Fluorinated Membranes

Abstract

The term fluorinated membranes generally refers to ion-exchange membranes composed of perfluorinated polymeric backbones. An overview of both the fundamental properties and the technological aspects of perfluorinated membranes is available.1 The first perfluorinated membranes, Nafion® membranes, were developed and commercialized by Du Pont in the early 1970s. They were made of the perfluorinated sulfonic acid ionomer called XR resin.2 Nafion® was first employed as a separator in fuel cells that were used in space exploration, and then as ion-exchange membranes that opened the way to the innovative electrolytic process for chlor-alkali production.3