Mechanism of amine crosslinking of fluoroelastomers. I. Solution studies

Solution studies of Kel-F elastomer and Viton A with various amines have shown that dehydrohalogenation is the primary step in crosslinking and usually proceeds at temperatures lower than those required for gelation. There is a difference in the reactivity between the two polymers; dehydrohalogenation and gelation occur more readily with Kel-F elastomer than with Viton A. The rate of reaction and temperature at which gelation is observed depend upon the type of amine. Mechanisms of crosslinking are proposed and discussed.