Patent ID: 8883297

Claim:
A method of preparing a membrane for a flow cell battery comprising: bonding a membrane to a frame, wherein the membrane is bonded to the frame by the process comprising: applying, at a bonding site of the membrane, a pre-treatment solvent solution, the pre-treatment solvent solution comprising a first solvent carrying dissolved polymeric residue material, the dissolved polymeric residue material being configured to fill pores of the membrane at the bonding site of the membrane and to render the bonding site of the membrane to be hydrophobic; drying the bonding site of the membrane; wetting the membrane to cause the membrane to expand, the membrane not expanding at the hydrophobic bonding site of the membrane; applying, at a bonding site of the frame, a second solvent that dissolves a surface layer of the frame; applying, at the bonding site of the membrane, a third solvent that dissolves the polymeric residue material dissolved in the pre-treatment solvent solution; and pressing the bonding site of the membrane to the bonding site of the frame at their respective bonding sites, wherein the membrane is configured for use in a flow cell battery.