| abstract |
A process for producing a melt-moldable tetrafluoroethylene copolymer which is satisfactory in mechanical properties including tensile strength and is colorless. It has a satisfactory polymerization rate. The process for melt-moldable tetrafluoroethylene copolymer production comprises polymerizing tetrafluoroethylene and other fluoromonomer(s) in an aqueous medium in the presence of a free-radical polymerization initiator and at least one chain-transfer agent selected from the group consisting of methane, ethane, hydrochlorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, and hydrochlorofluorocarbons by free-radical suspension polymerization to produce a tetrafluoroethylene copolymer which comprises repeating units (a) derived from tetrafluoroethylene and repeating units (b) derived from the other fluoromonomer(s), the amount of the repeating units (a) being 97.3-99.5 mass% based on the sum of the repeating units (a) and repeating units (b), and has a volumetric flow velocity of 0.1-1,000 mm3/sec. |