Polymers of intrinsic microporosity are provided herein. Disclosed polymers of intrinsic microporosity include modified polymers of intrinsic microporosity that include negatively charged sites or crosslinking between monomer units. Systems making use of polymers of intrinsic microporosity and modified polymers of intrinsic microporosity are also described, such as electrochemical cells and ion separation systems. Methods for making and using polymers of intrinsic microporosity and modified polymers of intrinsic microporosity are also disclosed.

The present invention provides an adhesive film hardly suffering from fisheyes and deposition of dirt and dusts thereonto and having excellent mechanical strength and heat resistance as well as good adhesion properties, which can be suitably used as various surface protective films, etc. The present invention relates to an adhesive film comprising a polyester film and an adhesive layer formed on at least one surface of the polyester film, in which the adhesive layer comprises a resin having a glass transition point of not higher than 0 C., and an antistatic agent, and a thickness of the adhesive layer is not more than 10 m.

The invention relates to polymers comprising sulfonated 2,6-diphenyl-1,4-phenylene oxide repeating units, to a method for their preparation, and to their use in a membrane electrode assembly, in a proton exchange membrane, in a fuel cell, in an electrolyser, in an electrolytic hydrogen compressor or in a flow battery. The invention further relates to a proton exchange membrane comprising said polymer and to a method for the preparation of a proton exchange membrane from said polymer. The invention also relates to the use of the polymers in ion exchange materials.

A chemical liquid manufacturing apparatus is provided. The manufacturing apparatus at least includes an ion exchange medium and an ion adsorption medium configured downstream from the ion exchange medium. A material of the ion adsorption medium includes a resin material having an amide bond or an imide bond. A manufacturing method of a chemical liquid using the apparatus is also provided.

The present invention relates to a self-humidifying ion-exchange composite membrane including an aromatic hydrocarbon polymer ion-exchange membrane formed on the surface of a porous polymer support and a thin hydrophobic coating layer having a nanocracked morphology pattern on the surface of the ion-exchange membrane. The self-humidifying ion-exchange composite membrane of the present invention has good thermal/chemical stability, high mechanical strength, high ion-exchange capacity, and good long-term operational stability. Particularly, the self-humidifying ion-exchange composite membrane of the present invention is able to self-hydrate even under high-temperature and low-humidity conditions. Due to these advantages, it is expected that the self-humidifying ion-exchange composite membrane of the present invention will be commercialized as an electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell or a membrane for water treatment.

Hydrocarbon proton exchange membranes are disclosed that are composed of a material including a hydrophobic main chain, and acidic side chains. The main chain includes a polyaryl structure that is substantially free of ether linkages and also includes a fluoromethyl substituted carbon. The acidic side chains include a hydrocarbon tether terminated by a strongly acidic group, such as a fluoroalkyl sulfonate group. Chemical stability of the material is increased by removing the ether linkages from the main chain. The hydrophobic main chain and substantially hydrophilic side chains create a phase-separated morphology that affords enhanced transport of protons and water across the membrane even at low relative humidity levels. These materials are advantageous as membranes for use in fuel cells, redox flow batteries, water hydrolysis systems, sensors, electrochemical hydrogen compressors, actuators, water purifiers, gas separators, etc.

A composite polymer electrolyte membrane has a high proton conductivity even under low-humidity, low-temperature conditions, a reduced dimensional change rate, a high mechanical strength and high chemical stability, and produces a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell with a high output and high physical durability, a membrane electrode assembly, and a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell containing the same. This composite polymer electrolyte membrane contains a composite layer composed mainly of a polyazole-containing nanofiber nonwoven fabric (A) and an ionic group-containing polymer electrolyte (B), the polyazole-containing nanofiber nonwoven fabric (A) being basic.

Disclosed are redox flow battery membranes, redox flow batteries incorporating the membranes, and methods of forming the membranes. The membranes include a densified polybenzimidazole gel membrane that is capable of incorporating a high liquid content without loss of structure that is formed according to a process that includes in situ hydrolysis of a polyphosphoric acid solvent followed by densification of the gel membrane. The densified membranes are then imbibed with a redox flow battery supporting electrolyte such as sulfuric acid and can operate at very high ionic conductivities of about 50 mS/cm or greater and with low permeability of redox couple ions, e.g. vanadium ions, of about 10.sup.7 cm.sup.2/s or less. Redox flow batteries incorporating the membranes can operate at current densities of about 50 mA/cm.sup.2 or greater.

A novel process for making PBI films starting from gel PBI membranes polymerized and casted in the PPA process wherein acid-imbibed gel PBIs are neutralized in a series of water baths and undergo controlled drying in association with a substrate material, yielding a PBI film without the use of organic solvents.

Disclosed are redox flow battery membranes, redox flow batteries incorporating the membranes, and methods of forming the membranes. The membranes include a polybenzimidazole gel membrane that is capable of incorporating a high liquid content without loss of structure that is formed according to a process that includes in situ hydrolysis of a polyphosphoric acid solvent. The membranes are imbibed with a redox flow battery supporting electrolyte such as sulfuric acid and can operate at very high ionic conductivities of about 100 mS/cm or greater. Redox flow batteries incorporating the PBI-based membranes can operate at high current densities of about 100 mA/cm.sup.2 or greater.