Victrex Manufacturing Limited

John Edward Lockley

Brian Wilson

Mark J Andrews

David John Kemmish

Peter Charnock

John Neil Devine

Richard F Bridges

Mark James Andrews

Richard Frank Bridges

A fuel cell powered by direct fuel, for example a direct methanol fuel cell, includes a polymer electrolyte membrane which includes a semi-crystalline polymer. Preferred semi-crystalline polymers include first repeat units comprising sulphonated aromatic group containing moieties linked by &#x2014;SO&#x2014; and/or &#x2014;CO&#x2014; and/or -Q-groups, where Q is O or S and second repeat units which include aromatic group containing moieties linked by &#x2014;CO&#x2014; and/or Q groups.

Fuel cell

A method of preparing an ion-conducting material, for example membrane, having reduced sensitivity to water includes a step of treating an ion-conducting polymeric material (especially a sulphonated polyaryletherketone and/or sulphone) which has at least some crystallinity or which is crystallizable with a means to increase its crystallinity. The ion-conducting material prepared may be used in a Membrane Electrode Assembly of a fuel cell.

Ion exchange materials

A method of preparing an ion-conducting polymeric material, for example, for a fuel cell, in a desired form (hereinafter 'said formed polymeric material'), comprises: (i) selecting a first ion-conducting polymeric material; (ii) selecting a solvent formulation which can dissolve said first ion-conducting polymeric material, wherein said formulation includes a first solvent part which is water; (iii) preparing a composite formulation in a process which includes dissolving first ion-conducting polymeric material in said solvent formulation; (iv) forming said composite formulation into a desired form; (v) providing conditions for removal of said solvent formulation from said form described in (iv) thereby to prepare said formed polymeric material. The first ion-conducting polymeric material preferably includes polyaryletherketone units. Said solvent formulation preferably includes a second solvent part selected from acetone, tetrahydrofuran and acetone.

Ion-conducting polymeric materials

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Lancaster, United Kingdom

John Edward Lockley