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Stabilized fluoropolymer and method for producing same

a technology of stabilized fluoropolymer and stabilized fluoride, which is applied in the direction of cell components, final product manufacturing, sustainable manufacturing/processing, etc., can solve the problems of insufficient rate of conversion of unstable groups to stable groups, contaminating the wastewater discharged from fuel cells, discoloration and freezing, etc., and achieves high-quality fuel cell membranes, excellent chemical stability, and low fluoride ion concentration

Inactive Publication Date: 2011-06-30
DAIKIN IND LTD +1
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The method effectively stabilizes the fluoropolymers, preventing discoloration and frothing during melt molding and significantly reducing fluoride ion concentration in wastewater, resulting in highly durable fuel cell membranes with improved chemical stability.

Problems solved by technology

The hydrolyzates of those sulfonic-acid-derived-group-containing fluoropolymers, when used, for example, as fuel cell electrolyte membranes for a long period of time, reportedly produce, as a result of deterioration thereof, such a problem as contamination of the wastewater discharged from the fuel cells with HF.
However, such prior art stabilization treatment has a problem in that in particular when the sulfonic-acid-derived-group-containing fluoropolymer to be treated is one obtained by emulsion polymerization, the rate of conversion of unstable groups to stable groups becomes insufficient and, therefore, discoloration and frothing, among others, occur in the step of melt molding.

Method used

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  • Stabilized fluoropolymer and method for producing same
  • Stabilized fluoropolymer and method for producing same

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

example 1

(1) Polymer Synthesis

[0209]A 3000-ml stainless steel stirring autoclave was charged with 300 g of a 10% aqueous solution of C7F15COONH4 and 1170 g of pure water, followed by thorough evacuation and nitrogen substitution. After sufficiently evacuating the autoclave, tetrafluoroethylene [TFE] gas was fed to the autoclave until a gage pressure of 0.2 MPa, and the temperature was raised to 50° C. Then, 100 g of CF2═CFOCF2CF2SO2F was injected into the autoclave, and the gage pressure was raised to 0.7 MPa by introduction of TFE gas. Thereafter, an aqueous solution of 0.5 g of ammonium persulfate [APS] in 60 g of pure water was injected to start the polymerization. For supplementing the TFE consumed by polymerization, TFE was continuously fed to the autoclave so that the autoclave inside pressure might be maintained at 0.7 MPa. The polymerization was continued while continuously feeding CF2═CFOCF2CF2SO2F in an amount of 53% by mass relative to the TFE further fed.

[0210]After completion of...

example 2

[0228]The membrane obtained in Example 1 (2) was treated in a 20% aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide at 90° C. for 24 hours and then washed with water. It was then treated in 6 N sulfuric acid at 60° C. for 24 hours and then washed with water until the washings showed neutrality, to give a sulfonic acid form membrane.

[0229]This membrane was thoroughly dried at 110° C., and 3 g of the dried membrane was taken and subjected to stability testing by Fenton treatment 1. The fluoride ion concentration was 5 ppm.

example 3

(1) Polymer Synthesis

[0232]A 3000-ml stainless steel stirring autoclave was thoroughly evacuated, followed by nitrogen substitution. The autoclave was again thoroughly evacuated and, then, charged with 1530 g of perfluorohexane and 990 g of CF2═CFOCF2CF2SO2F, and the temperature was adjusted to 25° C. Then, tetrafluoroethylene [TFE] gas was introduced until arrival of the gage pressure at 0.30 MPa, followed by introduction under pressure of 13.14 g of a 10% (by mass) solution of the polymerization initiator (C3F7COO)2 in perfluorohexane to initiate the polymerization reaction. For supplementing the TFE consumed by polymerization, TFE was continuously fed to the autoclave so that the autoclave inside pressure might be maintained at 0.30 MPa. The polymerization was continued while further feeding a total of 47 g of CF2═CFOCF2CF2SO2F intermittently.

[0233]After completion of feeding of 73 g of TFE, the autoclave inside pressure was released and the polymerization was thereby terminated....

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Abstract

The present invention provides a method for producing a stabilized fluoropolymer which comprises producing the stabilized fluoropolymer by subjecting a treatment target substance containing a sulfonic-acid-derived-group-containing fluoropolymer to a fluorination treatment, wherein the sulfonic-acid-derived-group-containing fluoropolymer is a fluoropolymer containing —SO3M (in which M represents H, NR1R2R3R4 or M11 / L; R1, R2, R3 and R4 are the same or different and each represents H or an alkyl group containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and M1 represents an L-valent metal), and the treatment target substance has a moisture content of not higher than 500 ppm by mass.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 571,317 filed Mar. 9, 2006, which is a 371 of PCT International Application No. PCT / JP2004 / 013241 filed Sep. 10, 2004, and which claims benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-226891 filed Aug. 3, 2004 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-318243 filed Sep. 10, 2003. The above-noted applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The present invention relates to a method for producing a stabilized fluoropolymer, a stabilized fluoropolymer obtained by such production method, and a polymer electrolyte membrane containing a hydrolyzate of such stabilized fluoropolymer.BACKGROUND ART[0003]Sulfonic-acid-derived-group-containing fluoropolymers obtained by copolymerizing tetrafluoroethylene and a —SO2F-containing perfluorovinyl ether are known to be useful, in the form resulting from hydrolysis of —SO2F, as electrolyte...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): H01M8/10C08F8/18C08J5/22C08F8/20H01M4/86
CPCC08F8/20C08J5/2237H01M4/8605H01M8/1004C08J2327/18H01M8/1039H01M8/1093Y02E60/521H01M8/1023Y02P70/50Y02E60/50
Inventor HONDA, EIJIIIJIMA, HIDEKIHASHIMOTO, YASUHIROINO, TADASHIISAKA, TADAHARUKONDO, MASAHIRO
Owner DAIKIN IND LTD