Features of the molecular–topological structure of γ-irradiated powdered tetrafluoroethylene–perfluoro(propyl vinyl ether) copolymer

Abstract

With the use of thermomechanical spectrometry in two modes, coaxial, when the load application vector is coplanar with the compacting pressure vector (semicrystalline copolymer) during the measurement of the deformation of a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene with perfluoro(propyl vinyl ether), and mutually perpendicular (completely amorphous copolymer), it has been established that the axial compression of the copolymer brought its topological structure to an absolutely anisotropic state. After γ-irradiation, the semicrystalline structure of the copolymer was retained regardless of the radiation dose. The minimum values of the glass transition temperature of the amorphous block and the degree of crystallinity were observed in the copolymer irradiated to a dose of 150 kGy. The molecular weight distribution functions of interjunction chains in the networks of the amorphous blocks of the initial copolymer and its γ-irradiated analogs are bimodal.