UV RADIATION INDUCED GRAFT COPOLYMERIZATION OF ALLYL ACETATE ONTO POLY（ETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE） （PET） FILMS FOR FUEL CELL MEMBRANES

• Published in: 高分子科学：英文版 2012, Vol.30 (2), p.227-234
• Main Author: Mostak Ahmed Mubarak A. Khan Nazia Rahman M. Anwar H. Khanb
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: PET; 接枝共聚; 烯丙基; 磺化反应; 紫外线; 聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯; 质子交换膜燃料电池; 辐射诱导
• ISSN: 0256-7679; 1439-6203

Ultraviolet （UV）-induced graft copolymerization of allyl acetate （AA） monomer onto poly（ethylene terephthalate） （PET） films and the subsequent sulfonation on the monomer units in the grafting chain using chlorosulfonic acid （C1SO3H） were carried out to prepare proton exchange membranes （PEMs） for fuel cells. A maximum grafting value of 12.8% was found for 35 vol% allyl acetate after 3 h radiation time. Optimum concentration of C1SO3H was selected for the sulfonation reaction to be 0.05 mol/L based on the degree of sulfonation and the tensile strength studies of the membrane. The degree of sulfonation increased as the sulfonation reaction temperature and sulfonation time were increasing. The radiation grafting and the sulfonation have been confirmed by titrimetric and gravimetric analyses as well as FTIR spectroscopy. The maximum ion exchange capacity （IEC） of 0.04125 mmol g-1 was found at 12.1% degree of sulfonation and the maximum proton conductivity was found to be 0.035 S cm-1 at 30℃ and a relative humidity of 60%. The various physical and chemical properties of the PEMs such as water uptake, mechanical strength, thermal durability and oxidative stability were also studied. To investigate the suitability of the prepared membrane for fuel cell applications, its properties were compared with those ofNafion 117.