Spectroscopic and thermal degradation studies of polystyrene grafting onto poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene) films via electron-beam irradiation

Styrene monomers were grafted onto poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene) (FEP) films by E-beam irradiation, controlling the degree of grafting by varying the radiation dose. In addition, polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSS) grafted FEP films were prepared by treating the polystyrene (PS) grafted FEP films with chlorosulfonic acid. The chemical mechanism of grafting, the substitution positions of the sulfonic acid, and the thermal degradation behaviors of the PS-grafted and PSS-grafted FEP films were investigated using FTIR-ATR spectroscopy, Raman Spectroscopy and TGA. Our results indicated that PS graft formation involved the removal of HF after C–C main chain scission, leading to the formation of an unsaturated structure. When heated, the PS-grafted FEP films underwent two-step thermal degradation, independent of the degree of grafting. The two degradation steps were assigned to the degradation of the PS grafts and the FEP matrix. Sulfonation of the PS-grafted FEP films was found to give rise to para-disubstituted sulfonic acid groups. The PSS-grafted FEP films were found to undergo a three-step thermal degradation, independent of the degree of sulfonation. The three degradation steps were assigned to removal of water molecules hydrogen bonded to the sulfonic acid groups, and the degradation of the PSS grafts and FEP matrix.