Patents by Inventor Kosuke Sumikura

Kosuke Sumikura 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: 11742507
    Abstract: The present invention provides a strong polymer electrolyte membrane which can provide a water electrolyzer operable at low electrolysis voltage. The polymer electrolyte membrane of the present invention comprises a fluorinated polymer and a woven fabric, wherein the weight of the woven fabric is from 20 to 95 g/m2, and the warp and weft of the woven fabric independently have a denier of from 30 to 100.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: AGC Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi Yamaki, Kosuke Sumikura, Takuo Nishio, Takumi Okuyama, Satoru Hommura
  • Publication number: 20230253596
    Abstract: To provide an electrolyte membrane wherein pinholes are less likely to occur even when used in a cell having an anode and a cathode under voltage for a prolonged period of time, as well as an electrolysis apparatus and a redox flow battery which contain the membrane. An electrolyte membrane comprising a fluorinated polymer containing ion-exchange groups and a woven fabric, wherein said woven fabric consists of yarns A extending in one direction and yarns B extending in a direction orthogonal to said yarns A, the aspect ratio YACA2/YACA1 exceeds 1 and is larger than the aspect ratio YAA2/YAA1, and the aspect ratio YACB2/YACB1 exceeds 1 and is larger than the aspect ratio YAB2/YAB1. (YACA2, YACA1, YAA2, YAA1, YACB2, YACB1, YAB2 and YAB1 are as defined in the specification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: AGC INC
    Inventors: Shintaro HAYABE, Kosuke Sumikura, Takayuki Kaneko, Takuo Nishio
  • Publication number: 20230193483
    Abstract: To provide a membrane electrode assembly, a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, a water electrolysis apparatus, and an electrolytic hydrogenation apparatus, that can reduce the range of increase in electrolysis voltage even when the current density increases when applied to a water electrolysis apparatus or an electrolytic hydrogenation apparatus. The membrane electrode assembly of the present invention comprises an anode having a catalyst layer, a cathode having a catalyst layer, and a solid polymer electrolyte membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode, wherein the solid polymer electrolyte membrane comprises a fluorinated polymer having ion-exchange groups and a woven fabric, wherein the aperture ratio of the woven fabric is at least 50%, and the ratio TAAVE/TBAVE calculated from the average maximum membrane thickness TAAVE and the average minimum membrane thickness TBAVE of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane is at least 1.20.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2023
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Applicant: AGC INC.
    Inventors: Shintaro HAYABE, Kosuke SUMIKURA, Takuo NISHIO
  • Publication number: 20220396890
    Abstract: To provide an ion exchange membrane with a catalyst layer, an ion exchange membrane and an electrolytic hydrogenation apparatus, which can lower electrolysis voltage and increase current efficiency at the time of electrolytic hydrogenation of an aromatic compound. The ion exchange membrane with a catalyst layer of the present invention has an inorganic particle layer containing inorganic particles and a binder, a layer (Sa) containing a first fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid type functional groups, and a layer (Sb) containing a second fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid type functional groups, and a catalyst layer, in this order, wherein the ion exchange capacity of the above first fluorinated polymer is lower than the ion exchange capacity of the above second fluorinated polymer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2022
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Applicant: AGC INC.
    Inventors: Kosuke SUMIKURA, Shintaro HAYABE, Takuo NISHIO
  • Publication number: 20210324528
    Abstract: To provide a membrane electrode assembly which is excellent in strength and is capable of reducing the electrolysis voltage when applied to a water electrolysis apparatus, and such a water electrolysis apparatus. The membrane electrode assembly of the present invention is a membrane electrode assembly for use in a water electrolysis apparatus, comprising an anode having a catalyst layer, a cathode having a catalyst layer, and a polymer electrolyte membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode, wherein the polymer electrolyte membrane comprises a fluorinated polymer having ion exchange groups, and a woven fabric, the aperture ratio of the woven fabric is at least 50%, the denier number of warp yarns and the denier number of weft yarns, constituting the woven fabric, are each independently at least 2, and a relationship of Y?240X?170 is satisfied where the membrane thickness of the polymer electrolyte membrane is Y ?m, and the ion exchange capacity of the fluorinated polymer is X meq/g dry resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Applicant: AGC Inc.
    Inventors: Kosuke SUMIKURA, Shintaro HAYABE, Takuo NISHIO
  • Publication number: 20210234182
    Abstract: To provide an ion-exchange membrane that, when being used in a redox flow battery, provides excellent current efficiency and can suppress reduction in voltage efficiency. The ion-exchange membrane contains a fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid-type functional groups and is characterized in that the difference (D?Dc) between the distance D between ion clusters measured by the small angle X-ray scattering method, and the diameter Dc of an ion cluster is larger than 0 and at most 0.50 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Applicant: AGC Inc.
    Inventors: Kosuke SUMIKURA, Shintaro HAYABE, Tatsuya MIYAJIMA, Takuo NISHIO
  • Publication number: 20200266472
    Abstract: The present invention provides an ion exchange membrane can improve the current efficiency of a redox flow battery without a drop in voltage efficiency, when used in the redox flow battery. The ion exchange membrane of the present invention is an ion exchange membrane comprising a fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid functional groups, wherein the difference (D?Dc) between the distance D between ionic clusters and the diameter Dc of ionic clusters as measured by the small angle X-ray scattering is 0.60 nm or more, and the ion exchange capacity of the fluorinated polymer is 0.95 meq/gram dry resin or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Applicant: AGC Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi YAMAKI, Kosuke SUMIKURA, Tatsuya MIYAJIMA, Takuo NISHIO
  • Publication number: 20200259196
    Abstract: The present invention provides a strong polymer electrolyte membrane which can provide a water electrolyzer operable at low electrolysis voltage. The polymer electrolyte membrane of the present invention comprises a fluorinated polymer and a woven fabric, wherein the weight of the woven fabric is from 20 to 95 g/m2, and the warp and weft of the woven fabric independently have a denier of from 30 to 100.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Applicant: AGC Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi YAMAKI, Kosuke Sumikura, Takuo Nishio, Takumi Okuyama, Satoru Hommura
  • 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
  • Patent number: 9044701
    Abstract: A gas purification apparatus, highly purifying gas containing salt derived from molten salt stored in a vessel (10), is provided with a reflux mechanism (35, 42) liquefying the salt, contained in the gas, for return to the molten salt in the vessel, and a filtration mechanism (39, 44) disposed in an exhaust flow path of the gas on a downstream stage of the reflux mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignees: Asahi Glass Company, Limited, Kinotech Solar Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Kosuke Sumikura, Katsuji Ikeda, Masaaki Iosaki, Yoshinori Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20130186274
    Abstract: A gas purification apparatus, highly purifying gas containing salt derived from molten salt stored in a vessel (10), is provided with a reflux mechanism (35, 42) liquefying the salt, contained in the gas, for return to the molten salt in the vessel, and a filtration mechanism (39, 44) disposed in an exhaust flow path of the gas on a downstream stage of the reflux mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: Asahi Glass Company, Limited.
    Inventors: Kosuke Sumikura, Katsuji Ikeda, Masaaki Iosaki, Yoshinori Takeuchi