Process
AssigneeJohnson Matthey Fuel Cells Limited
InventorsRobert Jeffrey Coleman, Thomas Robertson Ralph, Sam Haig, Natalia V. Plechkova
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Abstract
A process for the recovery of a perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer from a component comprising a perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer is disclosed, the process comprising immersing the component comprising the perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer in a solvent comprising an aliphatic diol and heating. Also disclosed is the use of the recovered perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer, for example in to prepared a proton conducting membrane or a catalyst ink.
Claims8
A process for separating a membrane electrode assembly into components, said process comprising:
- (i) immersing the membrane electrode assembly in a solvent comprising a C1-8 aliphatic diol compound, wherein said diol compound comprises at least one —CH2OH group;
- and
- (ii) heating the membrane electrode assembly/solvent mix to a temperature of 90° C. to 150° C. to effect separation of the membrane electrode assembly components.
A process for the recovery of one or more catalyst components from an original component selected from the group consisting of a perfluorosulphonic acid membrane, a catalyst coated membrane, an electrode and a membrane electrode assembly, said process comprising:
- (i) immersing the original component in a solvent comprising a C1-8 aliphatic diol compound, wherein said diol compound comprises at least one —CH2OH group;
- (ii) heating the component/solvent mix to a temperature of 90° C. to 150° C. to obtain a dispersion comprising solvent, one or more PFSA ionomers and the one or more catalyst components;
- and
- (iii) filtering the dispersion to separate the solvent and the one or more PFSA ionomers from the one of more catalyst components.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.