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Earlier work in this laboratory has shown that the friction and wear properties of the poly(n-alkyl methacrylates) are related to the side chain crystallinity in the polymer. In both thick specimens and thin films deposited on solid substrates, the coefficient of friction was shown to decrease with increasing length of the alkyl side chain. Since earlier work has shown the durability of thin films to be substrate dependent, the wear of thick sections of polymer, i.e., under substrate independent conditions was studied. Earlier work had also shown that poly(n-octadecyl methacrylate) is insoluble in poly(methyl methacrylate) so that the former cannot be used as an additive in the latter. The copolymer approach was therefore followed and copolymers of poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(n-octadecyl methacrylate) were prepared successfully.

The preparation of partially fluorinated organic compounds via reductive desulfurization of appropriately substituted thiophene was investigated. Condensation of a fluoro acid chloride with a thienyl halide was accomplished by a reverse Grignard procedure. Conventional acid condensation techniques did not work. The resulting compound was desulfurized with Raney nickel yielding the aliphatic alcohol and ketone. The alcohol was dehydrated to the olefin and then hydrogenated to the saturated hydrocarbon. The Wolff-Kischner and Clemmensen reduction of the fluorinated ketone were unsuccessful. (Author)