A STUDY OF THE RADIATION-INDUCED COPOLYMERIZATION OF CHLOROTRIFLUOROETHYLENE AND ETHYLENE

The ~(60) Co-induced copolymerization of chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE) and ethy-lene (E) in trifluorotrichloroethane (FC-113) as a solvent was studied.The copolymerization process gives an induction period at40 Roentgens/sec.,with no post-irradiation effectobserved.As compared with bulk copolymerization,itsaverage copolymerization rate is more than doubled.The initial copolymerization rate is a function of square root of the radiationintensity.The copolymerization proceeds by free radical mechanism and is completelyinhibited by DPPH.The overall activation energy of copolymerization is 3. 5 kcal/mol.The comonomer reactivity ratios are γCTEF·E=0. 0025,γE·CTFE=0. 20 respectively.The-refore,an alternating copolymer is obtained.The melting points of the copolymers increase wish the increasing of chlorotriflo-roethylene content in the monomer feed,but decrease with reaction temperature,and are little affected by radiation intensity and solvent feed proportion.The relationship among copolymerization yield (P%),radiation intensity (I),radiation time minus induction period (t) and solvent feed proportion