Composite membranes, methods of making same, and applications of same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10141593-B2
Application number	US-201615161838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2016
Priority date	Oct 27, 2010
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A method of fabricating a composite membrane, includes the steps of: forming a first solution comprising a charged polymer and a first uncharged polymer having a repeat unit of a formula of:

where each of X and Y is a non-hydroxyl group; forming a second solution comprising a second uncharged polymer; electrospinning, separately and simultaneously, the first solution and the second solution to form a dual fiber mat; and processing the dual fiber mat to form the composite membrane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A composite membrane, comprising:
a fiber network of first polymer fibers surrounded by a matrix formed from second polymer fibers or a fiber network of the second polymer fibers surrounded by a matrix formed from the first polymer fibers, wherein
the first polymer fibers are formed from a first solution, and the first solution comprises a charged polymer and a first uncharged polymer having a repeat unit of a formula of:

 wherein each of X and Y is a non-hydroxyl group; and
the second polymer fibers are formed from a second solution, and the second solution comprises a second uncharged polymer,
wherein the second uncharged polymer is polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) or polyphenylsulfone (PPSU).

2. The composite membrane of claim 1 , wherein the polymer matrix is formed by:
softening and flowing the first polymer fibers of a dual fiber mat formed by the first polymer fibers and the second polymer fibers, to fill void space between the second polymer fibers in the dual fiber mat; or
softening and flowing the second polymer fibers of the dual fiber mat formed by the first polymer fibers and the second polymer fibers, to fill void space between the first polymer fibers in the dual fiber mat.

3. The composite membrane of claim 1 , wherein the charged polymer is selected from perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) polymer and perfluoro imide acid (PFIA) polymer.

4. The composite membrane of claim 1 , wherein each of X and Y is fluoride, and the first uncharged polymer is polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) or a copolymer of PVDF.

5. The composite membrane of claim 1 , wherein the dual fiber mat is formed by electrospinning, separately and simultaneously, the first solution and the second solution.

6. The composite membrane of claim 5 , wherein the composite membrane is formed by processing the dual fiber mat, and the step of processing the dual fiber mat comprises:
compressing the dual fiber mat; and
soften and flow at least one of the first polymer fibers and the second polymer fibers to fill void space on the dual fiber mat.

7. A fuel cell comprising at least one composite membrane of claim 1 .

8. A membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA) for an electrochemical device, comprising at least one composite membrane of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Univ Vanderbilt

Inventors

• Pintauro Peter N
• Park Andrew
• Ballengee Jason

Classifications

• H01M8/1027

  having carbon, oxygen and other atoms, e.g. sulfonated polyethersulfones [S-PES] · CPC title

• H01M2300/0094

  in the form of layered products, e.g. coatings · CPC title

• H01M8/103

  having nitrogen, e.g. sulfonated polybenzimidazoles [S-PBI], polybenzimidazoles with phosphoric acid, sulfonated polyamides [S-PA] or sulfonated polyphosphazenes [S-PPh] · CPC title

• B29C71/02

  Thermal after-treatment {(B29C71/0063 and B29C71/0072 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B29L2031/3468

  Batteries, accumulators or fuel cells (battery cases B29L2031/7146) · CPC title