176-181Radiation grafted and sulphonated PEEK (poly ether ether ketone)
membranes have been analyzed for water management within the matrix. Grafting
is done using alpha methyl styrene-butyl acrylate (AMS/BA) mixture. Membranes
exhibit enhanced water content with the increasing ionic content due to higher
hydrophilicity. However, the water/ionic site ratio increases significantly
with the increasing graft levels. The ionic mobility also increases with
increasing graft levels. It is stated that the water management within the
hydrophilic membrane matrix plays a key role and is responsible for the high
proton mobility at higher graft levels in the membrane. This, in turn, is
governed by the physiochemical changes taking place in membranes due to the
grafting and sulfonation process. A correlation of the higher water/ionic site
ratio arising out of the structural changes in the proton exchange membranes
may be developed by radiation grafting of AMS/BA followed by sulfonation