SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HIGH-SALINITY ELECTRODIALYSIS WITH RATIONALLY-DESIGNED ION-EXCHANGE MEMBRANES

    公开(公告)号:US20240325984A1

    公开(公告)日:2024-10-03

    申请号:US18618274

    申请日:2024-03-27

    IPC分类号: B01D67/00 B01D61/46 B01D71/28

    摘要: Cation exchange membranes are prepared via facile methods to control sulfonation of polystyrene repeat units. An amount of sulfuric acid is reacted with an acetic anhydride to form an amount of acetyl sulfate. The acetyl sulfate is then added to a known concentration of polystyrene units in boiling dichloromethane (DCM) to form sulfonated polystyrene random copolymers, including a random distribution of sulfonated polystyrene repeats and unsulfonated polystyrene repeats, with sulfonation levels between about 0.07 and about 0.225. The sulfonation level can be controlled by adjusting reaction times, reaction temperatures, and sulfuric acid loading in the reaction mediums. These membranes, neutralized via alkali metals, exhibit high charge densities and low hydration degrees, and maintain high permselectivity under various high solution concentrations. The membranes can expand the operating range of ion-exchange membranes (IEMs) and enable numerous additional applications, including high-salinity electrodialysis, improved efficiency of the chloralkali process, water electrolyzers, fuel cells, etc.