FIBROUS ION EXCHANGER AND ITS PRODUCTION

• Main Author: KANCHIKU YOSHIHIKO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 20.10.1998
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBONFILAMENTS; CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS,THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; LAUNDERING; NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL THREADS OR FIBRES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; SPINNING; TEXTILES; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING; TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; TREATMENT, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE IN CLASS D06, OF FIBRES, THREADS, YARNS,FABRICS, FEATHERS, OR FIBROUS GOODS MADE FROM SUCH MATERIALS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fibrous ion exchanger having both an excellent ion exchange characteristic and a heat adhesive property and suitable for producing various kinds of ion-exchanging structures, and to provide a method for producing the fibrous ion exchanger. SOLUTION: This fibrous ion exchanger is a composite material comprising a porous fiber which comprises polyethylene having excellent characteristics on physical properties and chemical resistance and which is characterized by a communicating pore structure made with closely standing fine fibrils, and an ion-exchanging polymer charged into the pore portion. The ion-exchanging polymer tending to be changed into a weak water-containing gel on employment is surrounded with the water- insensitive fiber fibrils of the porous fiber to inhibit a soft gel-like behavior. When the ion-exchanging polymer is used for the exchange of ions, the communicating property of the pores contributes to the passage of the ions and does substantially not cause a trouble. The fibrous ion exchanger is supported with the ideal combined effects. The polyethylene in the ion exchanger is exposed on the surface of the fiber without being modified on the charge of the ion exchanger polymer, gives good heat- resistant adhesivity at the melting point or higher, and can thereby be processed into various kinds of shapes.