A polymer blend is described which contains at least one acrylic resin or vinyl resin having at least one ionic or ionizable group and at least one thermoplastic fluoropolymer. Preferably, the polymer blend is an intimate blend of the two polymers which are useful in a variety of applications including in the formation of a membrane which is useful in batteries and fuel cells and the like. Methods of making the polymer blends are also described.

Fluoropolymer resins containing ionic or ionizable groups and products containing the same

An improved on-stream analyzer for monitoring sulfur or nitrogen content of liquid petroleum or beverage products is described. It consists of the following main components: a sample injector for injecting predetermined fixed volumes of the liquid into a thermal oxidizer (pyrolyzer) at a preset, controlled rate, a thermal oxidizer in which an inert carrier gas and oxygen are introduced at measured and preset, controlled rates to thermally oxidize the sample at a temperature of about 1050° C., sample conditioner to control the relative humidity and temperature of the resulting gas mixture, an electrochemical cell sensitive to sulfur dioxide (SO2) or NO to measure the concentration of SO2 or NO in the gas mixture, and a programmable logic controller (PLC) to calculate the sulfur content of the original sample and manage the analyzer. Although the analyzer is designed primarily for monitoring sulfur content of petroleum and beverage products, it is recognized that essentially the same equipment can be used to analyze any liquid having a suitable viscosity and capable of being completely thermally oxidized under the conditions specified.

Method and apparatus for the on-stream analysis of total sulfur and/or nitrogen in petroleum products

A solid electrolyte fuel cell capable of operating with a mixture of an oxidizer and a fuel includes a permeable catalytic electrode and an impermeable catalytic electrode separated by an electron insulating, ion conducting, gas permeable solid electrolyte. The device produces charge flow in an external circuit when the permeable electrode is exposed to a mixture including an oxidizer and a fuel such as hydrogen, methane or methanol. The solid electrolyte can be a hydrated aluminum oxide, primarily of the pseudoboehmite structure and either electrode can be Pt or Pd. The solid electrolyte can be produced by exposing a bulk aluminum surface or a deposited layer of aluminum to water or water vapor or by exposing an anodically oxidized layer of aluminum oxide to water vapor. The device is produced in thin film form and can be produced by techniques compatible with thin film device fabrication. The magnitude and direction of the charge flow is dependent on the particular fuel, so that the device can serve as a species selective, gas sensor which does not require the external application of sensing power in order to produce a measurable voltage.

Primary source of electrical energy using a mixture of fuel and oxidizer

The present invention relates to a sulfonated polymer membrane and to a process for the preparation thereof. According to the process, a polymer film is irradiated, and the irradiated polymer film is sulfonated in order to link sulfonic acid groups thereto. According to the invention, the sulfonation is continued until the total concentration of sulfonic acid groups in the membrane is 0.4-3.0 meq/g and they are homogeneously distributed in the membrane material in such a manner that their concentration in the middle of the membrane is at minimum 0.2 meq/g. With the help of the invention, it is possible by a rapid and simple process to prepare membranes the chemical and mechanical properties of which can be regulated by means of the selection of the initial film, by irradiation and by the sulfonation process.

Polymer membrane and a process for the production thereof

A composite hydrophilic membrane comprising a very thin semipermeable hydrophilic membrane containing a sulfonic group and a polyethylenic microporous membrane containing sulfonic group. This hydrophilic membrane has specially high permeation rate of water and excellent separation ability. The composite hydrophilic membrane is manufactured by a method which comprises fusing a very thin membrane containing an ethylenic copolymer onto the surface of a polyethylenic microporous membrane or a polyethylenic membrane capable of being converted into a microporous membrane thereby forming a composite film, converting the resin film prior to and/or during and/or after sulfonation into a microporous membrane, and causing the composite film to react with a sulfonating agent. This method permits easy and efficient production of the composite hydrophilic membrane.

Composite hydrophilic membrane and method for manufacture thereof

A film or tube of a specific copolymer of ethylene with 3.0 to 18.0 mole % of a comonomer containing a polar functional group, for example, vinyl acetate is treated with a sulfonating agent at a lower temperature for a short time to give a hydrophilic membrane excellent in hydrophilic properties as well as other properties such as folding endurance or alkali resistance. The hydrophilic membrane is useful as ion-exchange membrane, separator for storage battery or dialysis diaphragm. It is also similar to cellophane in transparency as well as in properties and therefore can be used in, for example, processing of a smoked ham.

Hirokuni Naito

Papers

Hydrophilic membrane and process for the preparation thereof