Kinetics of radiation-induced degradation of CF2- and CF-groups in poly(vinylidene fluoride): Model refinement

XPS of partially crystalline PVDF film have been studied in the course of carbonization under Al Kα radiation. The long-term exposure of PVDF film and enhancement of the spectra resolution allowed further refinement of the previously proposed degradation model, which does not take into account practical impossibility of complete elimination of fluorine. Due to a random character of photon interactions with a polymer backbone, there is a possibility of the formation of isolated CF2 (CF) and CH2 (CH) groups that can never decay. The basic equation from the original model has been rewritten considering of formation of such groups. Kinetics of CF2 and CF groups elimination confirms that microscopic mechanism of their decay can be described by the second-order reaction.