An electrolyte membrane including (i) a porous mat of nanofibres, wherein the nanofibres are composed of a non-ionically conducting heterocyclic-based polymer, the heterocyclic-based polymer comprising basic functional groups and being soluble in organic solvent; and (ii) an ion-conducting polymer which is a partially- or fully-fluorinated sulphonic acid polymer. The porous mat is essentially fully impregnated with ion-conducting polymer, and the thickness of the porous mat in the electrolyte membrane is distributed across at least 80% of the thickness of the electrolyte membrane. Such a membrane is of use in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell or an electrolyser.

To provide a process for producing a fluoroolefin copolymer powder for powder coating material, which presents excellent stability of a fluoroolefin copolymer solution obtainable by polymerization in its production process, and which is capable of forming a cured film having an excellent appearance when used for a powder coating material. A monomer mixture comprising specific monomers is polymerized in an organic solvent in the presence of specific amounts of hydrotalcite and at least one compound (B) selected from a potassium salt, a sodium salt, a magnesium salt and a hindered amine-type light stabilizer, to obtain a suspension; an insoluble component is removed from the suspension to obtain a fluoroolefin copolymer solution having a pH of from 3.8 to 6.5 and an APHA value within a range of from 1 to 200; and the organic solvent is removed from the solution to obtain the fluoroolefin copolymer powder.

The present invention relates to new compositions for bipolar plates and processes for manufacturing said compositions. More particularly, the invention relates to a process for manufacturing a composition, comprising the following steps:—mixing a thermoplastic polymer in the molten state with a first conductive filler in order to obtain a conductive thermoplastic polymer,—grinding said conductive thermoplastic polymer in order to reduce it to powder;—mixing the conductive thermoplastic polymer powder with a second conductive filler.”

The invention pertains to a thermoplastic fluoropolymer composition comprising: at least one semi-crystalline polymer comprising recurring units derived from ethylene and at least one of chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE) and tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), said polymer having a heat of fusion of at most 35 J/g [polymer (A)]; and from 0.05 to 5% by weight, based on weight of polymer (A), of particles of at least one inorganic UV blocker compound, said particles having an average particle size of 1 to 150 nm, said composition being suitable for manufacturing UV-opaque films having outstanding transparency and haze properties.

A process for the recovery of a perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer from a component comprising a perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer is disclosed, the process comprising immersing the component comprising the perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer in a solvent comprising an aliphatic diol and heating. Also disclosed is the use of the recovered perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer, for example in to prepared a proton conducting membrane or a catalyst ink.

To provide an ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis for which membrane strength is increased while membrane resistance is reduced to reduce electrolysis voltage during alkali chloride electrolysis and which prevents peeling between layers (S) and a layer (C). The ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis comprises a layer (C) which comprises a fluorinated polymer having carboxylic acid functional groups, at least two layers (S) which comprise a fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid functional groups, and a reinforcing material, wherein the layers (S) include a layer (Sa) and a layer (Sb), the layer (Sa) is a layer which is adjacent to the layer (C), the layer (Sb) is a layer which is not adjacent to the layer (C), the reinforcing material is disposed in the layer (Sb) substantially in parallel to the layer (Sb) in a state not in contact with the layer (Sa), and the ion exchange capacity of the layer (Sa) is lower than the ion exchange capacity of the layer (Sb).

A fluororesin-metal oxide mixed dispersion (sol) with excellent operability and workability provided in a coating step is obtained by mixing aqueous dispersion of fluororesin particle, and particle sol of metal oxide with suitable pH value that is any one of titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, lanthanum oxide, neodymium oxide, cerium oxide, or tin oxide. Both the fluororesin particle and the metal oxide particle float and disperse without coagulation precipitation, gelation and solidification, and/or phase separation. The floating and dispersion state is stably maintained under room temperature storage for three days or more. Water contact angle of a solid product obtained by evaporation and scattering of a solvent from the fluororesin-metal oxide mixed dispersion is 130 degrees or less, and surface resistivity is 2.0×10.sup.12Ω/□ (ohm/square) or less.

The present invention pertains to a process for manufacturing a film, said process comprising: (i) providing a composition [composition (C)] comprising, preferably consisting of: —at least one fluoropolymer [polymer (F)] comprising recurring units derived from at least one fluorinated monomer comprising a —SO 3 M functional group, wherein M is an alkaline metal [monomer (FM)] and—a liquid medium [medium (L)] comprising at least 50% by weight, based on the total weight of said medium (L), of at least one alkyl carbonate; (ii) processing the composition (C) provided in step (i) into a film; and (iii) drying the film provided in step (ii). The present invention further pertains to use of said film in a process for manufacturing a lithium electrode and to use of said lithium electrode in a process for manufacturing a lithium-sulphur battery.

The present invention provides an electrolyte membrane for a redox flow battery, comprising a perfluorocarbon polymer having an ion-exchange group, wherein the perfluorocarbon polymer has equivalent weight EW of the ion-exchange group of 600 g/eq or more and 2000 g/eq or less, a craze area ratio of the electrolyte membrane is 1.5% or less, and a relative dimension of the electrolyte membrane in at least one of a X direction and a Y direction is 80% or more and less than 100% in the following relative dimension by dipping in 2 M aqueous sulfuric acid solution.

To provide a solar cell module excellent in design property and weather resistance, a method for producing it, and a building exterior wall material using it.

The solar cell module of the present invention comprises, from the light-receiving surface side of the solar cell module, a cover glass, a first encapsulant layer, a design layer, a second encapsulant layer and solar cells in this order, the first encapsulant layer contains an ultraviolet absorber, the first encapsulant layer has a thickness of from 50 to 2,000 μm, and the design layer contains a fluororesin.