Hybrid fluoropolymer composites

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10030112-B2
Application number	US-201515309354-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2015
Priority date	May 7, 2014
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

The present invention pertains to a fluoropolymer hybrid organic/inorganic composite, to a process for manufacturing said fluoropolymer hybrid organic/inorganic composite and films and membranes thereof and to uses of said fluoropolymer hybrid organic/inorganic composite and films and membranes thereof in various applications.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for manufacturing a polymer electrolyte membrane, said process comprising:
(i) providing a composition [composition (C1)] comprising:
at least one fluoropolymer [polymer (F)] comprising recurring units derived from at least one fluorinated monomer [monomer (F)] and at least one hydrogenated monomer comprising at least one hydroxyl group [monomer (OH)],
at least one metal compound [compound (M1)] of formula (I):
X 4-m AY m   (I)

wherein m is an integer from 1 to 3, A is a metal selected from the group consisting of Si, Ti and Zr, Y is a hydrolysable group and X is a hydrocarbon group comprising at least one —N═C═O functional group,
a liquid medium [medium (L)],
an electrolyte medium comprising at least one metal salt [medium (E)], and
optionally, at least one metal compound [compound (M2)] of formula (II):
X′ 4-m′ A′Y′ m′   (II)

wherein m′ is an integer from 1 to 4, A′ is a metal selected from the group consisting of Si, Ti and Zr, Y′ is a hydrolysable group and X′ is a hydrocarbon group, optionally comprising at least one functional group different from the —N═C═O functional group;
(ii) reacting at least a fraction of the hydroxyl groups of the monomer (OH) of said polymer (F) with at least a fraction of said compound (M1) and, optionally, at least a fraction of said compound (M2) thereby providing a composition [composition (C2)] comprising at least one grafted fluoropolymer [polymer (F-g)] comprising recurring units derived from at least one fluorinated monomer [monomer (F)] and at least one hydrogenated monomer [monomer (HH)], said monomer (HH) comprising:
at least one pendant side chain comprising an end group of formula —O—C(O)—NH—Z-AY m X 3-m (M1-g), wherein m, Y, A, X have the same meaning as defined above and Z is a hydrocarbon group, optionally comprising at least one —N═C═O functional group, and
optionally, at least one pendant side chain comprising an end group of formula —O-A′Y′ m′-1 X′ 4-m′ (M2-g), wherein m′, Y′, A′, X′ have the same meaning as defined above;

(iii) hydrolysing and/or condensing the end groups of formula —O—C(O)—NH—Z-AY m X 3-m (M1-g) and, optionally, the end groups of formula —O-A′Y′ m′-1 X′ 4-m′ (M2-g) of the polymer (F-g) thereby providing a composition [composition (C3)] comprising at least one fluoropolymer hybrid organic/inorganic composite [polymer (F-h)];
(iv) processing into a polymer electrolyte membrane the composition (C3) provided in step (iii); and
(v) drying the polymer electrolyte membrane provided in step (iv).

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the medium (E) comprises at least one metal salt and at least one organic carbonate.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the medium (E) comprises at least one metal salt, at least one ionic liquid and, optionally, at least one organic carbonate.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the metal salt is selected from the group consisting of MeI, Me(PF 6 ) n , Me(BF 4 ) n , Me(ClO 4 ) n , Me(bis(oxalato)borate) n (Me(BOB) n ), MeCF 3 SO 3 , Me[N(CF 3 SO 2 ) 2 ] n , Me[N(C 2 F 5 SO 2 ) 2 ] n , Me[N(CF 3 SO 2 )(R F SO 2 )] n with R F being C 2 F 5 , C 4 F 9 , CF 3 OCF 2 CF 2 , Me(AsF 6 ) n , Me[C(CF 3 SO 2 ) 3 ] n , Me 2 S n , wherein Me is a metal, and n is the valence of said metal.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein under step (i) the polymer (F) is obtainable by polymerization of at least one monomer (F) and at least one monomer (OH).

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein under step (i) the polymer (F) further comprises recurring units derived from at least one hydrogenated monomer [monomer (H)] different from the monomer (OH).

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein under step (i) the monomer (OH) of the polymer (F) is selected from the group consisting of (meth)acrylic monomers of formula (III) and vinylether monomers of formula (IV):

wherein each of R 1 , R 2 and R 3 , equal to or different from each other, is independently a hydrogen atom or a C 1 -C 3 hydrocarbon group, and R X is a C 1 -C 5 hydrocarbon moiety comprising at least one hydroxyl group.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein under step (i) the polymer (F) is selected from the group consisting of:
polymers (F-1) comprising recurring units derived from vinylidene fluoride (VDF), at least one monomer (OH) and, optionally, at least one monomer (F) different from VDF, and
polymers (F-2) comprising recurring units derived from at least one per(halo)fluoromonomer selected from tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), at least one monomer (H) selected from ethylene, propylene and isobutylene, and at least one monomer (OH), optionally comprising one or more additional monomers.

9. The process according to claim 8 , wherein the polymer (F-1) comprises:
(a) at least 60% by moles of vinylidene fluoride (VDF);
(b) optionally, from 0.1% to 15% by moles of at least one monomer (F) selected from vinyl fluoride (VF 1 ), chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), hexafluoropropylene (HFP), tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), trifluoroethylene (TrFE), perfluoromethylvinylether (PMVE); and
(c) from 0.01% to 20% by moles of at least one monomer (OH) of formula (III) as defined in claim 7 .

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the compound (M1) is of formula (I-A):
R A 4-m A(OR B ) m   (I-A)

wherein m is an integer from 1 to 3, A is a metal selected from the group consisting of Si, Ti and Zr, R A , equal to or different from each other and at each occurrence, is a C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbon group comprising at least one —N═C═O functional group and R B , equal to or different from each other and at each occurrence, is a C 1 -C 5 linear or branched alkyl group, preferably R B being a methyl or ethyl group.

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein under step (i) the composition (C) further comprises at least one condensation catalyst.

Assignees

• Solvay
• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Ducros Jean-Baptiste
• Lavie-Cambot Aurelie
• Picard Lionel
• Pras Olivier
• Rouault Helene
• Hamon Christine
• Abusleme Julio A

Classifications

• C08F214/225

  with non-fluorinated comonomers · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title

• C08F214/285

  with non-fluorinated comonomers · CPC title

• H01M10/0565

  Polymeric materials, e.g. gel-type or solid-type · CPC title

• H01M2300/0082

  Organic polymers · CPC title