TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Method: The method further comprises: applying water onto the coated porous base membrane before irradiating. The irradiation of the coated porous base membrane with the high energy source comprises exposing the coated porous base membrane to an electron beam at a dosage rate of 0.1-2000 kiloGray (kGy), preferably 5-40 kGy. Preferred Components: The membrane is a porous membrane. The porous base membrane is formed of a fluoropolymer. The porous membrane has a flow rate of water greater than 1 ml/minute-cm2 at 27 inches mercury pressure differential after 10 wet/dry cycles at room temperature. The porous membrane has an average pore size of 10 nm to 50 microns as measured by bubble point measurements. The membrane has a weight percent add-on and/or burn-off weight percent of the hydrophilic coating of 0.5-100 wt.%, preferably 3-15 wt.%. The hydrophilic coating contains 0.1-10 mol.% of the electron beam reactive group units, relative to total polymer repeat units. The hydrophilic coating is present at 0.1-100 wt.% add-on, relative to the weight of the base membrane. The porous base membrane comprises one or more polyolefins (e.g. polyethylene, polypropylene, polymethylpentene, polystyrene, substituted polystyrenes and polyvinyl chloride, polyacrylonitriles), polyamide, polyester, polysulfone, polyether, acrylic and methacrylic polymers, polystyrene, polyurethane, polycarbonates, polyesters (e.g. polyethylene terephthalic ester and polybutylene terephthalic ester), polyether sulfones, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyphenylene sulfone, cellulosic polymer, polyphenylene oxide and/or polyamides (e.g. nylon and polyphenylene terephthalamide). The electron beam reactive group comprises methacrylates, acrylates, acrylamides, vinyl ketones, styrenics, vinyl ethers, vinyl- or allyl-containing moieties and/or benzyl and tert-carbon (CHR3) based materials. The electron beam reactive group is covalently grafted to the porous base membrane. The hydrophilic additive comprises an acrylate, diacrylate (polyethylene glycol diacrylate, tetra(ethylene glycol) diacrylate, trimethylolpropane ethoxylate, methyl ether diacrylate, 1,3-butanediol diacrylate, glycerol 1,3-diglycerolate diacrylate, 1,6-hexanediol ethoxylate diacrylate, bisphenol A ethoxylate diacrylate, tri(propylene glycol) glycerolate diacrylate and/or poly(propylene glycol) diacrylate), triacrylate (trimethylolpropane ethoxylate triacrylate and/or trimethylolpropane propoxylate triacrylate) or other multiacrylate, dimethylacrylate (poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate, poly(propylene glycol) dimethacrylate and/or 1,3-butanediol dimethacrylate), acrylamide, vinyl ketone, styrenic, vinyl ether, vinyl- or allyl-containing moiety and/or benzyl and tert-carbon (CHR3). The hydrophilic additive comprises preferably polyethylene glycol diacrylate and/or trimethylolpropane ethoxylate triacrylate. The molecular weight of the hydrophilic additive is 250-100000 g/mol. The hydrophilic additive is present at 0.1-1000 wt.% relative to the weight of the hydrophilic polymer in the hydrophilic coating. The hydrophilic polymer comprises a polyvinyl alcohol (preferred), a polyvinyl alcohol-polyvinyl amine copolymer, a polyacrylic acid, a polyacrylate, a polyethylene glycol, a polyethylene amine, a polyvinyl amine and/or its derivatives derivatized with an electron beam reactive group adapted to form a radical under high energy irradiation. The fluoropolymer comprises expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (preferred), polyvinylidene difluoride, poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene, poly(ethylene-alt-tetrafluoroethylene), polychlorotrifluoroethylene, poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-perfluoropropyl vinyl ether), poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene and/or polyvinyl fluoride.R3 = not defined.