Described is a method for manufacturing a diaphragm assembly through the use of injection molding. The method can avoid the use of PTFE as a chemically resistant coating. Further, the method can increase overall adherence of a polymer diaphragm to an insert through the use of an interference surface on at least the surface of a head of the insert.

A laminated polyolefin microporous membrane is disclosed. The laminated polyolefin microporous membrane includes a first polyolefin microporous membrane, and a second polyolefin microporous membrane. A shutdown temperature of the laminated polyolefin microporous membrane is from 128° C. to 135° C., an air permeation resistance increase rate from 30° C. to 105° C. per 20 μm of thickness of the laminated polyolefin microporous membrane is less than 1.5 sec/100 cc Air/° C., and a variation range in an F25 value of the laminated polyolefin microporous membrane in a longitudinal direction is not greater than 1 MPa. The F25 value represents a value determined by dividing the load at 25% elongation of a sample of the laminated polyolefin microporous membrane as measured with a tensile tester by the cross-sectional area of the sample polyolefin microporous membrane.

A hand-operated tool for embossing a membrane or other soft pliable implant with microgrooves or microgeometries is disclosed. The tool includes an embossing surface such as a pressure plate or roller that includes a specific microgroove or microtopographical pattern. This allows a user such as a clinician to create an embossed surface on a membrane or other implantable device at the time of surgery for the purposes of directing cellular orientation and migration, increasing cell migration velocity and enhancing re-epithelialization rates in various medical and dental applications.

An object is to provide a technique that improves the power generation performance, while enhancing the strength of a reinforced electrolyte membrane. There is provided a method of manufacturing a reinforced electrolyte membrane that comprises a first reinforcing film on one surface of an electrolyte membrane and a second reinforcing film on the other surface of the electrolyte membrane. The method of manufacturing the reinforced electrolyte membrane comprises (a) process of thermally compressing the first reinforcing film and the second reinforcing film to the electrolyte membrane. In the process (a), a number of times of thermally compressing the second reinforcing film to the electrolyte membrane is less than a number of times of thermally compressing the first reinforcing film to the electrolyte membrane.

Membranes and methods of making and using the membranes are described herein. The membranes can include a foamed polymeric support and a plurality of inorganic particles disposed within the foamed polymeric support. The foamed polymeric support can contain a hydrophilic polymer such as polyethersulfone. The plurality of inorganic particles can include hydrophilic particles such as zeolite particles. In certain embodiments, the membrane can be used in humidifiers, such as those used in fuel cell systems. In some aspects, the membrane can be used for separating a fluid mixture comprising water. The membranes described herein are stable for high temperature applications.

A method of fabricating a gas separation membrane includes providing a coextruded multilayer film that includes a first polymer layer formed of a first polymer material and a second polymer layer formed of a second polymer material, the first polymer material having a first gas permeability. The coextruded multilayer film is axially oriented such that the second polymer layer has a second gas permeability that is greater than the first gas permeability.

In polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells and electrolyzes, attaining and maintaining high membrane conductivity and durability is crucial for performance and efficiency. The use of low equivalent weight (EW) perfluorinated ionomers is one of the few options available to improve membrane conductivity. However, excessive dimensional changes of low EW ionomers upon application of wet/dry or freeze/thaw cycles yield catastrophic losses in membrane integrity. Incorporation of ionomers within porous, dimensionally-stable perforated polymer electrolyte membrane substrates provides improved PEM performance and longevity. The present invention provides novel methods using micromolds to fabricate the perforated polymer electrolyte membrane substrates. These novel methods using micromolds create uniform and well-defined pore structures. In addition, these novel methods using micromolds described herein may be used in batch or continuous processing.

Disclosed is a self-wetting porous membrane comprising an aromatic hydrophobic polymer such as polysulfone and a wetting agent comprising a copolymer of formula A-B or A-B-A, wherein A is a hydrophilic segment comprising a polymerized monomer of the formula (I): CH.sub.2═C(R.sup.1)(R.sup.2), wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are as described herein, and B is an aromatic hydrophobic polymeric segment, wherein segments B and A are linked through an amidoalkylthio group. Also disclosed is a method of preparing a self-wetting membrane comprising casting a solution containing an aromatic hydrophobic polymer and the wetting agent, followed by subjecting the cast solution to phase inversion. The self-wetting porous membrane finds use in hemodialysis, microfiltration, and ultrafiltration.

Hollow fiber membranes having improved toughness and durability are prepared using a vinylidene fluoride polymer-containing component, such as Kynaro resins, having relatively low crystallinity. One aspect of the invention provides a membrane in the form of a fiber, wherein i) the fiber has a porous wall of a polymeric component enclosing a central hollow space extending the length of the fiber, ii) the polymeric component has a crystallinity as determined by wide angle x-ray diffraction of less than about 35%, iii) the polymeric component is comprised of at least one homopolymer or copolymer of vinylidene fluoride and iv) the membrane has an energy to break of at least about 0.5 J per square mm of membrane cross section.

Improved battery separators, base films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of making and/or using such separators, films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of enhancing battery or cell charge rates, charge capacity, and/or discharge rates, and/or methods of improving batteries, systems including such batteries, vehicles including such batteries and/or systems, and/or the like; biaxially oriented porous membranes, composites including biaxially oriented porous membranes, biaxially oriented microporous membranes, biaxially oriented macroporous membranes, battery separators with improved charge capacities and the related methods and methods of manufacture, methods of use, and the like; flat sheet membranes, liquid retention media; dry process separators; biaxially stretched separators; dry process biaxially stretched separators having a thickness range between about 5 μm and 50 μm, preferably between about 10 μm and 25 μm, having improved strength, high porosity, and unexpectedly and/or surprisingly high charge capacity, such as, for example, high 10 C rate charge capacity; separators or membranes with high charge capacity and high porosity, excellent charge rate and/or charge capacity performance in a rechargeable and/or secondary lithium battery, such as a lithium ion battery, for high power and/or high energy applications, cells, devices, systems, and/or vehicles, and/or the like; single or multiple ply or layer separators, monolayer separators, trilayer separators, composite separators, laminated separators, co-extruded separators, coated separators, 1 C or higher separators, at least 1 C separators, batteries, cells, systems, devices, vehicles, and/or the like; improved microporous battery separators for secondary lithium batteries, improved microporous battery separators with enhanced or high charge (C) rates, discharge (C) rates, and/or enhanced or high charge capacities in or for secondary lithium batteries, and/or related methods of manufacture, use, and/or the like, and/or combinations thereof are disclosed or provided.