Process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020203751-A1
Application number	US-202016810282-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 5, 2020
Priority date	Mar 27, 2015
Publication date	Jun 25, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A process for the recovery of a perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer from a component comprising a perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer is disclosed, the process comprising immersing the component comprising the perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer in a solvent comprising an aliphatic diol and heating. Also disclosed is the use of the recovered perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer, for example in to prepared a proton conducting membrane or a catalyst ink.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A process for separating a membrane electrode assembly into components, said process comprising:
(i) immersing the membrane electrode assembly in a solvent comprising a C1-8 aliphatic diol compound, wherein said diol compound comprises at least one —CH 2 OH group; and (ii) heating the membrane electrode assembly/solvent mix to a temperature of up to 230° C. to effect separation of the membrane electrode assembly components.

2 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the membrane electrode assembly is chopped or shredded prior to being immersed in the solvent.

3 . The process according to claim 1 , said process comprising heating the membrane electrode assembly/solvent mix to a temperature of 90° C. to 150° C.

4 . The process according to claim 1 , said process comprising heating the membrane electrode assembly/solvent mix to a temperature of 90° C. to 120° C.

5 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the solvent further comprises a co-solvent.

6 . A process for the recovery of one or more catalyst components from an original component selected from the group consisting of a perfluorosulphonic acid membrane, a catalyst coated membrane, an electrode and a membrane electrode assembly, said process comprising:
(i) immersing the original component in a solvent comprising a C 1-8 aliphatic diol compound, wherein said diol compound comprises at least one —CH 2 OH group; (ii) heating the component/solvent mix to a temperature of up to 230° C. to obtain a dispersion comprising solvent, the one or more PFSA ionomers and the one or more catalyst components; and (iii) filtering the dispersion to separate the solvent and the one or more PFSA ionomers from the one of more catalyst components.

7 . The process according to claim 6 , wherein the original component is chopped or shredded prior to being immersed in the solvent.

8 . The process according to claim 6 , said process comprising heating the component/solvent mix to a temperature of 90° C. to 150° C.

9 . The process according to claim 6 , said process comprising heating the component/solvent mix to a temperature of 90° C. to 120° C.

10 . The process according to claim 6 , wherein the solvent further comprises a co-solvent.

Assignees

• Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells Ltd

Inventors

• Coleman Robert Jeffrey
• Ralph Thomas Robertson
• Haig Sam
• Plechkova Natalia V

Classifications

• H01M8/1039 Primary

  halogenated, e.g. sulfonated polyvinylidene fluorides · CPC title

• C08J3/095 Primary

  Oxygen containing compounds · CPC title

• C08J2300/30

  Polymeric waste or recycled polymer · CPC title

• H01M8/008 Primary

  Disposal or recycling of fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/1069

  characterised by the manufacturing processes · CPC title