Perfluorosulfonic acid nanofibers
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsTimothy J. Fuller, Frank D. Coms, Cristin L. Keary
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for making a device with a fibrous sheet includes a step of combining a fiber-forming resin with a carrier resin to form a resinous mixture. The fiber forming resin has a fluorinated backbone with a pendent CF2CF2—X group where X is a SO3H or SO2F. The carrier resin is a soluble polyamide. The resinous mixture is extruded to form an extruded resinous mixture. The extruded resinous mixture has fiber strands of the fiber-forming resin within the carrier resin. The extruded resinous mixture is contacted with water to separate the fiber strands of the fiber-forming resin from the carrier resin. Fiber forming strands are optionally cross-linked with ammonia and then are hydrolyzed to form ionomers.
Claims10
A method of making a device with a fibrous sheet, the method comprising:
- a) combining a fiber-forming resin with a carrier resin to form a resinous mixture, the carrier resin being water soluble and the fiber-forming resin having formulae I, II or III:
- wherein:
- a is about 5 or 6;
- b is 1;
- c is on average from about 30 to 150;
- d is about 5;
- e is 1;
- f is on average from about 30 to 150;
- g is about 5;
- h is 1;
- i is on average from about 30 to 150;
- and
- X is OH or F;
- b) extruding the resinous mixture to form an extruded resinous mixture, the extruded resinous mixture having fiber strands of the fiber-forming resin within the carrier resin;
- c) grinding the extruded resinous mixture and then re-extruding to reform the re-extruded resinous mixture;
- and
- d) contacting the re-extruded resinous mixture with water to separate the fiber strands of the fiber-forming resin from the carrier resin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.