| abstract |
A liquid permeable diaphragm formed of a major amount polyfluorocarbon fibrils and a minor amount perfluorinated ion exchange material is disclosed. Optionally, the diaphragm may also include inorganic materials such as zirconium oxide, titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, talc, barium sulfate or potassium titanate, or hydrous inorganic gels such as magnesium oxide gel, zirconium oxide gel, titanium oxide gel or zirconyl phosphate gel. The diaphragm can be prepared by depositing the polyfluorocarbon fibrils and the perfluorinated ion exchange material from a slurry, preferably an aqueous slurry. Optionally, a pore former such as, e.g., polypropylene can be codeposited from the slurry and subsequently removed by heat or dissolution to provide the desired permeability. |