US 10,153,507 B1 · Method of making a nanocomposite polyelectrolyte membrane

Abstract

The method of making a nanocomposite polyelectrolyte membrane is a process for forming membranes for use in hydrogen and methanol fuel cell applications, for example. A hydrophobic polymer, such as polypropylene, is blended with a nanofiller, such halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) or propylene-grafted maleic anhydride nano-layered silica (Ma-Si), to form a dry mix, which is then pelletized for extrusion in a twin-screw extruder to form a thin film nanocomposite. The thin film nanocomposite is then annealed and cold stretched at room temperature. The cold stretching is followed by stretching at a temperature ranging from approximately 110° C. to approximately 140° C. The nanocomposite is then heat set to form the nanocomposite polyelectrolyte membrane. The nanocomposite polyelectrolyte membrane may then be further plasma etched and impregnated with a sulfonated polymer, such as sulfonated melamine formaldehyde, a polycarboxylate superplasticizer or perfluorosulfonic acid.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A method of making a nanocomposite polyelectrolyte membrane, comprising the steps of:

blending a hydrophobic polymer with a nanofiller to form a dry mix, the nanofiller being selected from the group consisting of halloysite nanotubes and propylene-grafted maleic anhydride nano-layered silica to form a dry mix;
extruding the dry mix using a twin-screw extruder to form a thin film nanocomposite;
annealing the thin film nanocomposite to form an annealed thin film nanocomposite;
cold stretching the annealed thin film nanocomposite at room temperature to form a first stretched annealed nanocomposite;
stretching the first stretched annealed nanocomposite at a temperature above room temperature to form a second stretched annealed nanocomposite;
heat setting the second stretched annealed nanocomposite to form a nanocomposite polyelectrolyte membrane;
plasma etching the nanocomposite polyelectrolyte membrane to form an etched nanocomposite polyelectrolyte membrane;
and
impregnating the etched nanocomposite 3 polyelectrolyte membrane with a sulfonated polymer.

6 more elements

A method of making a nanocomposite polyelectrolyte membrane, comprising the steps of:

blending a hydrophobic polymer with a nanofiller selected from the group consisting of halloysite nanotubes and propylene-grafted maleic anhydride nano-layered silica to form a dry mix;
pelletizing the dry mix;
extruding the pelletized dry mix using a twin-screw extruder to form a thin film nanocomposite;
annealing the thin film nanocomposite to form an annealed thin film nanocomposite;
cold stretching the annealed thin film nanocomposite at room temperature to form a first stretched annealed nanocomposite;
stretching the first stretched annealed nanocomposite at a temperature ranging from approximately 110° C. and approximately 140° C. to form a second stretched annealed nanocomposite;
heat setting the second stretched annealed nanocomposite to form a nanocomposite polyelectrolyte membrane;
plasma etching the nanocomposite polyelectrolyte membrane to form an etched nanocomposite polyelectrolyte membrane;
and
impregnating the etched nanocomposite polyelectrolyte membrane with a sulfonated polymer.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of making a nanocomposite polyelectrolyte membrane

Life of this patent

Method of making a nanocomposite polyelectrolyte membrane

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12