DIRECT FLUORINATION TECHNOLOGY: THE SYNTHESIS OF PERFLUOROPOLYALKYLETHER FLUIDS USING LIQUID PHASE DIRECT FLUORINATION

THIS PROPOSAL OUTLINES RESEARCH INTO THE FEASIBILITY OF THE PRODUCTION OF PERFLUOROPOLYALKYLETHER FLUIDS, WITH A VARIETY OF MOLECULAR STRUCTURES, USING THE TECHNIQUE OF DYNAMIC FLOW DIRECT FLUORINATION IN THE LIQUID PHASE. THIS WOULD INVOLVE THE SURFACE FLUORINATION OF RAPIDLY STIRRED (CA. 3500 R.P.M.), NEAT ETHER, AND POLYETHER LIQUIDS OVER A RANGE OF TEMPERATURES (-78 TO 100 C). THIS REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE FROM THE EXISTING DIRECT FLUORINATION METHODS OF PERFLUOROPOLYALKYLETHER PRODUCTION IN THAT THE STARTING MATERIAL IS NOT A SOLID, BUT A LIQUID. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, A LIQUID PHASE REACTOR WHICH WILL ENABLE THE RAPID, EVEN DISPERSAL OF ELEMENTAL FLUORINE INTO THE REACTION MIXTURE MUST BE CONSTRUCTED. THE PRODUCTS OBTAINED IN THE SUBSEQUENT EXPERIMENTS WILL BE ANALYZED USING SPECTROSCOPIC METHODS AND ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS.