Ion exchange membranes fabricated from plastics
AssigneeUchicago Argonne, LLC
InventorsShrayesh N. Patel, Lu Zhang, Yuyue Zhao
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Abstract
Provided are methods for fabricating ion exchange membranes. Such a method comprises exposing a polymer to an ionic functional group precursor under conditions to incorporate covalently bound ionic functional groups into the polymer, thereby providing a functionalized polymer comprising the covalently bound ionic functional groups; and forming the functionalized polymer into a membrane, thereby providing an ion exchange membrane that is permeable to some ions present in a fluid in contact with the membrane while impermeable to other ions present in the fluid. The ion exchange membranes and devices incorporating the membranes, e.g., redox flow batteries, are also encompassed by the present disclosure.
Claims20
A method for fabricating an ion exchange membrane, the method comprising:
- (a) exposing a polymer to an ionic functional group precursor under conditions to incorporate covalently bound ionic functional groups into the polymer, thereby providing a functionalized polymer comprising the covalently bound ionic functional groups;
- and
- (b) forming the functionalized polymer into a membrane, thereby providing an ion exchange membrane that is permeable to some ions present in a fluid in contact with the membrane while impermeable to other ions present in the fluid.
An electrochemical device comprising an anode, an anolyte in contact with the anode, a cathode in electrical communication with the anode, a catholyte in contact with the cathode, and an ion exchange membrane separating the anolyte and the catholyte, wherein the ion exchange membrane comprises a functionalized waste polymer comprising a waste polymer obtained from a consumer product and ionic functional groups covalently bound to the waste polymer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.