A partially fluorinated carboxylic acid, of the formula HOOC--(CH2)4 --(CF2)8 --CF3 was prepared by hydrolzyzation and oxidation of PEG-Telomer B (DuPont Company), where PEG-Telomer B is, generally, a compound of the formula Cn F2n+1 CH2 CH2 (OCH2 CH2)9 --OH, where n is an integer of from about 6 to about 12.