Patents by Inventor Hiromitsu Kusano

Hiromitsu Kusano has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11447881
    Abstract: To provide an ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis for which membrane strength is increased while membrane resistance is reduced to reduce electrolysis voltage during alkali chloride electrolysis and which prevents peeling between layers (S) and a layer (C). The ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis comprises a layer (C) which comprises a fluorinated polymer having carboxylic acid functional groups, at least two layers (S) which comprise a fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid functional groups, and a reinforcing material, wherein the layers (S) include a layer (Sa) and a layer (Sb), the layer (Sa) is a layer which is adjacent to the layer (C), the layer (Sb) is a layer which is not adjacent to the layer (C), the reinforcing material is disposed in the layer (Sb) substantially in parallel to the layer (Sb) in a state not in contact with the layer (Sa), and the ion exchange capacity of the layer (Sa) is lower than the ion exchange capacity of the layer (Sb).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: AGC Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi Yamaki, Takayuki Kaneko, Hiromitsu Kusano, Takuo Nishio, Kazuo Umemura
  • Patent number: 11434337
    Abstract: To provide an ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis which has a low membrane resistance and which is capable of reducing the electrolysis voltage during the alkali chloride electrolysis, while increasing the membrane strength. An ion exchange membrane 1 for alkali chloride electrolysis wherein a reinforcing material 20 obtained by weaving with reinforcing yarns 22 and sacrificial yarns 24 is embedded in a fluoropolymer having ion exchange groups, the ion exchange membrane 1 comprises elution holes (28) formed by eluting at least a portion of a material of the sacrificial yarns 24, and in a cross section perpendicular to the length direction of the yarns, the total area (S) obtained by adding the cross-sectional area of an elution hole 28 and the cross-sectional area of a sacrificial yarn 24 remaining in the elution hole 28 is from 500 to 1,200 ?m2, and the number (n) of elution holes 28 between adjacent reinforcing yarns 22 is at least 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: AGC Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki Kaneko, Hiromitsu Kusano, Yasushi Yamaki, Takuo Nishio
  • Patent number: 11273435
    Abstract: To provide a method for producing a fluorinated cation exchange membrane, by which a fluorinated cation exchange membrane having a high effect to suppress attachment of the gas to the surface on the cathode side and having an excellent resistance to dropping of inorganic particles from a gas-releasing layer provided on the cathode side can be obtained. A method for producing a fluorinated cation exchange membrane 1 for electrolysis comprising, on at least the cathode side, a layer (?1) 12 containing a perfluorocarbon polymer (A) having carboxylic acid groups or precursor groups of carboxylic acid groups, and a gas-releasing layer (?2) 10 provided on the cathode side of the layer (?1) 12, which comprises applying to the surface of the layer (?1) 12 a coating liquid containing inorganic particles having an average secondary particle size of from 0.5 to 1.5 ?m, a binder and a dispersion medium in a mass ratio of the binder to the total mass of the inorganic particles and the binder of from 0.15 to 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: AGC Inc.
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Kusano, Takayuki Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20210245148
    Abstract: The present invention provides composite particles which are capable of forming an ion exchange membrane with fewer defects and an ion exchange membrane. The composite particles according to the present invention comprise pellets comprising a fluorinated polymer having groups convertible to ion exchange groups, and a powder held on the pellet surface which comprises a polymer, wherein the powder has an average particle diameter of at least 1 ?m and at most 1,000 ?m, and the ratio of the average particle diameter of the pellets to the average particle diameter of the powder is 2 to 4,500.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Applicant: AGC, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi YAMAKI, Hiromitsu KUSANO
  • Patent number: 11066751
    Abstract: To provide an ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis which is a membrane having a high water permeability and being capable of maintaining a low electrolysis voltage while suppressing the amount of water supplied to a cathode chamber to be minimum, and which is capable of forming an aqueous alkali hydroxide solution having a high caustic alkali quality. The ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis comprises a layer 12 made of a fluorinated polymer having carboxylic acid functional groups, and a layer 14A and a layer 14B made of a fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid functional groups, wherein a reinforcing material 20 containing reinforcing threads 22 is disposed between the layer 14A and the layer 14B, the thickness when dried, of the layer 12 is from 9 to 28 ?m, the layer 14B includes a layer having an ion exchange capacity of from 1.3 to 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: AGC Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi Yamaki, Takayuki Kaneko, Hiromitsu Kusano, Takuo Nishio
  • Publication number: 20210198397
    Abstract: To provide a method for producing pellets from which an ion exchange membrane excellent in stability of the electrolysis voltage can be formed, pellets, and an ion exchange membrane. The method for producing pellets of the present invention is a method for producing pellets, which comprises extruding a melt containing a fluorinated polymer having groups convertible to ion exchange groups from a die of a melt-extruder to obtain a strand containing the fluorinated polymer, and cutting the strand to obtain pellets containing the fluorinated polymer, wherein the temperature of the die when the melt containing the fluorinated polymer is extruded from the die is less than 200° C., and when the groups convertible to ion exchange groups of the fluorinated polymer are converted to ion exchange groups, the ion exchange capacity of the resulting fluorinated polymer is at least 1.1 milliequivalent/g dry resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Applicant: AGC Inc.
    Inventor: Hiromitsu KUSANO
  • Patent number: 11020734
    Abstract: To provide an ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis which has high membrane strength and low membrane resistance, thereby capable of reducing the electrolysis voltage during alkali chloride electrolysis. In this ion exchange membrane (1) for alkali chloride electrolysis, a reinforcing material 20 formed by weaving reinforcing yarns 22 and sacrificial yarns 24 is disposed in a layer (S) 14, and layer (S) 14 has elution portions 28 formed by elution of at least portions of the sacrificial yarns 24.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: AGC Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi Yamaki, Takayuki Kaneko, Hiromitsu Kusano, Takuo Nishio
  • Patent number: 10926253
    Abstract: To provide a process for producing an ion exchange membrane for electrolysis which has a low membrane resistance and which is capable of reducing the electrolysis voltage during the electrolysis, even if the membrane strength is increased, an ion exchange membrane for electrolysis, a precursor membrane of an ion exchange membrane for electrolysis, and an electrolysis apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: AGC Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki Kaneko, Hiromitsu Kusano, Yasushi Yamaki, Takuo Nishio
  • Patent number: 10865489
    Abstract: To provide an ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis, which has low membrane resistance and which reduces the electrolysis voltage during alkali chloride electrolysis, even if the spacing between reinforcing yarns is made narrow to increase the membrane strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: AGC Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki Kaneko, Hiromitsu Kusano, Yasushi Yamaki, Takuo Nishio
  • Patent number: 10669641
    Abstract: To provide an ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis whereby it is possible to make the electrolysis voltage low and the current efficiency high at the time of performing electrolysis of an alkali chloride; a method for its production; and an alkali chloride electrolysis apparatus using it. The ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis has a layer (C) comprising a fluorinated polymer having carbonic acid functional groups, and a layer (S) comprising a fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid functional groups; a reinforcing material containing reinforcing threads is disposed in the layer (S); and when measured after the ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis is immersed and held in a 32 mass % sodium hydroxide aqueous solution warmed at 90° C. for 16 hours and subsequently immersed in a 32 mass % sodium hydroxide aqueous solution at 25° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: AGC Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi Yamaki, Takayuki Kaneko, Hiromitsu Kusano, Takuo Nishio
  • Patent number: 10370511
    Abstract: To provide a cation exchange membrane which is less susceptible to swelling or elongation during electrolysis of a potassium chloride aqueous solution even without permitting water absorption or swelling immediately prior to mounting it in an electrolyzer, and a method whereby it possible to stably produce a potassium hydroxide aqueous solution without necessity to conduct an operation for water absorption or swelling immediately prior to mounting the membrane in the electrolyzer. A cation exchange membrane comprising a polymer having cation exchange groups, wherein in cations (100 mol %) contained in the cation exchange membrane, the total of potassium ions and sodium ions is at least 99 mol %, and in the total (100 mol %) of potassium ions and sodium ions contained in the cation exchange membrane, the potassium ions are 80-98 mol % and the sodium ions are 20-2 mol %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: AGC Inc.
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Kusano, Takayuki Kaneko, Yasushi Yamaki, Takayuki Endo
  • Publication number: 20190218675
    Abstract: To provide a diaphragm for electrolyzing alkaline water and a device for electrolyzing alkaline water, whereby at the time of electrolyzing alkaline water, it is possible to suppress the electrolysis voltage to be low even at a high current density and interlayer peeling is unlikely to occur. This diaphragm 1 for electrolyzing alkaline water comprises an ion-exchange membrane 10 which contains a polymer having sulfonic acid functional groups and which does not contain a polymer having carbonic acid functional groups, and a hydrophilic layer provided as the outermost layer on at least one side of the diaphragm, wherein the thickness of the ion-exchange membrane 10 is from 25 to 250 ?m. Or, the diaphragm 1 for electrolyzing alkaline water comprises an ion-exchange membrane 10, a reinforcing material 16 made of a woven fabric embedded in the ion-exchange membrane 10 and a hydrophilic layer provided as the outermost layer on at least one side of the diaphragm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Applicant: AGC Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi YAMAKI, Kosuke SUMIKURA, Satoru MIYAMOTO, Hiromitsu KUSANO, Takuo NISHIO
  • Publication number: 20190040538
    Abstract: To provide an ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis which is a membrane having a high water permeability and being capable of maintaining a low electrolysis voltage while suppressing the amount of water supplied to a cathode chamber to be minimum, and which is capable of forming an aqueous alkali hydroxide solution having a high caustic alkali quality. The ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis comprises a layer 12 made of a fluorinated polymer having carboxylic acid functional groups, and a layer 14A and a layer 14B made of a fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid functional groups, wherein a reinforcing material 20 containing reinforcing threads 22 is disposed between the layer 14A and the layer 14B, the thickness when dried, of the layer 12 is from 9 to 28 ?m, the layer 14B includes a layer having an ion exchange capacity of from 1.3 to 2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Applicant: AGC Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi Yamaki, Takayuki Kaneko, Hiromitsu Kusano, Takuo Nishio
  • Publication number: 20190040537
    Abstract: To provide an ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis whereby it is possible to make the electrolysis voltage low and the current efficiency high at the time of performing electrolysis of an alkali chloride; a method for its production; and an alkali chloride electrolysis apparatus using it. The ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis has a layer (C) comprising a fluorinated polymer having carbonic acid functional groups, and a layer (S) comprising a fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid functional groups; a reinforcing material containing reinforcing threads is disposed in the layer (S); and when measured after the ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis is immersed and held in a 32 mass % sodium hydroxide aqueous solution warmed at 90° C. for 16 hours and subsequently immersed in a 32 mass % sodium hydroxide aqueous solution at 25° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Applicant: AGC Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi YAMAKI, Takayuki KANEKO, Hiromitsu KUSANO, Takuo NISHIO
  • Publication number: 20180043344
    Abstract: To provide a process for producing an ion exchange membrane for electrolysis which has a low membrane resistance and which is capable of reducing the electrolysis voltage during the electrolysis, even if the membrane strength is increased, an ion exchange membrane for electrolysis, a precursor membrane of an ion exchange membrane for electrolysis, and an electrolysis apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Applicant: ASAHI GLASS COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Takayuki KANEKO, Hiromitsu KUSANO, Yasushi YAMAKI, Takuo NISHIO
  • Publication number: 20170313836
    Abstract: To provide an ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis which has a low membrane resistance and which is capable of reducing the electrolysis voltage during the alkali chloride electrolysis, while increasing the membrane strength. An ion exchange membrane 1 for alkali chloride electrolysis wherein a reinforcing material 20 obtained by weaving with reinforcing yarns 22 and sacrificial yarns 24 is embedded in a fluoropolymer having ion exchange groups, the ion exchange membrane 1 comprises elution holes (28) formed by eluting at least a portion of a material of the sacrificial yarns 24, and in a cross section perpendicular to the length direction of the yarns, the total area (S) obtained by adding the cross-sectional area of an elution hole 28 and the cross-sectional area of a sacrificial yarn 24 remaining in the elution hole 28 is from 500 to 1,200 ?m2, and the number (n) of elution holes 28 between adjacent reinforcing yarns 22 is at least 10.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Applicant: Asahi Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Takayuki KANEKO, Hiromitsu KUSANO, Yasushi YAMAKI, Takuo NISHIO
  • Publication number: 20170218526
    Abstract: To provide an ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis for which membrane strength is increased while membrane resistance is reduced to reduce electrolysis voltage during alkali chloride electrolysis and which prevents peeling between layers (S) and a layer (C). The ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis comprises a layer (C) which comprises a fluorinated polymer having carboxylic acid functional groups, at least two layers (S) which comprise a fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid functional groups, and a reinforcing material, wherein the layers (S) include a layer (Sa) and a layer (Sb), the layer (Sa) is a layer which is adjacent to the layer (C), the layer (Sb) is a layer which is not adjacent to the layer (C), the reinforcing material is disposed in the layer (Sb) substantially in parallel to the layer (Sb) in a state not in contact with the layer (Sa), and the ion exchange capacity of the layer (Sa) is lower than the ion exchange capacity of the layer (Sb).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: ASAHI GLASS COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Yasushi YAMAKI, Takayuki KANEKO, Hiromitsu KUSANO, Takuo NISHIO, Kazuo UMEMURA
  • Publication number: 20170218527
    Abstract: To provide an ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis which has high membrane strength and low membrane resistance, thereby capable of reducing the electrolysis voltage during alkali chloride electrolysis. In this ion exchange membrane (1) for alkali chloride electrolysis, a reinforcing material 20 formed by weaving reinforcing yarns 22 and sacrificial yarns 24 is disposed in a layer (S) 14, and layer (S) 14 has elution portions 28 formed by elution of at least portions of the sacrificial yarns 24.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: ASAHI GLASS COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Yasushi YAMAKI, Takayuki KANEKO, Hiromitsu KUSANO, Takuo NISHIO
  • Publication number: 20170137952
    Abstract: To provide an ion exchange membrane for alkali chloride electrolysis, which has low membrane resistance and which reduces the electrolysis voltage during alkali chloride electrolysis, even if the spacing between reinforcing yarns is made narrow to increase the membrane strength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Applicant: ASAHI GLASS COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Takayuki KANEKO, Hiromitsu Kusano, Yasushi Yamaki, Takuo Nishio
  • Publication number: 20170029585
    Abstract: To provide a cation exchange membrane which is less susceptible to swelling or elongation during electrolysis of a potassium chloride aqueous solution even without permitting water absorption or swelling immediately prior to mounting it in an electrolyzer, and a method whereby it possible to stably produce a potassium hydroxide aqueous solution without necessity to conduct an operation for water absorption or swelling immediately prior to mounting the membrane in the electrolyzer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2016
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Applicant: Asahi Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hiromitsu KUSANO, Takayuki KANEKO, Yasushi YAMAKI, Takayuki ENDO