Studies on the light‐focusing plastic rod. IX. Chemical composition of the copolymer rod‐diethylene glycol bis(allyl carbonate) with 2,2,3,3‐tetrafluoropropyl methacrylate

Abstract

Abstract For the preparation of the light‐focusing plastic rod (LFR) a gel rod of partially polymerized diethylene glycol bis(allyl carbonate) (CR‐39) was immersed in 2,2,3,3‐tetrafluoropropyl methacrylate (4FMA) followed by heat treatment under nitrogen. Variations in the chemical composition in this process indicated the following mode of copolymerization: copolymerization of 4FMA with the allylic group in the gel rod occurs to some extent in the immersion process, but a significant amount of either 4FMA or CR‐39 remains in the rod. Under heat treatment, these monomers copolymerize to a CR‐39–4FMA network copolymer, the preferential component of the LFR. Excellent imaging of the representative LFR is also demonstrated.