This invention provides a method for manufacturing a
fluoropolymer with minimal deviation in weight-average molecular weight per batch. The method for manufacturing the
fluoropolymer of this invention is characterized by comprising the following steps: a
fluoropolymer synthesis step, wherein a
diol represented by formula (3) is reacted with at least one selected from unsaturated carboxylic acids, esters of the unsaturated carboxylic acids, acyl halides of the unsaturated carboxylic acids, and anhydrides of the unsaturated carboxylic acids to obtain a composition comprising a fluoropolymer represented by formula (4) as the main reactant and a fluoropolymer represented by formula (5) as a by-reactant; a fluoropolymer purification step, wherein the fluoropolymer represented by formula (5) is removed from the composition, and the content of the fluoropolymer represented by formula (5) is 1500 ppm or less, expressed as a
mass fraction (parts per million) based on the fluoropolymer represented by formula (4); and a
polymerization step, wherein the composition after the fluoropolymer purification step is subjected to a
polymerization reaction to produce a fluoropolymer comprising a repeating unit represented by formula (1) and a repeating unit represented by formula (2). In equations (1), (2), (3), (4), and (5), R 1 R 2 Each of the following is independently a
hydrogen atom, methyl, ethyl, n-propyl,
isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl, or tert-butyl, R 3 R 4 Each is independently a
hydrogen atom, methyl or ethyl, R 5 R is a
hydrogen atom or a
trifluoromethyl group. 6 It can be a
hydrogen atom, a
chlorine atom, a
methyl group, or a
trifluoromethyl group.