Radiation Chemical Conversions in Fluorine Containing Elastomers under Different γ-Irradiation Conditions
Abstract Rates of radiation chemical crosslinking and scission of fluorine containing elastomers based on copolymers of vinylidene fluoride with trifluorochloroethylene (Copolymer 1), with hexafluoropropylene (Copolymer 2), and with a perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether (Copolymer 3) and also the behavior of their radiation vulcanizates in the stressed state at high temperatures are determined both by the type of polymer and by the irradiation conditions. Crosslinking rates of Copolymers 2 and 3 are higher than those of Copolymer 1; oxygen of the air inhibits crosslinking by γ-radiation; by irradiation in the presence of oxygen of the air, the sol fraction is 8–10 times higher than in its absence, Copolymer 3 vulcanizates obtained by irradiation in the absence of air appear to be optimal.