Ion exchange membrane filling composition, method of preparing ion exchange membrane, ion exchange membrane, and redox flow battery

Abstract

A composition for filling an ion exchange membrane, a method of preparing the ion exchange membrane, the filled ion exchange membrane, and a redox flow battery using the filled ion exchange membrane. The composition includes an ion conductive material and a water soluble support.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A composition for filling an ion exchange membrane, the composition comprising:
 an ion conductive material; and   a water soluble support.   
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the ion conductive material is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an ion conductive monomer and an ion conductive polymer. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein the ion conductive monomer comprises a quaternary ammonium salt. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 3 , wherein the quaternary ammonium salt is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by Formulae 1 to 4 below: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein in Formula 1, the ratio of x to y (x/y) is in a range of about 0.1 to about 0.5. 
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein in Formula 4, n is an integer of 100 to 10,000. 
       
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein the ion conductive polymer comprises at least one of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), poly(acrylamide-co-diallyldimethylammonium chloride), and poly(dimethylamine-co-epichlorohydrin-co-ethylenediamine). 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the water soluble support comprises at least one of a water soluble monomer, and a water soluble polymer. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 6 , wherein the water soluble monomer comprises at least one of vinyl alcohol, vinyl acetate, acrylonitrile, and methyl methacrylate. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 6 , wherein the water soluble polymer comprises at least one of polyacrylamide, polyacrylic acid, poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid), polyvinylalcohol, and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate). 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of the ion conductive material to the water soluble support is in a range of 70:30 to 30:70. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one solvent. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein the solvent comprises at least one of water, methanol, ethanol, dimethylacetamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, and tetrahydrofuran. 
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the amount of the solvent is in a range of about 0 to about 100 parts by weight based on a total of 100 parts by weight of the ion conductive material and the water soluble support. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 1 , further comprising a thermal polymerization initiator or a photopolymerization initiator. 
     
     
         14 . A method of preparing an ion exchange membrane, the method comprising:
 impregnating a porous substrate film having ion exchanging properties with the composition of  claim 1 ; and   polymerizing the impregnated composition.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the porous substrate film comprises at least one of a polyolefin, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyetheretherketone, a polysulfone, a polyimide, and a polyamideimide. 
     
     
         16 . An ion exchange membrane comprising a polymer product of the composition of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         17 . The ion exchange membrane of  claim 16 , wherein the ion exchange membrane has an ion conductivity of 1.0 10 −4  S/cm or more. 
     
     
         18 . The ion exchange membrane of  claim 16 , wherein the ion exchange membrane has a thickness of about 20 to about 100 μm. 
     
     
         19 . A redox flow battery comprising:
 a catholyte;   an anolyte; and   the ion exchange membrane of  claim 16  disposed between the catholyte and the anolyte.   
     
     
         20 . The redox flow battery of  claim 19 , wherein the ion exchange membrane is an anion exchange membrane and at least one of the catholyte and the anolyte is an organic electrolyte.