Fluoropolymer hybrid composite

1. A composition (C) comprising:

an aqueous medium comprising at least one pre-gelled metal compound (GM) obtainable by at least partial hydrolysis and/or partial polycondensation of at least one metal compound (M) of formula (I):

X 4-m M(OY) m   (I)

wherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of Si, Ti and Zr, X and Y, equal to or different from each other and at each occurrence, are hydrocarbon groups, optionally comprising one or more functional groups, and m is an integer comprised between 1 and 4,

at least one polymer (FF), wherein polymer (FF) is a functional fluoropolymer comprising at least one hydroxyl group, and

at least one poly(alkylene oxide) (PAO) of formula (II):

HO—(CH 2 CHR A O) n —R B   (II)

wherein R A is a hydrogen atom or a C 1 -C 5 alkyl group, R B is a hydrogen atom or a —CH 3 alkyl group and n is an integer comprised between 2000 and 40000.

2. The composition (C) according to claim 1 , wherein polymer (FF) comprises recurring units derived from at least one fluorinated monomer and from at least one monomer (OH), wherein monomer (OH) is a functional monomer comprising at least one hydroxyl group.

3. The composition (C) according to claim 1 , wherein monomer (OH) is selected from the group consisting of (meth)acrylic monomers of formula (III) and vinylether monomers of formula (IV):

wherein each of R 1 , R 2 and R 3 , equal to or different from each other, is independently a hydrogen atom or a C 1 -C 3 hydrocarbon group, and R OH is a C 1 -C 5 hydrocarbon group comprising at least one hydroxyl group.

4. The composition (C) according to claim 1 , wherein polymer (FF) comprises recurring units derived from:

(a′) at least 60% by moles of vinylidene fluoride (VDF),

(b′) optionally, from 0.1% to 15% by moles of a fluorinated monomer selected from the group consisting of vinyl fluoride, chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), hexafluoropropylene (HFP), tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), trifluoroethylene (TrFE), perfluoromethylvinylether (PMVE) and mixtures therefrom, and

(c′) from 0.01% to 20% by moles of at least one (meth)acrylic monomer of formula (III).

5. The composition (C) according to claim 1 , wherein compound (M) is of formula (I-A):

R 1 4-m′ M(OR 2 ) m′   (I-A)

wherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of Si, Ti and Zr, R 1 and R 2 , equal to or different from each other and at each occurrence, are selected from the group consisting of C 1 -C 18 hydrocarbon groups, optionally comprising one or more functional groups, and m′ is an integer comprised between 1 and 4.

6. The composition (C) according to claim 1 , wherein compound (GM) comprises one or more domains of formula —[O-MX 4-m* (OY) m*-2 ]O—, wherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of Si, Ti and Zr, X and Y, equal to or different from each other and at each occurrence, are hydrocarbon groups, optionally comprising one or more functional groups, and m* is an integer comprised between 2 and 4.

7. A process for manufacturing a fluoropolymer hybrid organic/inorganic composite (H), said process comprising processing in molten phase the composition (C) according to claim 1 .

8. The process according to claim 7 , wherein composition (C) is processed in molten phase, using an extruder.

9. A fluoropolymer hybrid organic/inorganic composite (H) obtainable by the process according to claim 7 , said composite (H) comprising recurring units derived from at least one fluorinated monomer and from at least one functional monomer (OM) comprising one or more domains of formula —[O-M(OZ 1 )(OZ 2 )]O—, wherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of Si, Ti and Zr, and Z 1 and Z 2 , equal to or different from each other, are hydrocarbon groups, optionally comprising one or more functional groups.

10. A compounded fluoropolymer hybrid organic/inorganic composite (H′) comprising:

at least one composite (H) according to claim 9 ,

at least one metal salt (M), and

optionally, at least one polymer (F), wherein polymer (F) is a fluoropolymer.

11. A fluoropolymer film comprising at least one composite (H) according to claim 9 .

12. A process for manufacturing the fluoropolymer film according to claim 11 , said process comprising processing in molten phase the at least one composite (H).

13. The process according to claim 12 , said process comprising processing in molten phase, using an extruder, the at least one composite (H).

14. An electrochemical device or a photo-electrochemical device comprising at least one fluoropolymer film according to claim 11 .

15. A method for making an electrochemical device, wherein the method comprises using at least one fluoropolymer film according to claim 11 as a separator for such electrochemical devices.

16. The composition (C) according to claim 1 wherein n is an integer comprised between 4000 and 35000.

17. The composition (C) according to claim 1 wherein n is an integer comprised between 11500 and 30000.

18. The composition (C) according to claim 4 , wherein polymer (FF) comprises recurring units derived from:

(a′) at least 75% by moles of vinylidene fluoride (VDF),

(b′) optionally, from 0.1% to 12% by moles of a fluorinated monomer selected from the group consisting of vinyl fluoride, chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), hexafluoropropylene (HFP), tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), trifluoroethylene (TrFE), perfluoromethylvinylether (PMVE) and mixtures therefrom, and

(c′) from 0.05% to 15% by moles of at least one (meth)acrylic monomer of formula (III).

19. The composition (C) according to claim 4 , wherein polymer (FF) comprises recurring units derived from:

(a′) at least 85% by moles of vinylidene fluoride (VDF),

(b′) optionally, from 0.1% to 10% by moles of a fluorinated monomer selected from the group consisting of vinyl fluoride, chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), hexafluoropropylene (HFP), tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), trifluoroethylene (TrFE), perfluoromethylvinylether (PMVE) and mixtures therefrom, and

(c′) from 0.1% to 10% by moles of at least one (meth)acrylic monomer of formula (III).