Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relates to methods and systems for preventing tampering of a smart tag, such as a near field communication (NFC) tag or the like, in a retail environment. The smart tag is typically coupled with a protector at one side of the smart tag to prevent programming or encoding of the smart tag. The protector is removed to allow the smart tag to be programmed or write enabled. The smart tag is typically coupled with a sticker for adhering with an object such as a gift item.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fluoropolymer electrolyte material which has improved processability and which is easily produced. The electrolyte emulsion of the present invention comprises an aqueous medium and a fluoropolymer electrolyte dispersed in the aqueous medium. The fluoropolymer electrolyte has a monomer unit having an SO3Z group (Z is an alkali metal, an alkaline-earth metal, hydrogen, or NR1R2R3R4, and R1, R2, R3, and R4 each are individually a C1-C3 alkyl group or hydrogen). The fluoropolymer electrolyte has an equivalent weight (EW) of 250 or more and 700 or less and a proton conductivity at 110° C. and relative humidity 50% RH of 0.10 S/cm or higher. The fluoropolymer electrolyte is a spherical particulate substance having an average particle size of 10 to 500 nm. The fluoropolymer electrolyte has a ratio (the number of SO2F groups)/(the number of SO3Z groups) of 0 to 0.01.

Abstract: A coating material including a perfluorocarbon sulfonic acid resin which is a copolymer including a polymerization unit represented by —(CF2—CFZ)—, in the formula, Z being H, Cl, F, or a C1-C3 perfluoroalkyl group, and a polymerization unit represented by —(CF2—CF(—O—(CF2)m—SO3H))—, in the formula, m being an integer of 1 to 12, and the perfluorocarbon sulfonic acid resin has an equivalent weight EW of 200 to 1000. Also disclosed is a laminate including a base material and a hydrophilic layer formed from the coating material.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fluoropolymer electrolyte material which has improved processability and which is easily produced. The electrolyte emulsion of the present invention comprises an aqueous medium and a fluoropolymer electrolyte dispersed in the aqueous medium. The fluoropolymer electrolyte has a monomer unit having an SO3Z group (Z is an alkali metal, an alkaline-earth metal, hydrogen, or NR1R2R3R4, and R1, R2, R3, and R4 each are individually a C1-C3 alkyl group or hydrogen). The fluoropolymer electrolyte has an equivalent weight (EW) of 250 or more and 700 or less and a proton conductivity at 110° C. and relative humidity 50% RH of 0.10 S/cm or higher. The fluoropolymer electrolyte is a spherical particulate substance having an average particle size of 10 to 500 nm. The fluoropolymer electrolyte has a ratio (the number of SO2F groups)/(the number of SO3Z groups) of 0 to 0.01.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fluoropolymer electrolyte material which has improved processability and which is easily produced. The electrolyte emulsion of the present invention comprises an aqueous medium and a fluoropolymer electrolyte dispersed in the aqueous medium. The fluoropolymer electrolyte has a monomer unit having an SO3Z group (Z is an alkali metal, an alkaline-earth metal, hydrogen, or NR1R2R3R4, and R1, R2, R3, and R4 each are individually a C1-C3 alkyl group or hydrogen). The fluoropolymer electrolyte has an equivalent weight (EW) of 250 or more and 700 or less and a proton conductivity at 110° C. and relative humidity 50% RH of 0.10 S/cm or higher. The fluoropolymer electrolyte is a spherical particulate substance having an average particle size of 10 to 500 nm. The fluoropolymer electrolyte has a ratio (the number of SO2F groups)/(the number of SO3Z groups) of 0 to 0.01.

Abstract: A method for producing a fluoropolymer dispersion where a fine particle containing a fluoropolymer is dispersed in an aqueous dispersion medium, the fluoropolymer having a sulfonic acid group, and the method including a polymerization reaction step of emulsion polymerizing a fluorovinyl ether derivative and a fluorine-containing ethylenic monomer to give a fluoropolymer precursor, a hydrolysis step of hydrolyzing, in an aqueous medium, —SO2X1, where X1 represents a halogen atom, which the fluoropolymer precursor has thereby to give the fluoropolymer, the fluorovinyl ether derivative being represented by the following general formula (II): CF2?CF—O—(CF2CFY1—O)n—(CFY2)m-A1??(II) wherein Y1, n, Y1, m and A1 are as defined herein, the fluoropolymer precursor having a fluorovinyl ether derivative unit content of 5 to 40 mole percent, and the fluoropolymer dispersion being produced without drying the fluoropolymer precursor and the fluoropolymer.

Abstract: A method for preparing a fluoropolymer aqueous dispersion, including: step (A) of preparing a fluoropolymer aqueous dispersion comprising a fluoropolymer having at least one selected from the group consisting of —SO2Y and —COOR (wherein Y is a halogen, and R is a C1 to C4 alkyl) by emulsion polymerization; step (B) of heating the fluoropolymer aqueous dispersion to 50° C. or higher; and step (C) of contacting the fluoropolymer aqueous dispersion with an ion exchange resin for cation exchange after step (B), thereby providing a purified fluoropolymer aqueous dispersion, the fluoropolymer aqueous dispersion being adjusted to pH 7 or lower from the end of the polymerization in step (A) to the end of step (C).

Abstract: The present invention provides an electrolyte having high conductivity even under high-temperature low-humidification conditions (e.g. at a temperature of 100 to 120° C. and a humidity of 20 to 50% RH) and thereby makes it possible to realize a higher performance fuel cell. The present invention is a fluoropolymer electrolyte having an equivalent weight (EW) of not less than 250 but not more than 700 and a proton conductivity of not lower than 0.10 S/cm as measured at a temperature of 110° C. and a relative humidity of 50% RH and comprising a COOZ group- or SO3Z group-containing monomer unit, wherein Z represents an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, hydrogen atom or NR1R2R3R4 in which R1, R2, R3 and R4 each independently represents an alkyl group containing 1 to 3 carbon atoms or hydrogen atom.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a stabilized fluoropolymer which comprises producing the stabilized fluoropolymer by subjecting a treatment target substance containing a sulfonic-acid-derived-group-containing fluoropolymer to a fluorination treatment, wherein the sulfonic-acid-derived-group-containing fluoropolymer is a fluoropolymer containing —SO3M (in which M represents H, NR1R2R3R4 or M11/L; R1, R2, R3 and R4 are the same or different and each represents H or an alkyl group containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and M1 represents an L-valent metal), and the treatment target substance has a moisture content of not higher than 500 ppm by mass.

Abstract: The invention provides a technique enabling the separation and recovery of an unreacted fluoromonomer from an aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion obtained by emulsion polymerization, without using any extraction solvent, and enabling the prevention of a hydrolysis of —SO2F and a like sulfonic acid precursor functional group convertible to sulfonic acid group. Thus, the invention provides a recovering method fluoromonomer having a sulfonic acid precursor functional group convertible to a sulfonic acid group and remaining unreacted from an aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion obtained by emulsion polymerization of the fluoromonomer, wherein the unreacted fluoromonomer is recovered from the aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion by evaporation, wherein the aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion has an acidic pH.

Abstract: A coating material including a perfluorocarbon sulfonic acid resin which is a copolymer including a polymerization unit represented by —(CF2—CFZ)—, in the formula, Z being H, Cl, F, or a C1-C3 perfluoroalkyl group, and a polymerization unit represented by —(CF2—CF(—O—(CF2)m—SO3H))—, in the formula, m being an integer of 1 to 12, and the perfluorocarbon sulfonic acid resin has an equivalent weight EW of 200 to 1000. Also disclosed is a laminate including a base material and a hydrophilic layer formed from the coating material.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fluoropolymer electrolyte material which has improved processability and which is easily produced. The electrolyte emulsion of the present invention comprises an aqueous medium and a fluoropolymer electrolyte dispersed in the aqueous medium. The fluoropolymer electrolyte has a monomer unit having an SO3Z group (Z is an alkali metal, an alkaline-earth metal, hydrogen, or NR1R2R3R4, and R1, R2, R3, and R4 each are individually a C1-C3 alkyl group or hydrogen). The fluoropolymer electrolyte has an equivalent weight (EW) of 250 or more and 700 or less and a proton conductivity at 110° C. and relative humidity 50% RH of 0.10 S/cm or higher. The fluoropolymer electrolyte is a spherical particulate substance having an average particle size of 10 to 500 nm. The fluoropolymer electrolyte has a ratio (the number of SO2F groups)/(the number of SO3Z groups) of 0 to 0.01.

Abstract: The present invention is aimed to provide a highly-productive method for producing a stabilized fluoropolymer. The present invention relates to a method for producing a stabilized fluoropolymer, comprising the step of bringing a fluoropolymer to be treated into contact with a fluorinating agent to produce a stabilized fluoropolymer, while maintaining the concentration of hydrogen fluoride present in a reaction vessel at not higher than 1.0% by volume.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel production process by which unstable terminal groups can be sufficiently stabilized under mild conditions. The present invention is related to a method for producing an —SO3H group-containing fluoropolymer wherein a fluoropolymer to be treated having a —SO2X group-containing monomer unit (X representing F or Cl) is subjected to a procedure comprising at least the steps A, B and C defined below in that order: A: Step of reacting with a halogenating agent; B: Step of reacting with a decomposition treatment agent; C: Step of reacting with a fluorinating agent.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a stabilized fluoropolymer which comprises producing the stabilized fluoropolymer by subjecting a treatment target substance containing a sulfonic-acid-derived-group-containing fluoropolymer to a fluorination treatment, wherein the sulfonic-acid-derived-group-containing fluoropolymer is a fluoropolymer containing —SO3M (in which M represents H, NR1R2R3R4 or M11/L; R1, R2, R3 and R4 are the same or different and each represents H or an alkyl group containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and M1 represents an L-valent metal), and the treatment target substance has a moisture content of not higher than 500 ppm by mass.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electrolyte having high conductivity even under high-temperature low-humidification conditions (e.g. at a temperature of 100 to 120° C. and a humidity of 20 to 50% RH) and thereby makes it possible to realize a higher performance fuel cell. The present invention is a fluoropolymer electrolyte having an equivalent weight (EW) of not less than 250 but not more than 700 and a proton conductivity of not lower than 0.10 S/cm as measured at a temperature of 110° C. and a relative humidity of 50% RH and comprising a COOZ group- or SO3Z group-containing monomer unit, wherein Z represents an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, hydrogen atom or NR1R2R3R4 in which R1, R2, R3 and R4 each independently represents an alkyl group containing 1 to 3 carbon atoms or hydrogen atom.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel production process by which unstable terminal groups can be sufficiently stabilized under mild conditions. The present invention is related to a method for producing an —SO3H group-containing fluoropolymer wherein a fluoropolymer to be treated having a —SO2X group-containing monomer unit (X representing F or Cl) is subjected to a procedure comprising at least the steps A, B and C defined below in that order: A: Step of reacting with a halogenating agent; B: Step of reacting with a decomposition treatment agent; C: Step of reacting with a fluorinating agent.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel production process by which unstable terminal groups can be sufficiently stabilized under mild conditions. The present invention is related to a method for producing an —SO3H group-containing fluoropolymer wherein a fluoropolymer to be treated having a —SO2X group-containing monomer unit (X representing F or Cl) is subjected to a procedure comprising at least the steps A, B and C defined below in that order: A: Step of reacting with a halogenating agent; B: Step of reacting with a decomposition treatment agent; C: Step of reacting with a fluorinating agent.

Abstract: The invention provides a technique enabling the separation and recovery of an unreacted fluoromonomer from an aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion obtained by emulsion polymerization, without using any extraction solvent, and enabling the prevention of a hydrolysis of —SO2F and a like sulfonic acid precursor functional group convertible to sulfonic acid group. Thus, the invention provides a recovering method fluoromonomer having a sulfonic acid precursor functional group convertible to a sulfonic acid group and remaining unreacted from an aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion obtained by emulsion polymerization of the fluoromonomer, wherein the unreacted fluoromonomer is recovered from the aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion by evaporation, wherein the aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion has an acidic pH.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel production process by which unstable terminal groups can be sufficiently stabilized under mild conditions. The present invention is related to a method for producing an —SO3H group-containing fluoropolymer wherein a fluoropolymer to be treated having a —SO2X group-containing monomer unit (X representing F or Cl) is subjected to a procedure comprising at least the steps A, B and C defined below in that order: A: Step of reacting with a halogenating agent; B: Step of reacting with a decomposition treatment agent; C: Step of reacting with a fluorinating agent.