Vinylidene fluoride polymer and method of making same

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) having such crystallization properties as to produce small spheralite sizes without sacrificing properties, processability, purity, etc. comprises 99.5-96 wt. % of vinylidene fluoride and 0.5-4 wt. % of a comonomer selected from the group consisting of hexafluoropropylene, tetrafluoroethylene and mixtures thereof, has a logarithmic viscosity of 0.9-1.3 dl/g and a molecular weight distribution, as expressed by the ratio of weight average molecular weight to number average molecular weight, of 2.2-2.8. The PVDF is formed by suspension polymerizing vinylidene fluoride and 1-5 wt. % of the desired comonomer, in an aqueous medium in the presence of an oil-soluble initiator, so that a logarithmic viscosity ((eta)1) of 1.3-1.9 dl/g is obtained at a vinylidene fluoride conversion of 10-50%; then adding a chain transfer agent to the medium and continuing polymerization so that the logarithmic viscosity ((eta)2) of the final polymer is 0.3-0.7 dl/g lower than ((eta)1) but remains in the range of 0.9-1.3 dl/g.