• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.07a
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• pp.77-80
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• 2003

Hydrocarbon-hydrocarbon separations are one of the most important processes in petroleum refining. Distillation process has been used for separating hydrocarbons, but this conventional process is very energy consuming. Pervaporation separation through polymeric membranes is an emerging process alternative to distillation because of energy savings, compact system installation, reduced capital investment, and other performance attributes. In hydrocarbon separations, polymeric membranes are easily swollen by hydrocarbons and can lose mechanical strength. Chemically robust membranes are needed for the separation of hydrocarbons. In this study, the blend membrane was applied to separate benzene and cyclohexane. This is a model system for aliphatic and aromatic separation. Cyclohexane is also physically very similar to benzene and as a result of the very closing boiling points (0.6$^{\circ}C$), benzene and cyclohexane form an azetrope. Thus the system provides a good model for azeotrope breaking by pervaporation. The semi-quantitative thermodynamic model predicts that the calculated selectivity increases with increasing Hydrin contents in the blend membranes. Pervaporation experiments utilizing various operating temperatures and feed concentrations with different blend membranes are compared with the result from semi-quantitative thermodynamic calculations.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.385-394
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• 2020

In the gas separation process, the separation membranes have to not only show high gas transport and selectivity but also exhibit exceptional stability at high temperature and pressure. However, when the polymeric membranes (particularly, glassy polymers) are exposed to the condensable gases (i.e., CO2, H2S, hydrocarbon, etc.), the polymer chains are prone to swell, leading to low stability. As a result, the plasticization behavior reduces the gas selectivity in the separation of mixture gases at high pressures and thus results in limited applications to the separation processes. To address these issues, many strategies have been studied such as thermal treatment, polymer blending, thermally rearrangement, mixed-matrix membranes, cross-linking, etc. In this review, we will understand the plasticization behavior and suggest potential methods based on the previously reported studies.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.427-441
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• 2022

Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) serving as a separator that can prevent the permeation of unreacted fuels as well as an electrolyte that selectively transports protons from the anode to the cathode has been considered a key component of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The perfluorinated sulfonic acid-based PEMs, represented by Nafion®, have been commercialized in PEMFC systems due to their high proton conductivity and chemical stability. Nevertheless, these PEMs have several inherent drawbacks including high manufacturing costs by the complex synthetic processes and environmental problems caused by producing the toxic gases. Although numerous studies are underway to address these drawbacks including the development of sulfonated hydrocarbon polymer-based PEMs (SHP-PEMs), which can easily control the polymer structures, further improvement of PEM performances and durability is necessary for practical PEMFC applications. Therefore, this study focused on the various strategies for the development of SHP-PEMs with outstanding performance and durability by 1) introducing cross-linked structures, 2) incorporating organic/inorganic composites, and 3) fabricating reinforced-composite membranes using porous substrates.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.673-681
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• 2023

Hydrocarbon-based polymer membranes to replace perfluorinated polymer membranes are being continuously researched. However, hydrocarbon-based membranes have a problem in that they are less durable than fluorine-based membranes. In this study, we sought to compare the annealing effect to improve the durability of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK). After membranes formation, thermogravimetric analysis and tensile strength were measured to compare changes in membranes properties due to annealing. After manufacturing the membrane and electrode assembly (MEA), the initial performance and chemical durability was compared with unit cell operation. During the 24-hour annealing process, the strength increased due to the increase in-S-O-S-crosslinking, and the sulfonic acid group decreased, leading to a decrease in I-V performance. By annealing, the hydrogen permeability was reduced to less than 1/10 of that of the nafion membrane, and as a result, open circuit voltage (OCV) and durability was improved. The SPEEK membranes annealed for 24 hours showed higher durability than the nafion 211 membranes of the same thickness.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.231-235
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• 2003

Phase behavior information is necessary for accomplishing homogeneous copolymerization to obtain high yield of copolymers and prevent a fouling problem. Cloud-point data to $160^{\circ}C$ and 1,450 bar are presented for five $C_6$ hydrocarbon solvents, normal hexane, 2,2-dimethyl butane, 2,3-dimethyl butane, 2-methyl pentane, and 3-methyl pentane, with poly(ethylene-co-53 mol% norbornene) ($PEN_{53}$). The pressure-concentration isotherms measured for $PEN_{53}$/n-hexane have maximums that range between 5 and 12 wt% $PEN_{53}$. The cloud-point curves for $PEN_{53}$ all have negative slopes that decrease in pressure with temperatures. The single-phase region of $PEN_{53}$ in n-hexane is larger than the regions in 2,2-dimethyl butane, 2,3-dimethyl butane, 2-methyl pentane, and 3-methyl pentane. The cloud-point curve of $PEN_{53}$ in 2,2-dimethyl butane is located at higher temperatures and pressures than the curve in 2,3-dimethyl butane due to the reduced dispersion interactions with and limited access of 2,2-dimethyl butane to the copolymer. Similar cloud-point behavior is observed for $PEN_{53}$ in 2-methyl pentane and 3-methyl pentane.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.490-495
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• 2009

The reactive compatibilization of amorphous poly-${\alpha}$-olefins (APAO)/amorphous polyamide (aPA) blends was carried out using two kinds of reactive compatibilizers such as maleated polypropylene and ethylene-glycidyl methacrylate-methyl acrylate copolymer. The grafting reaction rates between aPA and the compatibilizers were examined using FT-IR, SEM and rheometer. The effect of the reactive compatibilization on the mechanical property of the blends was investigated with a universal testing machine. The adhesion strength of the blends including a hydrocarbon tackifier resin, C9 was also measured.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.289-299
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• 2020

Highly aromatic (HA) oils are common processing aids used in tire tread compounds. However, they often bleed and evaporate from the vulcanizates during tire use. Thus, the mechanical and dynamical properties of the tire decrease. To overcome this problem, we investigated nonfunctionalized liquid butadiene rubber (LBR-305, Kuraray) and center-functionalized liquid butadiene rubber (C-LqBR), polymerized by anionic polymerization. In addition to the liquid butadiene rubbers, p-tert-octylphenol (P-Resin) and C5 hydrocarbon (H-Resin) tackifier resins, which can induce entanglement of rubber compounds, were researched as a processing aid to solve the bleeding problem. Liquid butadiene rubbers have significantly reduced extraction loss by crosslinking with the main rubber chain. They have also increased the abrasion resistance and showed similar or better mechanical and dynamical properties against HA oils. However, resin compounds did not show differences in extraction loss compared to HA oil compounds; instead, they showed increased wet traction.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.155-161
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• 2010

A series of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) based hot melt adhesives containing different types and compositions of tackifier resins were prepared to investigate their rheological behavior and T-peel adhesion strength on polyurethane (PU) elastomeric sheets. C5 aliphatic hydrocarbon resin (C5 resin), C9 aromatic hydrocarbon resin (C9 resin), hydrogenated dicyclopentadiene resin ($H_2$-DCPD resin), and dicyclopentadiene and acrylic monomer copolymer resin (DCPD-acrylic resin) were used as the tackifiers for the hot melt adhesives. To determine the polarity of the tackifiers, their oxygen contents were analyzed, and the DCPDacrylic resin was found to contain an oxygen content higher than the other tackifiers. Only the DCPD-acrylic resin showed complete miscibility with EVA and the homogeneous phase of the hot melt adhesive blends at all compositions. The T-peel adhesion strength between the hot melt adhesives and polyurethane elastomeric sheets was mainly affected by the polarity of the tackifier resins in the hot melt adhesives, rather than by the storage moduli, G', of the hot melt adhesives themselves.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.325-343
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• 2023

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) have been attracting attention as energy conversion devices that can directly supply methanol liquid fuel without a fuel reforming process. The commercial polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) currently applied to DMFC are perfluorosulfonic acid ionomer-based PEMs, which exhibit high proton conductivity and physicochemical stability during the operation. However, problems such as high methanol permeability and environmental pollutants generated during decomposition require the development of PEMs for DMFCs using novel ionomers. Recently, studies have been reported to develop PEMs using hydrocarbon-based ionomers that exhibit low fuel permeability and high physicochemical stability. This review introduces the following studies on hydrocarbon-based PEMs for DMFC applications: 1) synthesis of grafting copolymers that exhibit distinct hydrophilic/hydrophobic phase-separated structure to improve both proton conductivity and methanol selectivity, 2) introduction of cross-linked structure during PEM fabrication to reduce the methanol permeability and improve dimensional stability, and 3) incorporation of organic/inorganic composites or reinforcing substrates to develop reinforced composite membranes showing improved PEM performances and durability.

• KEPCO Journal on Electric Power and Energy
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.127-131
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• 2016

Polymer electrolyte membrane for unitized regenerative fuel cells requires high proton conductivity, high dimensional stability, low permeability, and low cost. However, DuPont's Nafion which is a commercial polymer electrolyte membrane has high permeability, high cost, and decreasing proton conductivity and dimensional stability over $80^{\circ}C$. To address these problems, sulfonated poly ether ether ketone (sPEEK) which is a low cost hydrocarbon polymer is selected as matrix polymer for the preparation of polymer electrolyte membrane. In addition, composite membrane with improved proton conductivity and dimensional stability is prepared by introducing sulfonated graphene oxide (sGO). The fundamental properties of polymer electrolyte membranes are analyzed by investigating membrane's water content, dimensional stability, proton conductivity, and morphology. The cell test is conducted to consider the possibility of application of sPEEK/sGO composite membrane for an unitized regenerative fuel cell.