Fluoroelastomer composition

Claim 2

A fluoroelastomer composition, comprising: a fluoroelastomer selected from the group consisting of vinylidene fluoride/hexafluoropropylene copolymers, vinylidene fluoride/tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene terpolymers, vinylidene fluoride/chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymers, tetrafluoroethylene/propylene copolymers, hexafluoropropylene/ethylene copolymers, perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether/olefin copolymers, fluorosilicone elastomers and fluorophosphazene elastomers; and a thermoplastic fluoroelastomer comprising a polymeric chain having two or three polymer segments, at least one iodine atom liberated from an iodinated compound bonded to a terminal position of the polymeric chain and a fragment of the iodinated compound from which at least one iodine atom has been removed therefrom bonded at another terminal position of said polymeric chain, said iodinated compound being a perhalohydrocarbon of 1 to 16 carbon atoms wherein at least one of the halogen atoms is an iodine atom but no more than one iodine atom is present on every two adjacent carbon atoms; one polymer segment (when the polymeric chain comprises two polymer segments) or one or two polymer segments (when the polymeric chain comprises three polymer segments) being an elastomeric polymer segment(s) having a molecular weight of from 30,000 to 1,200,000 selected from the group consisting of (1) a vinylidene fluoride/hexafluoropropylene or pentafluoropropylene/tetrafluoroethylene polymer in a molar ratio of 45-90:5-50:0-35 and (2) a perfluoro(C 1 -C 3 -alkyl vinyl ether) (including those having plural ether linkages)/tetrafluoroethylene/vinylidene fluoride polymer in a molar ratio of 15-75:0-85:0-85, the other polymer segment(s) being a non-elastomeric polymer segment having a molecular weight of from 3,000 to 400,000 selected from the group consisting of (3) a vinylidene fluoride/tetrafluoroethylene polymer in a molar ratio of 0:100 to 100:0 and (4) a ethylene/tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene, 3,3,3-trifluoropropylene-1, 2-trifluoromethyl-3,3,3-trifluoropropylene-1 or perfluoro(C 1 -C 3 -alkyl vinyl ether) (including those having plural ether linkages) polymer in a molar ratio of 40-60:60:40:0-30, wherein the weight ratio of the elastomeric polymer segment to the nonelastomeric polymer segment is from 40:60 to 95:5.

Claim 3

The composition of claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of the elastomeric polymer segment and the non-elastomeric polymer segment is from 40:60 to 95:5.

Claim 4

The composition of claim 1, which contains 20 to 95% by weight of the thermoplastic fluoroelastomer.

Claim 5

The composition of claim 1, which contains 30 to 90% by weight of the thermoplastic fluoroelastomer.

Claim 6

The composition of claim 1, which further comprises a cross-linking agent.

Claim 7

A formed article of the fluoroelastomer composition of claim 1.

Claim 8

The formed article of claim 6, which is a film or sheet.

Claim 9

The formed article of claim 6, which is an O-ring.

Claim 10

A process for preparing the fluoroelastomer composition of claim 1, comprising co-coagulating the fluoroelastomers from an aqueous dispersion.

Claim 11

A process for preparing the fluoroelastomer of claim 13, comprising kneading the fluoroelastomer and the thermoplastic fluoroelastomer.

Claim 12

A fluoroelastomer composition, consisting essentially of: a vinylidene fluoride/hexafluoropropylene/tetrafluoroethylene terpolymer fluoroelastomer; and 20 to 95% by weight of a thermoplastic fluoroelastomer comprising vinylidene fluoride/hexafluoropropylene/tetrafluoroethylene polymer, segments and polyvinylidene fluoride polymer segments.

Claim 13

A fluoroelastomer composition, consisting essentially of: a vinylidene fluoride/hexafluoropropylene/tetrafluoroethylene terpolymer fluoroelastomer; and 20 to 95% by weight of a thermoplastic fluoroelastomer comprising vinylidene fluoride/hexafluoropropylene/tetrafluoroethylene polymer, segments and polyvinylidene fluoride polymer segments.

Claim 14

The composition of claim 11, which contains a filler.

Claim 15

The composition of claim 11, which contains an additive selected from the group consisting of carbon black, silica and talc.

Claim 16

The composition of claim 11, which contains carbon black.

Claim 17

The composition of claim 11, which contains a cross-linking agent.

Claim 18

A fluoroelastomer composition, comprising: a fluoroelastomer selected from the group consisting of vinylidene fluoride/hexafluoropropylene copolymers, vinylidene fluoride/tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene terpolymers, vinylidene fluoride/chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymers, tetrafluoroethylene/propylene copolymers, hexafluoropropylene/ethylene copolymers, perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether/olefin copolymers, fluorosilicone elastomers and fluorophosphazene elastomers; and 20 to 95% by weight of a thermoplastic fluoroelastomer comprising a polymeric chain having two or three polymer segments, at least one iodine atom liberated from an iodinated compound bonded at a terminal position of said polymeric chain and a fragment of the iodinated compound from which at least one iodine atom has been removed bonded at another terminal position of said polymeric chain, said iodinated compound being a perhalohydrocarbon of 1 to 16 carbon atoms wherein at least one of the halogen atoms is an iodine atom but only one iodine atom is present on every two adjacent carbon atoms and the other halogen atoms consist of (1) fluorine atoms or (2) fluorine atoms and chlorine atoms but the number of chlorine atoms is not more than that of fluorine atoms and only one chlorine atom is present on one carbon atom, and which may have an oxygen linkage (--O--) between any two carbon atoms and/or include additionally --CF 2 H or ═CF.sub. 2, whereby said polymeric chain intervenes between said iodine atom and said fragment, wherein adjacent polymer segments are different in steric configuration or monomeric composition, one polymer segment (when the polymer chain comprises two polymer segments) or one or two polymer segments (when the polymeric chain comprises three polymer segments) being an elastomeric polymer segment(s) having a molecular weight of from 30,000 to 1,200,000 selected from the group consisting of (1) a vinylidene fluoride/hexafluoropropylene or pentafluoropropylene/tetrafluoroethylene polymer in a molar ratio of 45-90:5-50:0-35 and (2) a perfluoro(C 1 -C 3 -alkyl vinyl ether) (including those having plural ether linkages)/tetrafluoroethylene/vinylidene fluoride polymer in a molar ratio of 15-75:0-85:0-85, the other polymer segment(s) being a non-elastomeric polymer segment having a molecular weight of from 3,000 to 400,000 selected from the group consisting of (3) a vinylidene fluoride/tetrafluoroethylene polymer in a molar ratio of 0:100 to 100:0 and (4) an ethylene/tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene, 3,3,3-trifluoropropylene-1, 2-trifluoromethyl-3,3,3-trifluoropropylene-1 or perfluoro(C 1 -C 3 -alkyl vinyl ether) (including those having plural ether linkages) polymer in a molar ratio of 40-60:60-40:0-30, wherein the weight ratio of the elastomeric polymer segment to the non-elastomeric polymer segment is from 40:60 to 95:5.

Claim 19

A fluoroelastomer composition, comprising: a fluoroelastomer selected from the group consisting of vinylidene fluoride/hexafluoropropylene copolymers, vinylidene fluoride/tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene terpolymers, vinylidene fluoride/chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymers, tetrafluoroethylene/propylene copolymers, hexafluoropropylene/ethylene copolymers, perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether/olefin copolymers, fluorosilicone elastomers and fluorophosphazene elastomers; and 20 to 95% by weight of a thermoplastic fluoroelastomer comprising a polymeric chain having two or three polymer segments, at least one iodine atom liberated from an iodinated compound bonded at a terminal position of said polymeric chain and a fragment of the iodinated compound from which at least one iodine atom has been removed bonded at another terminal position of said polymeric chain, said iodinated compound being a perhalohydrocarbon of 1 to 16 carbon atoms wherein at least one of the halogen atoms is an iodine atom but only one iodine atom is present on every two adjacent carbon atoms and the other halogen atoms consist of (1) fluorine atoms or (2) fluorine atoms and chlorine atoms but the number of chlorine atoms is not more than that of fluorine atoms and only one chlorine atom is present on one carbon atom, and which may have an oxygen linkage (--O--) between any two carbon atoms and/or include additionally --CF 2 H or ═CF.sub. 2, whereby said polymeric chain intervenes between said iodine atom and said fragment, wherein adjacent polymer segments are different in steric configuration or monomeric composition, one polymer segment (when the polymer chain comprises two polymer segments) or one or two polymer segments (when the polymeric chain comprises three polymer segments) being an elastomeric polymer segment(s) having a molecular weight of from 30,000 to 1,200,000 selected from the group consisting of (1) a vinylidene fluoride/hexafluoropropylene or pentafluoropropylene/tetrafluoroethylene polymer in a molar ratio of 45-90:5-50:0-35 and (2) a perfluoro(C 1 -C 3 -alkyl vinyl ether) (including those having plural ether linkages)/tetrafluoroethylene/vinylidene fluoride polymer in a molar ratio of 15-75:0-85:0-85, the other polymer segment(s) being a non-elastomeric polymer segment having a molecular weight of from 3,000 to 400,000 selected from the group consisting of (3) a vinylidene fluoride/tetrafluoroethylene polymer in a molar ratio of 0:100 to 100:0 and (4) an ethylene/tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene, 3,3,3-trifluoropropylene-1, 2-trifluoromethyl-3,3,3-trifluoropropylene-1 or perfluoro(C 1 -C 3 -alkyl vinyl ether) (including those having plural ether linkages) polymer in a molar ratio of 40-60:60-40:0-30, wherein the weight ratio of the elastomeric polymer segment to the non-elastomeric polymer segment is from 40:60 to 95:5.

Claim 20

The composition of claim 16, which contains 30 to 90% of the thermoplastic fluoroelastomer.

Claim 21

The composition of claim 16, which contains a cross-linking agent.

Claim 22

The composition of claim 16, which contains a filler.