CFC CONVERSION BY RF PLASMA POLYMERIZATION

AN INNOVATIVE ALTERNATIVE TO CONVENTIONAL APPROACHES TOWARD CHLOROFLUOROCARBON AND HALON DESTRUCTION (SUCH AS OXIDATIVE THERMAL PROCESSES) IS BASED ON APPLICATION OF THE TECHNOLOGY OF RADIOFREQUENCY (RF) GLOW DISCHARGE PLASMA TREATMENTS OF ORGANIC MATERIALS TO CFCS AND HALONS. IN ORDER TO EXPAND ON SOME VERY SLIGHT PRECEDENCE FOR RF PLASMA POLYMERIZATION OF CFCS, RESEARCHERS ARE DEMONSTRATING THE FEASIBILITY OF PLASMA-GENERATED POLYMERS AS A NOVEL, PRACTICAL, AND COMMERCIALLY USEFUL ALTERNATIVE TO PRIOR METHODS OF CFC DESTRUCTION. THE RECOMBINATIONS OF RADICAL AND ION INTERMEDIATES DERIVED FROM CFCS LIKE CFC13 AND CF2C12 ARE EXPECTED TO GENERATE POLYMERS WITH RANDOM SEQUENCES OF CF2, CFC1, AND CC12 MONOMER UNITS. ALTHOUGH LESS WELL DEFINED THAN COMMERCIAL POLYMERS LIKE POLY(CHLOROTRIFLUOROETHYLENE) (PCTFE), A PLASMA-GENERATED CFC POLYMER SHOULD HAVE PROPERTIES-SUCH AS CHEMICAL RESISTANCE AND CERTAIN PHYSICAL PROPERTIES-SUITABLE FOR MANY COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS.