Chemical Modification of Ultradispersed Polytetrafluoroethylene Produced by Partial Thermodestruction of Fluoroplastic-4

The phenomenon of transfer of polytetrafluoroethylene molecules into the gas phase during thermal shock degradation of fluoroplast-4, first discovered at the Institute of Chemistry of Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, makes it possible to obtain ultrafine polytetrafluoroethylene containing fluoropolymer molecules of various molecular weights from 300 to 5000 Da. The fluoropolymer consists of saturated and unsaturated molecules, which may contain different functional groups depending on the medium in which the thermal degradation takes place. Studies of the thermal degradation of fluoroplast-4 in an oxidizing environment, as well as the effects of fluorine gas on PTFE of various molecular weights, have been conducted. The obtained compounds were studied by various physic-chemical methods, and were also tested as antifriction, anti-wear, hydrophobic, anti-icing, anti-fouling coatings, components of composite and paint materials, as well as cathode materials for lithium chemical current sources.