Preparation of strong base anion exchange membrane using 60Co gamma radiation

Vinyl benzyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (VBTAC) is grafted onto polyethylene (PE) film by simultaneous irradiation technique by 60Co γ-radiation in the presence of 2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and air. The effect of solvents, monomer concentration, total dose and dose rate on grafting was studied. All the above parameters affect the grafting of VBTAC. It was also observed that the presence of HEMA is essential to initiate the grafting and low dose rate to facilitate the grafting rate. Properties such as grafting amount, ion exchange capacity and water uptake of the grafted PE film were determined. The ion exchange capacity was found to increase with increasing percentage of grafting, which in turn was found to be dose dependent. The grafting was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).