Novel ion-exchange membranes for electrodialysis prepared by radiation-induced graft polymerization

Journal Article · Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1995 · Journal of the Electrochemical Society

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1149/1.2048395· OSTI ID:153685

Tsuneda, Satoshi; Saito, Kyoichi ^[1]; Misuhara, Hisashi ^[2]; Sugo, Takanobu ^[3]

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1. Univ. of Tokyo, Hongo, Tokyo (Japan). Dept. of Chemical Engineering
2. Asahi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Yako, Kawasaki (Japan). Ion Exchange Membrane Administration
3. Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Takasaki, Gunma (Japan). Takasaki Radiation Chemistry Research Establishment

Ion-exchange membranes have been used to concentrate seawater to produce salt as well as to desalinate brackish water to render it potable. Also, the interest in applications of ion-exchange membranes as separators for electrodialytic desalination of bioproducts and separators in hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells has been growing. Novel ion-exchange membranes containing sulfonic acid (SO{sub 3}H) and trimethyl ammonium [N(CH{sub 3}){sub 3}] groups were prepared by a simple method of radiation-induced cografting of sodium styrene sulfonate (SSS) with acrylic acid (AAc) and vinyl benzyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (VBTAC) with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), onto a polyethylene film with a thickness of 50 {micro}m. The high density graft chain was introduced throughout the polyethylene film. The maximum cation- and anion-exchange capacities of the resultant membranes were 2.5 and 1.3 mol/kg, receptively. These membranes exhibited an electrical resistance one order lower than commercially available ion-exchange membranes; for example, 12 h cografting provided cation- and anion-exchange membranes whose electrical resistances in a 0.5 M NaCl solution were 0.25 and 0.85 {Omega} cm{sup 2}, respectively. From the evaluation of electrodialytic desalination in a batch mode, using a pair of the graft-type ion-exchange membranes, the time required to achieve 99.5% desalination of the initial 0.5 M NaCl solutions was reduced to 85% comparing with that of the commercial ion-exchange membranes.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 153685
• Journal Information: Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Vol. 142, Issue 11; Other Information: PBD: Nov 1995
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
40 CHEMISTRY
HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS
BATTERY SEPARATORS
FABRICATION
ION EXCHANGE MATERIALS
MEMBRANES
BRINES
ELECTRODIALYSIS
SULFONIC ACIDS
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
ACRYLIC ACID
AMMONIUM CHLORIDES
POLYETHYLENES
GRAFT POLYMERS
COPOLYMERS
POLYMERIZATION
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY