Proton exchange membrane radiation-grafted

Keywords Polymer electrolyte fuel cell - Proton exchange membrane - Radiation grafting... 

Rouilly, M. V., Koetz, E. R., Haas, O., Scherer, G. G. and Chapiro, A. 1993. Proton exchange membranes prepared by simultaneous radiation grafting of styrene onto Teflon-EEP films Synthesis and characterization. Journal of Membrane Science 81 89-95. 

B. Gupta, O. Haas, and G.G. Scherer. Proton-exchange membranes by radiation grafting of styrene onto FEP films. 4. Evaluation of the states of water. Journal of Applied Polymer Science 57, 855-862 1995. 

B. Gupta, M. Staub, G.G. Scherer, and D. Grman. Surface nonhomogeneity in radiation grafted FEP-g-polystyrenesulfonic acid proton-exchange membranes. Journal of Polymer Science Part A Polymer Chemistry 33, 1545-1549 1995. 

We have confined our goal to reviewing the state-of-the-art in the development of radiation grafted proton-exchange membranes. This review provides an up-to-date summary of the synthesis, properties, and appHcations of radiation grafted membranes as solid polymer electrolytes in fuel cells. 

The significant contribution of Nafion or perfluorosulfonic membranes to the cost of the fuel cells stacks and the high alcohol crossover levels that affect the fuel efficiency, prompted the development of radiation grafted proton exchange membranes based on poly(ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE) [172-178], PVdF [175], andPTFE [179]. The peroxy radicals produced on the base polymer by y-ray, electron- or proton-beam, react with styrene to form a co-polymer that is then sulphonated. 

Gupta, B. and Scherer, G. 1994. Proton exchange membranes by radiation-induced graft copolymerization of monomers into Teflon-FEP films. Chimia 48 127-137. 

Nasef, M.M., Saidi, H. and Dahlan, K.Z.M. 2009. Single-step radiation induced grafting for preparation of proton exchange membranes for fuel cell. 339 115-119. 

Scherer et al. presented in 1994 a method for gamma radiation-induced graft copolymerization of styrene and acryhc acid monomers into Teflon-FEP (poly(tetra-fluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene)) films with a view to develop proton exchange membranes for various applications [541]. This process oflbrs an easy control over the composition of a membrane by careful variation in radiation dose, dose rate, monomer concentration, and temperature of the grafting reaction. 

P. Gode, J. Ihonen, A. Strandroth, H. Ericson, G. Lindbergh, M. Paronen, F. Sundholm, G. Sundholm and N. Walsby, Membrane durability in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell studied using PVDF based radiation-grafted membranes. Fuel Cells 3, 21 (2003). 

M.M. Nasef, H. Saidi and H.M. Nor, Proton exchange membranes prepared by simultaneous radiation grafting of styrene onto FEP fUms.I. efffect of grafting conditions, J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 76, 220 (2000). 

Fig. 1 Preparation of radiation-grafted proton-exchange membranes. Radicals within the base film, created by electron beam irradiation (2.2MeV, 1.5-25kGy), act as centers to initiate radical polymerization (here the monomer is styrene). Sulfonation of the grafted film introduces sulfonic acid groups (-SO H) and thus proton conductivity...

Gubler, L., Prost, N., Alkan Giirsel, S. euid Scherer, G.G. (2005c) Proton exchange membranes prepared by radiation grafting of styrene/divinylbenzene onto poly(ethylene-A/t-tetrafluoroethylene) for low temperature fuel cells. Solid State Ionics 176, 2849-2860. 

Yu, H., Shi, J., Zeng, X., Bao, M., and Zhao, X. (2009) A proton-exchange membrane prepared by the radiation grafting of styrene and silica into polytetrafluoroethylene films. Radiat. Phys. Chem., 78, 497-500. 

Gubler L, Scherer GG (2008) Durability of radiation grafted fuel cell membranes. In Inaba M, Schmidt TJ, Buchi FN (eds) Proton exchange fuel cells durability. Springer,... 

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