# US 9,435,044 B2 · Reinforced electrolyte membrane and process for producing same

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- Number: US 9,435,044 B2
- Document ID: US9435044B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/467,192
- Filed: 2014-08-25
- Published: 2014-12-11
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2012-02-27
- Assignees: Asahi Glass Company, Limited
- Applicants: Asahi Glass Company, Limited
- Inventors: Yasushi Yamaki; Hiromitsu Kusano
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9435044B2

## CPC

- C25B 13/08: based on organic materials
- B01J 39/20: obtained by reactions only involving unsaturated carbon-to-carbon bonds
- B01J 47/12: characterised by the use of ion-exchange material in the form of ribbons, filaments, fibres or sheets, e.g. membranes (electrodialysis or electro-osmosis B01D61/42)
- C08J 5/2206: {based on organic and/or inorganic macromolecular compounds}
- B01D 69/02: characterised by their properties
- C08J 2327/12: containing fluorine atoms
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- C25B: ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR (anodic or cathodic protection C23F13/00; single-crystal growth C30B)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29)
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A reinforced electrolyte membrane having an electrolyte membrane containing a fluoropolymer having ion exchange groups, reinforced by a woven fabric made of a reinforcing thread and a sacrificial thread, where the sacrificial thread remains in the electrolyte membrane, a void is formed between the sacrificial thread and the electrolyte membrane, and 2000 μm2<A<6000 μm2 and 0.3≦B/A<1.0 are satisfied, where A is the total of a cross-sectional area of the sacrificial thread and a cross-sectional area of the void, and B is the cross-sectional area of the sacrificial thread.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A reinforced electrolyte membrane having an electrolyte membrane comprising a fluoropolymer having ion exchange groups, reinforced by a woven fabric comprising a reinforcing thread and a sacrificial thread, wherein
the sacrificial thread remains in the electrolyte membrane,
a void is formed between the sacrificial thread and the electrolyte membrane, and
the following formulae (1) and (2) are satisfied, wherein A is the total of a cross-sectional area of the sacrificial thread and a cross-sectional area of the void, and B is the cross-sectional area of the sacrificial thread:
2000 μm2<A<6000 μm2 (1)
0.3≦B/A<1.0 (2).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The reinforced electrolyte membrane according to claim 1, wherein the following formula (1′) is satisfied:
2000 μm2<A<4000 μm2 (1′).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The reinforced electrolyte membrane according to claim 1, wherein the sacrificial thread is a thread comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, rayon and cellulose.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The reinforced electrolyte membrane according to claim 1, wherein the sacrificial thread is a thread of polyethylene terephthalate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The reinforced electrolyte membrane according to claim 1, wherein the sacrificial thread is a thread comprising a mixture of polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The reinforced electrolyte membrane according to claim 1, wherein the sacrificial thread is a thread of polybutylene terephthalate.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The reinforced electrolyte membrane according to claim 1, wherein the sacrificial thread is a thread of polytrimethylene terephthalate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A process for producing the reinforced electrolyte membrane according to claim 1, comprising:
bringing a reinforced precursor membrane having a precursor membrane comprising a fluoropolymer having precursor groups for the ion exchange groups reinforced by a woven fabric comprising a reinforcing thread and a sacrificial thread, into contact with an alkaline aqueous solution, thereby hydrolyzing and converting the precursor groups into the ion exchange groups to produce the reinforced electrolyte membrane.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The process for producing a reinforced electrolyte membrane according to claim 8, wherein, at the time of bringing the reinforced precursor membrane into contact with an alkaline aqueous solution, only a part of the sacrificial thread is hydrolyzed and eluted in the alkaline aqueous solution so as to satisfy formula (2).