Effect of γ-irradiation on the molecular-topological structure of Viton® fluoroelastomers

Abstract

The molecular–topological structure of a terpolymer based on vinylidene fluoride, hexafluoropropylene, and tetrafluoroethylene has been studied for the first time with the use of thermomechanical spectrometry. A five-block topologically amorphous and crystalline pseudo-network structure with crystallites, which have different initial melting temperatures, as branching points has been detected in the terpolymer at temperatures from–100 to 250°C. When γ-irradiated at a dose of 30 kGy, the crystalline blocks of high-temperature modifications assimilated into one cluster block with the formation of a pseudo-network with a 1.5fold increase in the block-average molecular weight and a decreased initial molecular flow temperature.