SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF FLUORINATED EPOXY-BASED NETWORKS CHARACTERIZED BY AMIDE COVALENT ATTACHMENT

ROCIO LIAÑO; DIANA P. FASCE; P.E. MONTEMARTINI; P.A. OYANGUREN

Bahía Blanca

Simposio; IX Simposio Argentino de Polímeros; 2011

Polymer properties can be effectively modified by the introduction of fluorinated groups. The most evident and characteristic result is a significant decrease of the surface energy, affecting wettability, adhesion, and solvent resistance. Moreover, the presence of highly stable C-F bonds, can substantially improve the chemical, thermal, and photochemical stability of the material. Fluorinated polymers are, thus, extensively applied as high-performance coatings to obtain water/oil-repellent, antifouling, low-friction, and non-sticky surfaces (Coelho et al, 2003). Surface segregation of fluorinated species has been used to obtain coatings with low surface energy and desired bulk properties (Dikic et al, 2007). We have earlier reported (Miccio et al, 2010) that epoxy-networks characterized by ionic interaction between fluorinated acid and polymer chains, exhibited a decrease in water contact angles with fluorine content.  It was demonstrated that this behaviour is related with the increasing concentration of polar ammonium and carboxylate groups at the surface. On the other hand, poxy networks synthesized having perfluoroalkyl end-capped bonded by an ester group, showed hydrophobic behaviour in very good agreement with the segregation of fluorine to the surface.  In this work, a step towards the advancing in the study of the fluorinated epoxy based polymers properties has been taken by analyzing the activation of fluorinated carboxylic acid towards amide formation. The influence of the wettability and surface chemical composition of final materials is discussed.