Victrex Manufacturing Limited

Invibio Limited

John Neil Devine

Brian Wilson

David John Kemmish

Peter Charnock

Stuart Green

Marcus Jarman-Smith

John Edward Lockley

Andrew Elleray

Mark J Andrews

Richard F Bridges

Tony Whitehead

Richard Frank Bridges

Mark James Andrews

Mark Brady

A polymer electrolyte membrane or gas diffusion electrode includes an ion-conducting polymeric material which includes moieties of formula (A) which are substituted on average with more than 1 and 3 or fewer groups (e.g. sulphonate groups) which provide ion-exchange sites and hydrogen atoms of said moieties are optionally substituted, wherein each X in said moieties of formula A independently represent an oxygen or sulphur atom. The ion conducting polymeric material is suitably prepared by controllably sulphonating a polymeric material using about 100% sulphuric acid at 34&#xb0; C. to 36&#xb0; C. 

Polymeric materials

There is described a fuel cell or electrolytic cell comprising an ion-conductive polymeric material which includes a first repeat unit of formula (I): &#x2014;(O-Ph-CO-Ph-O-Ph-CO-Ph)-, and a second repeat unit of formula (II): &#x2014;(O-Ph-O-Ph-CO-Ph)-, or of formula (III): (O-Ph-O-Ph-SO-Ph)-; wherein Ph, Ph, Phand Phindependently represent phenyl moieties and wherein said second repeat unit is provided with ion-exchange sites. The polymeric material may include a third repeat unit which is amorphous.

Cells

Method of purifying a polymeric material of a type which includes (A) phenyl moieties; (B) carbonyl and/or sulphone moieties; and; (C) ether and/or thioether moieties. The method includes contacting the polymeric material with a solvent formulation which is at a temperature of greater than 100&#xb0; C. and a pressure above ambient pressure thereby to charge the solvent formulation with impurities derived from the polymeric material, and separating the charged solvent from the polymeric material.

Polyketones

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

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Lancashire, United Kingdom

John Neil Devine