Effect of γ-irradiation on the molecular–topological structure of a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoro(propyl vinyl ether)

Abstract

The molecular–topological structure of a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoro(propyl vinyl ether) before and after γ-irradiation has been studied for the first time. The pseudo-network structure of the copolymer contains an amorphous block and the crystalline segments of macromolecules serve as branching points. After γ-irradiation to a dose of 15 to 2380 kGy, polyassociative cluster-type entities have appeared in the initial copolymer in place of the crystalline branching points with simultaneous structure amorphization and a decrease in the onset temperature of molecular flow.