Patent ID: 6503957
Filing Date: 2003-01-07
Classification: B29C,C08J

Abstract:
A method for the formation of an improved heterogeneous ion-exchange membrane comprising:a) feeding a supply of a polymer binder to an in-line compounding extruder, having means for melting, kneading and transferring the polymer binder to a sheet die head for sheet extrusion; said extruder further having means for feeding and blending additives in-line to the melted polymer binder at a prescribed processing stage; b) maintaining the polymer binder within said extruder at a temperature range of between about the softening point of said polymer binder and the melting point of said polymer binder to form a melted matrix polymer; c) kneading the melted polymer binder to form a homogeneous matrix; d) subsequently adding and mixing a powdered ion-exchange resin, to the melted matrix polymer derived from step c) to form a heterogeneous blended melt within said extruder, wherein said ion-exchange resin has a residence time within said extruder of less than about two minutes; and e) transporting the blended melted polymer matrix derived from step d) directly into a sheet die head for continuous sheet extrusion.