Patents by Inventor Mitsuru Higa
Mitsuru Higa 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).
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Patent number: 10125036Abstract: Provided is an ion exchange membrane including an ionic vinyl alcohol polymer having a cation exchange group or an anion exchange group. The ion exchange membrane 1 includes a porous support 3 and the ionic vinyl alcohol polymer. The porous support is provided, in a thickness direction from one surface thereof, with an impregnated layer 2 at least a part of which is impregnated with the ionic vinyl alcohol polymer. The ionic vinyl alcohol polymer includes an ionic vinyl alcohol polymer having an ion exchange group selected from a cation exchange group or an anion exchange group. The ion exchange membrane has a zeta potential value (?1) at one surface and a zeta potential value (?2) at the other surface, which are represented by the formula (1). (|?1|)?|?2|)/|?1|<0.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2015Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignees: KURARAY CO., LTD., YAMAGUCHI UNIVERSITYInventors: Atsushi Jikihara, Kenichi Kobayashi, Takahiro Nakashima, Mitsuru Higa
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Patent number: 9833742Abstract: Provided is a cation exchange membrane having a stable ion exchange performance during usage, being excellent in basic properties such as membrane resistance and ion transportation as well as strength, and useful for electrodialysis and a method for producing the same. The cation exchange membrane is composed of a polyvinyl alcohol copolymer including an anionic group-containing anionic polymer segment and a vinyl alcohol polymer segment, and having a microphase separation structure having a domain size (X) in a range from 0 nm<X?150 nm. The method is composed of forming a membrane from a polyvinyl alcohol copolymer which is adjusted to contain salts in a proportion that the salt weight (C) relative to the polyvinyl alcohol copolymer weight (P) is [(C)/(P)] of 4.5/95.5 or lower.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2015Date of Patent: December 5, 2017Assignees: KURARAY CO., LTD., YAMAGUCHI UNIVERSITYInventors: Takahiro Nakashima, Atsushi Jikihara, Takashi Wakui, Mitsuru Higa
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Patent number: 9346020Abstract: There is provided a multilayered charge-mosaic membrane having a porous supporting layer (A), a porous intermediate layer (B) and a charge-mosaic layer (C), wherein the porous supporting layer (A), the porous intermediate layer (B) and the charge-mosaic layer (C) are located in this order; the porous supporting layer (A) and/or the porous intermediate layer (B) are made of a fiber layer containing hydrophilic fibers; a thickness of the porous intermediate layer (B) is 0.1 to 100 ?m; a porosity of the porous supporting layer (A) is larger than a porosity of the porous intermediate layer (B); the cationic and/or the anionic polymers constituting the charge-mosaic layer (C) is a polyvinyl alcohol having an ionic group. Thus, there is provided a multilayered charge-mosaic membrane having a large salt permeation flux and excellent mechanical strength.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2010Date of Patent: May 24, 2016Assignees: KURARAY CO., LTD., YAMAGUCHI UNIVERSITYInventors: Atsushi Jikihara, Kenichi Kobayashi, Mitsuru Higa
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Patent number: 9266069Abstract: There is provided an ion-exchange membrane comprising an ion-exchange layer made of a cationic polymer and/or an anionic polymer and a supporting layer, wherein the ion-exchange layer is formed on the supporting layer by printing. Such an ion-exchange membrane exhibits excellent anti-organic fouling and low membrane resistance, thereby high efficient and long-time stable electrodialysis can be achieved. Formation of the ion-exchange layer as a charge-mosaic layer consisting of the cationic polymer domains and the anionic polymer domains provides a charge-mosaic membrane exhibiting excellent electrolyte permselectivity and mechanical strength.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2010Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignees: YAMAGUCHI UNIVERSITY, KURARAY CO., LTD.Inventors: Mitsuru Higa, Atsushi Jikihara, Kenichi Kobayashi, Naoki Fujiwara
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Publication number: 20150291452Abstract: Provided is an ion exchange membrane including an ionic vinyl alcohol polymer having a cation exchange group or an anion exchange group. The ion exchange membrane 1 includes a porous support 3 and the ionic vinyl alcohol polymer. The porous support is provided, in a thickness direction from one surface thereof, with an impregnated layer 2 at least a part of which is impregnated with the ionic vinyl alcohol polymer. The ionic vinyl alcohol polymer includes an ionic vinyl alcohol polymer having an ion exchange group selected from a cation exchange group or an anion exchange group. The ion exchange membrane has a zeta potential value (?1) at one surface and a zeta potential value (?2) at the other surface, which are represented by the formula (1). (|?1|)?|?2|)/|?1|<0.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2015Publication date: October 15, 2015Applicants: KURARAY CO., LTD., YAMAGUCHI UNIVERSITYInventors: Atsushi JIKIHARA, Kenichi KOBAYASHI, Takahiro NAKASHIMA, Mitsuru HIGA
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Publication number: 20150209732Abstract: Provided is a cation exchange membrane having a stable ion exchange performance during usage, being excellent in basic properties such as membrane resistance and ion transportation as well as strength, and useful for electrodialysis and a method for producing the same. The cation exchange membrane is composed of a polyvinyl alcohol copolymer including an anionic group-containing anionic polymer segment and a vinyl alcohol polymer segment, and having a microphase separation structure having a domain size (X) in a range from 0 nm<X?150 nm. The method is composed of forming a membrane from a polyvinyl alcohol copolymer which is adjusted to contain salts in a proportion that the salt weight (C) relative to the polyvinyl alcohol copolymer weight (P) is [(C)/(P)] of 4.5/95.5 or lower.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2015Publication date: July 30, 2015Applicants: KURARAY CO., LTD., YAMAGUCHI UNIVERSITYInventors: Takahiro NAKASHIMA, Atsushi JIKIHARA, Takashi WAKUI, Mitsuru HIGA
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Patent number: 8604133Abstract: A graft copolymer having a side chain graft-polymerized by atom transfer living radical polymerization (ATRP) on a main chain polymerized by organotellurium-mediated living radical polymerization (TERP), wherein the molecular weight distribution is such that Mw/Mn is 1.5 or less. The graft copolymer is also such that a main chain moiety mainly consisting of the main chain and a side chain moiety mainly consisting of the side chain have microphase-separated structures. The graft copolymer has a narrow molecular weight distribution and forms microphase-separated structures through self organization of hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2006Date of Patent: December 10, 2013Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Yamaguchi UniversityInventors: Shigeharu Takagi, Mitsuru Higa
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Publication number: 20120285881Abstract: There is provided a multilayered charge-mosaic membrane having a porous supporting layer (A), a porous intermediate layer (B) and a charge-mosaic layer (C), wherein the porous supporting layer (A), the porous intermediate layer (B) and the charge-mosaic layer (C) are located in this order; the porous supporting layer (A) and/or the porous intermediate layer (B) are made of a fiber layer containing hydrophilic fibers; a thickness of the porous intermediate layer (B) is 0.1 to 100 ?m; a porosity of the porous supporting layer (A) is larger than a porosity of the porous intermediate layer (B); the cationic and/or the anionic polymers constituting the charge-mosaic layer (C) is a polyvinyl alcohol having an ionic group. Thus, there is provided a multilayered charge-mosaic membrane having a large salt permeation flux and excellent mechanical strength.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2010Publication date: November 15, 2012Applicants: YAMAGUCHI UNIVERSITY, KURARAY CO., LTDInventors: Atsushi Jikihara, Kenichi Kobayashi, Mitsuru Higa
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Publication number: 20120034481Abstract: There is provided a charge-mosaic membrane comprising a cationic block copolymer (P) having a vinyl alcohol polymer block (A) and a cationic-group containing polymer block (B) as components; and an anionic block copolymer (Q) having a vinyl alcohol polymer block (C) and an anionic-group containing polymer block (D) as components. Such a charge-mosaic membrane is useful as a charge-mosaic membrane for piezodialysis because it exhibits higher membrane strength and higher permselectivity and has a larger charge density and a larger salt permeation flux.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2010Publication date: February 9, 2012Applicants: KURARAY CO., LTD., YAMAGUCHI UNIVERSITYInventors: Mitsuru Higa, Atsushi Jikihara, Kenichi Kobayashi, Naoki Fujiwara
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Publication number: 20120031834Abstract: There is provided an ion-exchange membrane comprising an ion-exchange layer made of a cationic polymer and/or an anionic polymer and a supporting layer, wherein the ion-exchange layer is formed on the supporting layer by printing. Such an ion-exchange membrane exhibits excellent anti-organic fouling and low membrane resistance, thereby high efficient and long-time stable electrodialysis can be achieved. Formation of the ion-exchange layer as a charge-mosaic layer consisting of the cationic polymer domains and the anionic polymer domains provides a charge-mosaic membrane exhibiting excellent electrolyte permselectivity and mechanical strength.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2010Publication date: February 9, 2012Applicants: Kuraray Co., LTD., Yamaguchi UniversityInventors: Mitsuru Higa, Atsushi Jikihara, Kenichi Kobayashi, Naoki Fujiwara
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Patent number: 8101668Abstract: This invention provides a novel graft polymer that has excellent proton conductivity, is capable of regulating hydrogen permeability, methanol permeability, and the like, and can serve as a starting material for a polymer electrolyte membrane, which facilitates moisture balance control and efficient operation of a fuel cell. A polymer electrolyte membrane composed of such graft polymer is also provided. This graft polymer comprises a main chain comprising a hydroxyl group-containing polymer and a graft chain comprising a polymer containing a sulfonic acid group-containing monomer.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2006Date of Patent: January 24, 2012Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Yamaguchi UniversityInventors: Shigeharu Takagi, Mitsuru Higa
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Publication number: 20100173223Abstract: A graft copolymer having a side chain graft-polymerized by atom transfer living radical polymerization (ATRP) on a main chain polymerized by organotellurium-mediated living radical polymerization (TERP), wherein the molecular weight distribution is such that Mw/Mn is 1.5 or less. The graft copolymer is also such that a main chain moiety mainly consisting of the main chain and a side chain moiety mainly consisting of the side chain have microphase-separated structures. The graft copolymer has a narrow molecular weight distribution and forms microphase-separated structures through self organization of hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2006Publication date: July 8, 2010Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Yamaguchi UniversityInventors: Shigeharu Takagi, Mitsuru Higa
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Publication number: 20080176966Abstract: This invention provides a novel graft polymer that has excellent proton conductivity, is capable of regulating hydrogen permeability, methanol permeability, and the like, and can serve as a starting material for a polymer electrolyte membrane, which facilitates moisture balance control and efficient operation of a fuel cell. A polymer electrolyte membrane composed of such graft polymer is also provided. This graft polymer comprises a main chain comprising a hydroxyl group-containing polymer and a graft chain comprising a polymer containing a sulfonic acid group-containing monomer.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2006Publication date: July 24, 2008Inventors: Shigeharu Takagi, Mitsuru Higa