A study on the distribution of polystyrene sulfonic acid grafts over the cross-section of a PFA film

In this study, the distribution behaviors of polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSSA) grafts over the cross-section of grafted PFA membranes (PFA-g-PSSA) were investigated by using SEM-EDX analysis. Membranes with various degrees of grafting (DOG) and thicknesses were prepared by a simultaneous radiation grafting of styrene and a subsequent sulfonation with chlorosulfonic acid. A SEM-EDX instrument was utilized to directly observe that the distribution behaviors of the PSSA grafts over the cross-section of grafted PFA membranes and the results showed that the distribution behaviors were largely affected by the grafting conditions such as the degree of grafting, monomer concentration, and film thickness.