Ion exchange polymers and ion exchange membranes incorporating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11826748-B2
Application number	US-201715674280-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2017
Priority date	Aug 10, 2016
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

An ion exchange membrane is provided which includes an ion exchange polymer that is partially cross-linked. The partially cross-linked ion exchange polymer will be more stable and will not be washed out over time. The ion exchange polymer may be UV or chemically cross-linked, wherein a cross-linking compound is added to the ion exchange polymer either before or after coupling to a support material. A support material may be made of, or be coated with, a cross-linking compound and the support material may initiate cross-linking proximal to the support material. The support material may be made of a material that chemically bonds with the ionomer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ion exchange membrane comprising:
a) an ion exchange polymer having reactive sites;
wherein the ion exchange polymer is partially cross-linked having some portion of reactive sites cross-linked to form cross-linked sites;
wherein the ion exchange polymer is an anion exchange polymer;

b) a support material having pores, wherein the ion exchange polymer is configured on a first side of the support material to form a first ionomer layer and is configured in the pores a support material to form an imbibed ionomer portion;
wherein the support material comprises a cross-linking compound that is coupled to the support material forming bonding sites, and wherein the imbibed ionomer portion is bonded to the bonding sites of the cross-linking compound of the support material; and
wherein first ionomer layer has a concentration of cross-linked sites that is at least 10% higher in mol % than a concentration of cross-linked sites of the imbibed ionomer portion; and
wherein the cross-linking compound that is coupled to the support material is coated onto the support material and comprises divalent barium cations.

2. The ion exchange membrane of claim 1 , wherein the ion exchange polymer is an acidic sulfonated polyetherketoneketone and is cross-linked with barium cations to create ionic crosslinks between the sulfonate groups attached to the aromatic rings of the polyetherketoneketone.

3. The ion exchange membrane of claim 1 , wherein the cross-linked sites comprise a cross-linking agent selected from the group consisting of: polyisocyanates, polyurethane, blocked polyurethane, polyurea, blocked polyurea, polyamines, blocked polyamines and dicyanodiamides.

4. The ion exchange membrane of claim 3 , wherein the cross-linked sites are formed by exposure to ultraviolet light.

5. The ion exchange membrane of claim 1 , wherein the first ionomer layer is configured partially in the pores of the support material to form a support coating layer.

6. The ion exchange membrane of claim 1 , wherein the first ionomer layer contains no support material on a first side of the ion exchange membrane.

7. The ion exchange membrane of claim 1 , comprising a second ionomer layer that contains no support material on a second side of the ion exchange membrane.

8. The ion exchange membrane of claim 7 , wherein the second ionomer layer has a concentration of cross-linked sites that is at least 10% higher than a concentration of cross-linked sites of the imbibed ionomer portion.

9. The ion exchange membrane of claim 1 , wherein the ion exchange polymer extends through the pores of the support material from said first side to a second side of the support material.

10. The ion exchange membrane of claim 9 , wherein the first ionomer layer is configured partially in the pores of the support material to form a support coating layer.

11. The ion exchange membrane of claim 1 , wherein the support material is a microporous membrane having a mean flow pore size of 1 μm or less.

12. The ion exchange membrane of claim 1 , wherein the support material is made out of a cross-linking compound.

13. The ion exchange membrane of claim 12 , wherein the cross-linking compound of the support material comprises divalent barium cations.

Assignees

• Xergy Inc
• Ffi Ionix Ip Inc

Inventors

• Bahar Bamdad
• Saltwick Jack
• Li Zhefei

Classifications

• B01D69/107

  Organic support material · CPC title

• B01J47/12 Primary

  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) · CPC title

• B01D69/10

  Supported membranes; Membrane supports · CPC title

• B01D69/12

  Composite membranes; Ultra-thin membranes · CPC title

• B01D69/125

  In situ manufacturing by polymerisation, polycondensation, cross-linking or chemical reaction · CPC title