Mechanism of amine crosslinking of fluoroelastomers. I. Solution studies

Solution studies of Kel‐F elastomer and Viton A with various amines have shown that dehydrohalogenation is the primary step in crosslinking and usually proceeds at temperatures lower than those required for gelation. There is a difference in the reactivity between the two polymers; dehydrohalogenation and gelation occur more readily with Kel‐F elastomer than with Viton A. The rate of reaction and temperature at which gelation is observed depend upon the type of amine. Mechanisms of crosslinking are proposed and discussed.