PSSA-grafted fluoropolymers

To prepare PSSA-grafted fluoropolymers, poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene), poly (ethylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene) and poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene) were used as base polymers. Each polymer was molded into a film (200-300 pm thick) and irradiated with y-ray at room temperature at the rate of 6.8 kGyh using a cobalt-60 source to obtain a total absorbed dose of 50 kGy. The irradiated film was immersed in nitrogen-purged styrene at 70°C for 8 h for... 

Since an IPMC functions as a pathway for hydrated cations, its properties will be expected to affect the performance of an IPMC actuator. The membrane materials used in IPMCs have so far been limited to a few commercially available perfluorinated ionic polymers, such as Nafion, and the thickness of the IPMC has also been restricted to the available thickness of the commercial membrane [67]. However, IPMC actuators employing new ionic membranes have now been reported [68]. The membranes are prepared from fluoropolymers grafted with polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSSA). IPMCs assembled with these membranes have been shown to exhibit at least several times larger displacements than the Nafion-based IPMC with similar thickness. 

In their efforts to use various fluoropolymer films to develop PCMs, Scherer and co-workers [51] prepared PVDF-g-PSSA membranes in comparison with their counterparts based on ETFE films. PVDF films were activated from y-radiation (dose of 20 kGy at dose rate of 5.9 kGy h ) at room temperature in air and grafting of styrene with peroxidation method interestingly occurred at 60°C. The influence of the base polymer properties on the grafting behavior was addressed [52], Sulfonation of the grafted films conducted with chlorosulfonic acid/dichloromethane mixture at room temperature. The PEMFC performance of PVDF-based membranes was found to be inferior to their ETFE-based counterparts [52],... 

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