGUREN

JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE

JOHN WILEY & SONS INC

Lugar: New York; Año: 2011 vol. 122 p. 608 - 616

0021-8995

Functionalizacion of epoxy-based networks by the preferential surface enrichment of perfluorinated tails to achieve hydrophobic surface is described. The selected fluorinated epoxies (FE) were: 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,9,9,9-hexadecafluoro-8-trifluoromethyl nonyloxirane (FED3) and 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,9-heptadecafluoro nonyloxirane (FES3). Two series of crosslinked fluorinated epoxy-based materials containing variable fluorine contents (from 0 to 6 wt % F) were prepared using formulations based on partially fluorinated diamine, epoxy monomer and a curing agent. The epoxy monomer was based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) while the curing agents were either propyleneoxide diamine (JEFFAMINE) or 4,4´-methylenebis(3-chloro 2,6-diethylaniline) (MCDEA). It was found that depending on the curing agent employed, homogeneous distribution of fluorine or phase separation distinguishable at micrometer or nanometer scale was obtained when curing blends initially homogeneous. The morphology and composition of partially fluorinated networks was investigated on a micrometer scale combining scanning electron microscopy and X-ray analysis. In the case of JEFFAMINE-cured samples, surfaces were homogeneous for all fluorine proportions. On the other hand, MCDEA-cured blends showed fluorine-rich zones dispersed in a continuous epoxy-rich phase. A completely different morphology, characterized by a distribution of irregular fluorine-rich domains dispersed in an epoxy-rich phase, was obtained when curing blends initially immiscible. The influence on surface properties of the architecture of FE, and the molecular structure of the unit building blocks will be discussed in the second part of the series.