Radiation-Induced Grafting of Styrene onto Polyvinylfluoride (PVF) Films: Impact of Grafting Conditions on Grafted Film Properties

This study aimed to investigate the modification of commercial polyvinylfluoride (PVF) with a thickness of 100 μm through graft polymerization of styrene induced by radiation. The target was to achieve a desired degree of grafting (DOG) to develop a polymer electrolyte membrane for fuel cell applications. The grafting process was carried out simultaneously at room temperature and under a nitrogen atmosphere using a ⁶⁰ Co gamma radiation facility. Various reaction conditions such as the type of solvent, monomer concentration, irradiation dose, and dose rate were explored to optimize the grafting process. The gathered results proved that the grafting parameters had substantial effect on the grafting yield. To gain a deeper understanding of the graft polymerization, a kinetic study was conducted under different reaction conditions. The findings allowed for the establishment of a relationship between the initial rate of grafting, dose rate, and monomer concentration, which can be expressed by the following equation: \( \frac{\text{d}{\text{G}}_{0}}{\text{dt}}=\alpha [M{]}^{2.14}[D{]}^{0.49}\) This equation provides valuable insights into the kinetics of the graft polymerization process, enabling better control and optimization of the reaction for future applications as a polymer electrolyte membrane in fuel cells.