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Polymeric compounds for membranes
PATENTS
Charging or discharging station for a redox battery Applicant: Funktionswerkstoffe ForschungsU. Entwicklungs GmbH, Austria The invention relates to a charging or discharging station for a redox flow battery. This station comprises a number of flow cells that respectively consist of two half cells which are separated by a selectively ion-permeable membrane, and through which can flow differently charged electrolyte liquids. An electrode is arranged in each half cell and this is connected in an electroconductive manner to the electrode of another cell, or to an external connection (+, –). In order to be able to adjust the charging or discharging current and voltage for the respective function, electroconductive connection of at least one of the electrodes can be carried out by means of interconnected switching elements. These enable at least individual groups of cells to be the optionally connected in parallel or in series. Patent number: WO 03/005476 Inventor: M. Maly-Schreiber, A. Whitehead and C. Hagg Publication date: 16 January 2003
Polymeric compounds for membranes Applicant: W.L. Gore & Associates Inc, USA The reaction product of a monomer comprising phthalazinone and a phenol group, and at least one sulphonated aromatic compound is described. The monomer, comprising phthalazinone and a phenol group, is used in a reaction with the sulphonated aromatic compound to produce ionomers with surprising and highly desirable properties. In one embodiment, the ionomer is a sulphonated poly(phthalazinone ether ketone) or sPPEK. In another embodiment, the ionomer is a sulphonated poly (phthalazinone ether sulphone), or SPPES. In another embodiment, the ionomer is other sulphonated aromatic polymeric compounds. The invention further includes the formation of these polymers into membranes and their use for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, but in particular for direct methanol fuel cells. The polymers may be manufactured in membrane form, and can be dissolved in solution and impregnated into porous substrates to form composite polymer electrolyte membranes with improved properties. Patent number: WO 03/005474 Inventors: G. Xiao, G. Sun, D. Yan, C.W. Martin, H. Wu, K. Gulati, C.A. Cavalca and X. Zhu. Publication date: 16 January 2003
Polymer electrolyte membrane Applicant: BASF AG, Germany The invention relates to a polymer electrolyte composition. It contains between 20 wt% and 99 wt% (in relation to the composition) of at least one non-functionalized polymer in the form of a matrix, and between 80 wt% and 1 wt% (in relation to the composition) of at least one inorganic or organic, low-molecular-weight
Membrane Technology March 2003
solid, or of at least one inorganic or organic polymer solid that is able to accept and to release protons, or of a mixture of these. Patent number: WO 03/005473 Inventors: A. Fischer, J.-C. Heilig, and I. Hennig Publication date: 16 January 2003
Composite membrane Applicant: Millipore Corp, USA Details are given of a patterned composite membrane, which is useful, for example, in proteomic and genomic biopolymer characterization. The patterned composite membrane, in general, comprises a substantially planar support on which is arranged a porous material to define a plurality of discrete binding sites. Each binding site is configured such that it will preferentially bind a predetermined proteomic or genomic biopolymeric species (or other object) upon treatment of the patterned composite membrane with a sample solution containing the biopolymeric species (or other object). A method of making the patterned composite membrane is also disclosed. The method, which employs the use of a mask in the formation of a membrane pattern, is particularly well-suited to industrial application involving comparatively large product volume demands. Patent number: WO 03/004993 Inventor: W. Kopaciewicz Publication date: 16 January 2003
Ceramic composition for electrochemical cell Applicant: L’Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour L’etude et L’exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude, France The invention relates to a method of preparing a thin solid composition consisting of a ceramic or metallic material (A). Inside this composition there is a surface concentration gradient. Also involved is a ceramic or metallic material (B) that has a chemical composition which is identical to, or different from, that of material A. The method consists of the following stages or steps. Infiltrating a porous pore-forming substrate with a suspension of material A; evaporating the solvent; a debinding step; a sintering step; a step involving the total or partial filling of the pore space created at the surface of material A by material B; and a step consisting of sintering or co-sintering of the unit that is obtained. The invention also relates to the ceramic material, the solid electrolyte membrane and the electrochemical mixed ionic-electronic conductor cell comprising this electrolyte. Moreover, it relates to the use of the solid electrolyte to extract oxygen from a gas mixture or to analyze the presence of oxygen in a gaseous atmosphere. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method of preparing ultra-pure oxygen; a method of reducing and/or eliminating oxygen in a gaseous atmosphere; a method of producing heat and electrical energy inside a solid fuel cell; a method of producing synthesis gas by catalytic reaction of the natural
gas of water vapour and oxygen; a method of producing ultra-pure oxygen; and an industrial method of synthesizing an organic compound by catalytic reaction, comprising at least one oxidation step, using the thin solid composition. Finally, the invention relates to how the composition can be used to prepare gas or liquid filtration membranes, ceramic/metal joints, biomaterials and sensors. Patent number: WO 03/004439 Inventors: T. Chartier and F. Guillotin Publication date: 16 January 2003
Concentration measurement by microdialysis Applicants/Inventors: L. Schaupp, Austria and T. Pieber Austria The invention relates to a method for measuring the concentration of substances in living organisms using microdialysis. For this process, bodily fluid is mixed with a perfusate and passed through a membrane, and a substance value is determined for the bodily fluid with the aid of a sensor unit. According to the patent, to allow for the limited transport through the membrane (so that the measured substance value differs from the actual substance value in the organism) a reference substance present in the organism, with a known value, is also measured after passing through the membrane and mixing with the perfusate. The actual substance value is determined, based on the quotient from the known reference substance value divided by the measured reference substance value, multiplied by the measured substance value. Patent number: WO 03/003911 Publication date: 16 January 2003
Isolation and purification of proteinase inhibitor Applicant: Kemin Foods Lc, USA The present invention details ultrafiltration for isolation and purification of a proteinase inhibitor extract from plant tissue, preferably potato tubers. The extraction and isolation of the proteinase inhibitor from potatoes begins with the addition of an organic acid, preferably formic acid, and a salt, preferably sodium chloride, to raw potatoes. The mixture is subjected to process steps to extract soluble proteins. Undesired proteins are denatured and removed, resulting in an extract solution suitable for ultrafiltration. The ultrafiltration process comprises two parts, concentration and diafiltration. The concentration part is primarily for dewatering, and as such, acids, salts and other small molecules are removed concurrent to concentration. An ideal ultrafiltration membrane composition comprises regenerated cellulose with a nominal molecular weight cut-off of 10 000 Dalton. A concentration factor of 10 times volume of the clarified extract volume is achieved using a 100 mM ammonium bicarbonate solution. Patent number: WO 03/003837 Inventors: F. Sheabar and R. Stomp Publication date: 16 January 2003
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Charging or discharging station for a redox battery Applicant: Funktionswerkstoffe ForschungsU. Entwicklungs GmbH, Austria The invention relates to a charging or discharging station for a redox flow battery. This station comprises a number of flow cells that respectively consist of two half cells which are separated by a selectively ion-permeable membrane, and through which can flow differently charged electrolyte liquids. An electrode is arranged in each half cell and this is connected in an electroconductive manner to the electrode of another cell, or to an external connection (+, –). In order to be able to adjust the charging or discharging current and voltage for the respective function, electroconductive connection of at least one of the electrodes can be carried out by means of interconnected switching elements. These enable at least individual groups of cells to be the optionally connected in parallel or in series. Patent number: WO 03/005476 Inventor: M. Maly-Schreiber, A. Whitehead and C. Hagg Publication date: 16 January 2003
Polymeric compounds for membranes Applicant: W.L. Gore & Associates Inc, USA The reaction product of a monomer comprising phthalazinone and a phenol group, and at least one sulphonated aromatic compound is described. The monomer, comprising phthalazinone and a phenol group, is used in a reaction with the sulphonated aromatic compound to produce ionomers with surprising and highly desirable properties. In one embodiment, the ionomer is a sulphonated poly(phthalazinone ether ketone) or sPPEK. In another embodiment, the ionomer is a sulphonated poly (phthalazinone ether sulphone), or SPPES. In another embodiment, the ionomer is other sulphonated aromatic polymeric compounds. The invention further includes the formation of these polymers into membranes and their use for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, but in particular for direct methanol fuel cells. The polymers may be manufactured in membrane form, and can be dissolved in solution and impregnated into porous substrates to form composite polymer electrolyte membranes with improved properties. Patent number: WO 03/005474 Inventors: G. Xiao, G. Sun, D. Yan, C.W. Martin, H. Wu, K. Gulati, C.A. Cavalca and X. Zhu. Publication date: 16 January 2003
Polymer electrolyte membrane Applicant: BASF AG, Germany The invention relates to a polymer electrolyte composition. It contains between 20 wt% and 99 wt% (in relation to the composition) of at least one non-functionalized polymer in the form of a matrix, and between 80 wt% and 1 wt% (in relation to the composition) of at least one inorganic or organic, low-molecular-weight
Membrane Technology March 2003
solid, or of at least one inorganic or organic polymer solid that is able to accept and to release protons, or of a mixture of these. Patent number: WO 03/005473 Inventors: A. Fischer, J.-C. Heilig, and I. Hennig Publication date: 16 January 2003
Composite membrane Applicant: Millipore Corp, USA Details are given of a patterned composite membrane, which is useful, for example, in proteomic and genomic biopolymer characterization. The patterned composite membrane, in general, comprises a substantially planar support on which is arranged a porous material to define a plurality of discrete binding sites. Each binding site is configured such that it will preferentially bind a predetermined proteomic or genomic biopolymeric species (or other object) upon treatment of the patterned composite membrane with a sample solution containing the biopolymeric species (or other object). A method of making the patterned composite membrane is also disclosed. The method, which employs the use of a mask in the formation of a membrane pattern, is particularly well-suited to industrial application involving comparatively large product volume demands. Patent number: WO 03/004993 Inventor: W. Kopaciewicz Publication date: 16 January 2003
Ceramic composition for electrochemical cell Applicant: L’Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour L’etude et L’exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude, France The invention relates to a method of preparing a thin solid composition consisting of a ceramic or metallic material (A). Inside this composition there is a surface concentration gradient. Also involved is a ceramic or metallic material (B) that has a chemical composition which is identical to, or different from, that of material A. The method consists of the following stages or steps. Infiltrating a porous pore-forming substrate with a suspension of material A; evaporating the solvent; a debinding step; a sintering step; a step involving the total or partial filling of the pore space created at the surface of material A by material B; and a step consisting of sintering or co-sintering of the unit that is obtained. The invention also relates to the ceramic material, the solid electrolyte membrane and the electrochemical mixed ionic-electronic conductor cell comprising this electrolyte. Moreover, it relates to the use of the solid electrolyte to extract oxygen from a gas mixture or to analyze the presence of oxygen in a gaseous atmosphere. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method of preparing ultra-pure oxygen; a method of reducing and/or eliminating oxygen in a gaseous atmosphere; a method of producing heat and electrical energy inside a solid fuel cell; a method of producing synthesis gas by catalytic reaction of the natural
gas of water vapour and oxygen; a method of producing ultra-pure oxygen; and an industrial method of synthesizing an organic compound by catalytic reaction, comprising at least one oxidation step, using the thin solid composition. Finally, the invention relates to how the composition can be used to prepare gas or liquid filtration membranes, ceramic/metal joints, biomaterials and sensors. Patent number: WO 03/004439 Inventors: T. Chartier and F. Guillotin Publication date: 16 January 2003
Concentration measurement by microdialysis Applicants/Inventors: L. Schaupp, Austria and T. Pieber Austria The invention relates to a method for measuring the concentration of substances in living organisms using microdialysis. For this process, bodily fluid is mixed with a perfusate and passed through a membrane, and a substance value is determined for the bodily fluid with the aid of a sensor unit. According to the patent, to allow for the limited transport through the membrane (so that the measured substance value differs from the actual substance value in the organism) a reference substance present in the organism, with a known value, is also measured after passing through the membrane and mixing with the perfusate. The actual substance value is determined, based on the quotient from the known reference substance value divided by the measured reference substance value, multiplied by the measured substance value. Patent number: WO 03/003911 Publication date: 16 January 2003
Isolation and purification of proteinase inhibitor Applicant: Kemin Foods Lc, USA The present invention details ultrafiltration for isolation and purification of a proteinase inhibitor extract from plant tissue, preferably potato tubers. The extraction and isolation of the proteinase inhibitor from potatoes begins with the addition of an organic acid, preferably formic acid, and a salt, preferably sodium chloride, to raw potatoes. The mixture is subjected to process steps to extract soluble proteins. Undesired proteins are denatured and removed, resulting in an extract solution suitable for ultrafiltration. The ultrafiltration process comprises two parts, concentration and diafiltration. The concentration part is primarily for dewatering, and as such, acids, salts and other small molecules are removed concurrent to concentration. An ideal ultrafiltration membrane composition comprises regenerated cellulose with a nominal molecular weight cut-off of 10 000 Dalton. A concentration factor of 10 times volume of the clarified extract volume is achieved using a 100 mM ammonium bicarbonate solution. Patent number: WO 03/003837 Inventors: F. Sheabar and R. Stomp Publication date: 16 January 2003
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