A study was made of certain properties of the anion‐exchange membranes obtained by the preirradiation grafting of α,β,β‐trifluorostyrene (TFS) onto poly(ethylene–tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE), followed by chloromethylation and quaternization of the grafted film. Swelling, water uptake, electric conductivity, and transport number of the membranes were measured as a function of ion‐exchange capacity. Thermal and chemical stability were also investigated. These properties were found to be mainly dependent on ion‐exchange capacity. The stable membrane properties were established due to a homogeneous ion‐exchange group distribution in the membrane, as confirmed by X‐ray microscopy analysis of the membrane cross sections. In addition, the membranes showed good electrochemical, thermal, and chemical properties, and were found to be acceptable for practical use as anion‐exchange membranes. Copyright © 1990 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.