Preparation of anion-exchange membranes for fuel cell applications by -ray pre-irradiation grafting

Koshikawa, Hiroshi; Yamaki, Tetsuya; Asano, Masaharu; Maekawa, Yasunari; Yamaguchi, Susumu*; Yamamoto, Kazuya*; Asazawa, Koichiro*; Yamada, Koji*; Tanaka, Hirohisa*

The anion-exchange membranes (AEM) for fuel cells were prepared by the radiation-induced graft polymerization of chloromethylstyrene into poly(ethylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE) films and subsequent quaternization of the grafts with trimethylamine. When the AEM were treated in 1M-KOH and washed with N-saturated water, the membranes with chloride form can be converted quantitatively to hydroxide form. However, the hydroxide form was easily converted to the bicarbonate form by the treatment in non-bubbled (CO dissolved) water. When we introduced the crosslinkers in polymer grafts, which is proved to be very effective in the proton conducting PEM having a poly(styrenesulfonic acid) grafts, the grafted AEM with both chloride and hydroxide forms showed only slight decrease of water uptake. It should be noted that AEM with hydroxide form showed very high tendency to absorb water.