TREATMENT OF PERFLUORINATED POLYMER MEMBRANES CONTAINING CARBOXYL GROUPS FOR ALKALI METAL CHLORIDE ELECTROLYSIS

摘要

Treatment of perfluorinated polymer membranes containingcarboxyl groups for alkali metal chloride electrolysisABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREIn the treatment of a perfluorinated polymermembrane containing acid ion exchanger groups in a coronadischarge, the improvement which comprises employing amembrane containing carboxyl groups and maintaining themembrane at a temperature below about 80°C during thedischarge treatment. Advantageously the corona dischargetreatment is carried out intermittently, the temperature ismaintained at about -10 to +22°C, during the treatment theaverage rate of irradition is below about 2 Ah/m2, thefrequency of the corona discharge is from about 5 to 15 kHz,the voltage for producing the corona discharge is from about1 to 20 kV and the dose is from about 0.1 to 10 Ah/m2 ofmembrane surface. The resulting membranes exhibit loweredresistance resulting in lower cell voltages when used in theelectrolysis of sodium chloride.