Patent 8697822 was granted and assigned to Arkema on April, 2014 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The present invention relates to a method for the polymerization in an aqueous medium of monomers, and especially of fluoromonomers, using non-fluorinated surfactants; and the fluoropolymers formed therefrom. Specifically, the method of the polymerization uses one or more non-fluorinated surfactants selected from the group consisting of polyvinylphosphonic acid, polyacrylic acids, polyvinyl sulfonic acid, and salts thereof. Additionally, the use of polyvinylphosphonic acid, polyacrylic acids, polyvinyl sulfonic acid as surfactants in aqueous free radical polymerization is also novel.