A method to produce a composite semi-finished product, having a continuous phase including at least one thermoplastic plastic and a dispersed phase made from at least one electrically conductive filler. The at least one thermoplastic plastic in form of fine particles is mixed with the at least one filler in the form of fine particles. In each case, at least 90% by weight of the particles of the at least one thermoplastic plastic and of the at least one filler are smaller than 1 mm. The mixture of the at least one thermoplastic plastic and the at least one filler is heated to a temperature greater than the melting temperature of the at least one thermoplastic plastic. The heated material is cooled to a temperature below the solidification temperature of the at least one thermoplastic plastic.

A separator includes a porous substrate and a first coating located on at least one surface of the porous substrate. The first coating includes a first polymer binder and first inorganic particles, and the first polymer binder comprising core-shell structured particles. 0.3×Dv50 of the first polymer binder≤Dv50 of the first inorganic particles≤0.7×Dv50 of the first polymer binder. Dv50 represents a particle size which reaches 50% of a cumulative volume from a side of small particle size in a granularity distribution on a volume basis The first inorganic particles are used in the first coating, ensuring that the first polymer binder has a bonding function, electrolyte transport is promoted, and the rate performance of the electrochemical device is improved.

Intermittent energy sources, including solar and wind, require scalable, low-cost, multi-hour energy storage solutions to be effectively incorporated into the grid. Redox-flow batteries offer a solution, but suffer from rapid capacity fade and low Coulombic efficiency due to the high permeability of redox-active species across the battery's membrane. Here we show that active-species crossover can be arrested by scaling the membrane's pore size to molecular dimensions and in turn increasing the size of the active material to be above the membrane's pore-size exclusion limit. When oligomeric redox-active organic molecules were paired with microporous polymer membranes, the rate of active-material crossover was either completely blocked or slowed more than 9,000-fold compared to traditional separators at minimal cost to ionic conductivity. In the case of the latter, this corresponds to an absolute rate of ROM crossover of less than 3 μmol cm.sup.−2 day.sup.−1 (for a 1.0 M concentration gradient), which exceeds performance targets recently set forth by the battery industry. This strategy was generalizable to both high and low-potential ROMs in a variety of electrolytes, highlighting the importance of macromolecular design in implementing next-generation redox-flow batteries.

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.

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.

A proton conducting film includes a polymer having a first part and a second part which are connected by a covalent bond and a plasticizer. The first parts aggregate with each other to form a domain at an operation temperature of the proton conducting film, and the second part crosslinks the domains. The second part has a proton accepting group, and the plasticizer contains a proton donating compound having a pKa of 2.5 or less, and thus the plasticizer penetrates into the second part, and a glass transition temperature of the polymer is lowered compared to when the plasticizer is not included.

The present invention relates to hybrid gas diffusion layers for electrochemical cells, in particular for membrane electrode units in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells and a method for manufacturing them.

A fuel cell including a catalyst layer configured to generate liquid water in response to a reactant being in contact therewith. The fuel cell includes a microporous layer having a first region with a first pore size and a second region disposed adjacent to the first region having a second pore size. The first pore size being greater than the second pore size. The microporous layer being configured to transfer the liquid water away from the catalyst layer, such that the liquid water from the catalyst layer enters the first region in response to a capillary pressure of the liquid water being greater than a first capillary pressure. The liquid water enters the second region in response to a capillary pressure of the liquid water being greater than a second capillary pressure. The first capillary pressure being different from the second capillary pressure.

Embodiments are directed to composite membranes having a microporous polymer structure, and an ion exchange material forming a continuous ionomer phase within the composite membrane. The continuous ionomer phase refers to absence of any internal interfaces in a layer of ionomer or between any number of layers coatings of the ion exchange material provided on top of one another. The composite membrane exhibits a haze change of 0% or less after being subjected to a blister test procedure. No bubbles or blisters are formed on the composite membrane after the blister test procedure. A haze value of the composite membrane is between 5% and 95%, between 10% and 90% or between 20% and 85%. The composite membrane may have a thickness of more than 17 microns at 0% relative humidity.

Embodiments are directed to composite membranes having a microporous polymer structure, and an ion exchange material forming a continuous ionomer phase within the composite membrane. The continuous ionomer phase refers to absence of any internal interfaces in a layer of ionomer or between any number of layers coatings of the ion exchange material provided on top of one another. The composite membrane exhibits a haze change of 0% or less after being subjected to a blister test procedure. No bubbles or blisters are formed on the composite membrane after the blister test procedure. A haze value of the composite membrane is between 5% and 95%, between 10% and 90% or between 20% and 85%. The composite membrane may have a thickness of more than 17 microns at 0% relative humidity.