Patent ID: 7015263

Claim:
A process for recovering fluoropolymers, comprising: contacting an ion exchange membrane comprising a fluoropolymer having carboxylic acid groups (hereinafter referred to as a C-polymer), and a fluoropolymer having sulfonic acid groups (hereinafter referred to as a S-polymer), and having inorganic particles deposited on the surface, with a solvent to let said ion exchange membrane swell and to remove the inorganic particles from the surface, then, contacting said ion exchange membrane with a solvent which is a good solvent for the S-polymer and a poor solvent for the C-polymer to obtain a solid comprising mainly the C-polymer and a solution having the S-polymer dissolved therein, and recovering said C-polymer and said S-polymer by solid-liquid separation; wherein the solvent to let the ion exchange membrane swell is a mixed solvent comprising a water-soluble organic solvent and water.