Abstract
The effects of freeze/thaw (F/T) cycling on the structure of dry Nafion ® membranes were investigated using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). The method correlates the lifetime and relative intensity of positrons (anti-electrons) annihilating in the open-volume voids of the membrane with void size and void volume fraction. The results, though still preliminary, show freeze/thaw-induced collapse in the pore volume near the surface of the dry membrane, and also some evidence of slight differences in the two sides of a given membrane. The work demonstrates the utility of the method in studying depth-dependent changes in membrane total free volume along with pore size, structure, configuration and environment as the result of thermal and structural stresses.
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