Fluorine-containing composition and fluorine-containing polymer

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fluorine-containing compositions for water and oil repellency face challenges in providing strong water repellency and preventing polymer adhesion to substrates, while also raising environmental concerns due to the potential risks associated with certain fluorinated compounds like PFOA and telomers.

Innovation Solution

A fluorine-containing polymer is developed, comprising specific monomers that exclude organopolysiloxane and halogenated olefin units, with a balanced composition of fluoroalkyl, linear hydrocarbon, and cyclic hydrocarbon groups, which are copolymerized to create a composition that offers excellent water and oil repellency without adhesion issues.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If fluorine-containing compounds with low carbon number (at most 7) are used, then the polymer has low crystallinity and easier processing, but the actual water repellency performance is low

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing easeVSAvoidwater repellency performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the carbon number parameter of the fluoroalkyl group from the conventional range (at most 7) to a higher range (8-20). This parameter change increases the crystallinity of the side chain, which improves the actual water repellency performance while maintaining processability through optimized copolymer composition

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If fluorine-containing compounds with high carbon number (at least 8) are used, then the side chain crystallizes and water repellency improves, but the polymer may adhere to processing equipment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater repellency performanceVSAvoidpolymer adhesion

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite polymer structure by copolymerizing fluoroalkyl (meth)acrylate with hydrocarbon (meth)acrylate. This composite approach combines the water repellency benefits of high carbon number fluoroalkyl groups with the processing benefits of hydrocarbon groups, preventing adhesion to equipment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by having different monomer units perform different functions within the same polymer: fluoroalkyl units provide water repellency through crystallization, while hydrocarbon units prevent adhesion to processing equipment, creating localized functional zones within the polymer chain

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If conventional fluorine-containing copolymers are used, then water and oil repellency is achieved, but environmental risks arise due to PFOA and telomer contamination

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater and oil repellencyVSAvoidenvironmental load

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the harmful fluorinated compounds (PFOA and telomers) from the polymer composition while retaining the essential water and oil repellency function through alternative fluorine-containing monomers with lower environmental risk

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the potential harm of fluorinated compounds by carefully selecting fluorine-containing monomers that provide the desired repellency function without the environmental risks associated with PFOA and telomers, turning a harmful approach into a beneficial one

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The composition achieves strong water repellency and prevents polymer adhesion, demonstrating effective performance in water repellency tests while minimizing environmental risks by avoiding harmful fluorinated compounds.

Implementation Method 1

the fluorine-containing compounds have low free energy, i.e., difficulty in adherence

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSurface energy: Surface Tension

Implementation Method 2

an X-ray analysis shows that the side chain crystallizes when the carbon number of side chain is at least 7

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCrystallization: Crystallisation

Data Source

PatentEP2799458B1Fluorine-containing composition and fluorine-containing polymer

Publication Date: 2019.06.12 DAIKIN INDUSTRIES LTD

AI summary

Disclosed is a fluorine-containing composition which contains a fluorine-containing polymer that has repeating units respectively derived from (A) a fluorine-containing monomer that is an alpha-chloroacrylate having a fluoroalkyl group, (B) a monomer that has a linear or branched hydrocarbon group but does not have a fluoroalkyl group, and (C) a monomer that has a cyclic hydrocarbon group but does not have a fluoroalkyl group. This fluorine-containing composition is capable of providing a base such as a fiber product with excellent water repellency, especially strong water repellency.