Abstract: To provide an electrolyte membrane having high strength even if it is thin in the thickness, excellent dimensional stability even upon absorption of water and a low electrical resistance; a process for producing the electrolyte membrane; and a membrane-electrode assembly for polymer electrolyte fuel cells having a high output and excellent durability, having the electrolyte membrane. An electrolyte membrane which is made mainly of an ion exchange resin and reinforced with a non-woven fabric made of continuous fiber of a fluororesin wherein at least some of intersecting points of the continuous fiber are fixed, and which has, as the outermost layer on one side or each side, a layer not reinforced, made of an ion exchange resin which may be the same as or different from the above ion exchange resin. The non-woven fabric is produced by a melt-blown method.

Abstract: Provided is an electrolyte membrane and a process of producing the same, wherein the electrolyte membrane predominantly comprises an unreinforced outer layer on one or each side of a reinforced inner layer, wherein the reinforced inner layer comprises an inner ion exchange resin reinforced with a non-woven fabric comprising a melt moldable fluororesin in the form of a continuous fiber, wherein some intersecting points of the continuous fiber are fused or bonded, and wherein the unreinforced outer layer comprises an outer ion exchange resin, which may be the same as or different from the inner ion exchange resin. The electrolyte membrane has high strength, excellent dimensional stability and low electric resistance and is therefore useful as a polymer electrolyte membrane for a membrane electrode assembly for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell having high output and excellent durability.

Abstract: To provide an electrode for a polymer electrolyte membrane having high gas diffusion performance, a membrane/electrode assembly, and a process for producing a nonwoven structure for a catalyst layer, which can produce the membrane/electrode assembly inexpensively and easily. The catalyst layer 11 of the electrode comprises a nonwoven structure of an ion-exchangeable fluoropolymer fiber, wherein the fiber diameter of the fiber is from 0.1 to 30 ?m, and the bulk density of the nonwoven structure is from 0.1 to 1.1 g/cc. The nonwoven structure is produced by forming fiber from a fiber spinning stock solution containing the ion-exchangeable fluoropolymer by an electrical field fiber spinning method, followed by gathering the fiber. A catalyst is blended in the fiber spinning stock solution or is adhered on the nonwoven structure.

Abstract: A polymer electrolyte membrane made of a polymer has a low electrical resistance, high heat resistance and is strong against repeats of swelling and shrinkage. Thus, a membrane/electrode assembly for polymer electrolyte fuel cells having high power generation performance and excellent in durability can be provided. For a polymer electrolyte membrane 15 or for a catalyst layer 11 constituting electrodes 13 and 14, a polymer comprising units (U1) and units (U2) is used: Q1, Q2, Q3: a perfluoroalkylene group which may have —O— or the like; Rf1, Rf2: a perfluoroalkyl group which may have —O—; X1, X2: an oxygen atom or the like; a, b: 0 or the like; Y1, Y2: a fluorine atom or a monovalent perfluoroorganic group; and s, t: 0 to 1.

Abstract: A polymer electrolyte membrane made of a polymer has a low electrical resistance, high heat resistance and is strong against repeats of swelling and shrinkage. Thus, a membrane/electrode assembly for polymer electrolyte fuel cells having high power generation performance and excellent in durability can be provided. For a polymer electrolyte membrane 15 or for a catalyst layer 11 constituting electrodes 13 and 14, a polymer comprising units (U1) and units (U2) is used: Q1, Q2: a perfluoroalkylene group which may have —O— or the like; Rf1, Rf2: a perfluoroalkyl group which may have —O—; X: an oxygen atom or the like; a: 0 or the like; Y, Z: a fluorine atom, or a monovalent perfluoroorganic group such as —CF3; S: 0 to 1; and t: 0 to 3.

Abstract: To provide a polymer electrolyte membrane for polymer electrolyte fuel cells, which is less likely to be broken even when it undergoes repetition of swelling in a wet state and shrinkage in a dry state and a membrane/electrode assembly using it. To provide a polymer electrolyte membrane 15 in which the tensile yield stress obtained from the tensile stress-strain curve in accordance with the tensile test according to JIS K 7161-1994 at a temperature of 80° C. at a strain rate of 1/min and by means of an evaluation method according to JIS K 7161-1994, is at most 5.5 MPa; and a membrane/electrode assembly 10 having the polymer electrolyte membrane 15 disposed between an anode 13 and a cathode 14 each having a catalyst layer 11.

Abstract: To provide a polymer electrolyte material for polymer electrolyte fuel cells, which is an electrolyte material having a high ion exchange capacity and a low resistance, and which has a higher softening temperature than a conventional electrolyte material.

Abstract: A process comprising: providing a substrate with a catalyst layer thereon; depositing a first ionomer overcoat layer over the catalyst layer, the first ionomer overcoat layer comprising an ionomer and a first solvent; drying the first ionomer overcoat layer to provide a first electrode ionomer overcoat layer; depositing a second ionomer overcoat layer over the first electrode ionomer overcoat layer, and wherein the second ionomer overcoat layer comprises an ionomer and a second solvent.

Abstract: To provide a single-sealed multi-layer transparent unit, particularly a double-glazing unit, excellent in shape retention and water vapor permeation resistance.

Abstract: To provide an electrolyte membrane having high strength even if it is thin in the thickness, excellent dimensional stability even upon absorption of water and a low electrical resistance; a process for producing the electrolyte membrane; and a membrane-electrode assembly for polymer electrolyte fuel cells having a high output and excellent durability, having the electrolyte membrane. An electrolyte membrane which is made mainly of an ion exchange resin and reinforced with a non-woven fabric made of continuous fiber of a fluororesin wherein at least some of intersecting points of the continuous fiber are fixed, and which has, as the outermost layer on one side or each side, a layer not reinforced, made of an ion exchange resin which may be the same as or different from the above ion exchange resin. The non-woven fabric is produced by a melt-blown method.

Abstract: To present an electrolyte material having a high softening temperature, which is useful for obtaining a polymer electrolyte fuel cell which can be operated at a high temperature and whereby a high output power can be obtained with little catalyst poisoning. An electrolyte material for polymer electrolyte fuel cells, which is made of a polymer containing repeating units based on a fluoromonomer having a radical polymerization reactivity, wherein the repeating units contain a 5-membered ring (which may contain 1 or 2 oxygen atoms), of which at least one carbon atom is contained in the main chain of the polymer, and an ionic group such as a sulfonic acid group which is bonded to the 5-membered ring directly or via a perfluoroalkylene group having a linear or branched structure; and the polymer has a softening temperature of at least 120° C.

Abstract: To provide an optical fiber cable having a plurality of GI-POFs and a resin cable body confining these, and excellent in the thermal durability, pressure resisting property and flexural mechanical property, wherein the increase of the attenuation of the light is suppressed. The resin cable body has as many holes as the number of the GI-POFs, extending longitudinally therethrough, and the GI-POFs are distributed and arranged one by one in the holes so that they are freely movable in two directions perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: To provide an optical fiber cable having a plurality of GI-POFs and a resin cable body confining these, and excellent in the thermal durability, pressure resisting property and flexural mechanical property, wherein the increase of the attenuation of the light is suppressed. The resin cable body has as many holes as the number of the GI-POFs, extending longitudinally therethrough, and the GI-POFs are distributed and arranged one by one in the holes so that they are freely movable in two directions perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: The present invention provides the following adhesive which is good in durability in bonding a glass plate and a resin composition containing a butyl type rubber. The present invention provides the following adhesive which is particularly suitable as an adhesive for bonding a glass plate and a resin composition containing a butyl type rubber, for a double glazing employing a spacer comprising a resin composition containing a butyl type rubber.

Abstract: An insulating glass comprising two or more glass sheets which are arranged to face one another to form an air space layer therebetween by a spacer made of a resin having a JIS A hardness of from 10 to 90 at 25° C., prepared by using a thermoplastic resin composition comprising a butyl type rubber and a crystalline polyolefin, wherein the proportion of the butyl type rubber is from 50 to 98 wt %, and the proportion of the crystalline polyolefin is from 2 to 50 wt %, based on the total amount of the two.

Abstract: An insulating glass includes two or more glass sheets forming an air space layer between them. The glass sheets are separated by a spacer made of a resin having a JIS A hardness of from 10 to 90 at 25° C. The resin is a thermoplastic composition including a butyl rubber and a crystalline polyolefin. The resin contains from 50 to 98 wt % butyl rubber, from 2 to 50 wt % crystalline polyolefin, and from 10 to 200 wt % inorganic fillers, based on the total amount of butyl rubber and crystalline polyolefin in the resin.

Abstract: The present invention provides the following adhesive which is good in durability in bonding a glass plate and a resin composition containing a butyl type rubber. The present invention provides the following adhesive which is particularly suitable as an adhesive for bonding a glass plate and a resin composition containing a butyl type rubber, for a double glazing employing a spacer comprising a resin composition containing a butyl type rubber.