Patent ID: 7176265

Claim:
A process for producing low molecular weight, granular polytetrafluoroethylene or modified polytetrafluoroethylene having a melt viscosity of less than about 1×10 6 Pa·S in a suspension polymerization process comprising polymerizing pressurized tetrafluoroethylene in an agitated reaction vessel which contains aqueous medium, free radical initiator, and a telogen; agitating the contents of said reaction vessel during polymerization sufficiently to coagulate polytetrafluoroethylene or modified polytetrafluoroethylene; and isolating said granular polytetrafluoroethylene or modified polytetrafluoroethylene having a melt viscosity of less than about 1×10 6 Pa·S directly from said reaction vessel, said modified polytetrafluoroethylene having about 0.002 to about 0.20 mole % of comonomer.