Radiation deterioration in mechanical properties and ion exchange capacity of Nafion N117 swelling in water

The base form Nafion N117 samples swelling in the oxygen-saturated distilled water were irradiated with γ-rays or with electron beams at various doses up to 1600 kGy at room temperature or at 343 K to obtain detailed information on the effect of oxygen on the radiation deterioration in the Nafion mechanical properties and in the ion exchange capacity. The contribution of the radical reactions where oxygen molecules did not participate was dominant for the radiation deterioration in the mechanical properties of the Nafion N117 membrane swelling in the oxygen-saturated distilled water at room temperature. The effect of oxygen molecules was not significant due to the little oxygen concentration in the distilled water even though oxygen was saturated in the water. The Nafion N117 membrane irradiated with γ-rays at 343 K became a weak and brittle material, since the rise of the temperature activated the reactions. Oxygen molecules, in contrast, have negligible part in the reactions at 343 K due to their lower solubility in the water. We observed the negligible effect of the radiation sources as well as of the dose rate below 10 kGy/h on the radiation deterioration in Nafion N117 mechanical properties at room temperature. The irradiation of the Nafion membrane with γ-rays or with electron beams is one of the acceleration tests of the Nafion degradation. We made clear that the dissolved fluorine measured using a fluoride ion meter is a hopeful index for the in situ judging of the Nafion mechanical deterioration. The ion exchange capacity of the membrane irradiated up to 1600 kGy was the 20% decrease of the initial capacity at room temperature. Nafion side chains terminating with –SO₃⁻ M⁺ groups were radiation-durable compared with the backbone.