(JP5174856-A)      Methanol shielding membrane has ion exchanging function, and is produced by (1) casting a polymer composition containing polystyrene sulphonic acid and polyvinyl alcohol onto surface of a porous supporting body, and then (2) subjecting to heating for cross-linking and polymerisation.    The methanol shielding membrane can be produced by dissolving polyvinyl alcohol and polystyrene sulphonic acid in a ethanol aq. solution, casting the solution onto a porous supporting body e.g. composed of polypropylene, polyethylene or polyfluorinated ethylene, and then heat treating at 100-150 deg.C for 1-48 hrs. and then at 110-140 deg.C for 1-24 hrs.    USE/ADVANTAGE -   Undesirable penetration of methanol fuel from a methanol electrode to an air electrode can be effectively prevented the methanol shielding membrane shows excellent ion exchanging property, and a small size methanol fuel cell can be obtained.    (JP6076838-A)      Electrolyte membrane (11) for a fuel cell comprises a 3-dimensional structure made up of bridging chains of water-stable polymer (I) and a polyelectrolyte (II), the 3-dimensional structure and the electrolyte being mainly uniformly distributed in the membrane.    Also claimed is a process for producing (11), by impregnating a porous support (102) with a compsn. contg. polymer (I) and a second polymer (II) which acts as the electrolyte for a fuel cell, and then crosslinking (I). Also claimed is a process for producing fuel cells, by forming a film of resin (107) on electrode (14) and also on electrode (15), impregnating support (102) and crosslinking as above to form membrane (11), placing (11) between the 2 films on (14) and (15) and hot-pressing the combination.    USE/ADVANTAGE -   Fuel cells contg. (11) are useful, e.g. as power sources for cars. The invention provides a lowcost membrane which does not swell or dissolve in water, acts as an effective screen against methanol (in methanol cells), and has improved heat resistance and polyelectrolyte-electrode adhesion (w.r.t. prior-art membranes).    lv    (US5409785-A)      A fuel cell comprises: (a) an oxidn. agent electrode; (b) a fuel electrode; and (c) an electrolyte membrane comprising (i) a three-dimensional structure comprising bridged chains of a first polymer stable to water, and (ii) a polyelectrolyte. The three-dimensional structure and the electrolyte are uniformly distributed in the membrane. Also claimed is an electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell.    The fuel cell pref. also comprises: (d) a porous support for the three-dimensional structure and the electrolyte. The polymer comprising the three-dimensional structure and the polymer comprising the electrolyte are polymers contg. no fluorine. The polymer comprising the 3-D structure is pref. a polymeric alcohol (pref. poly(vinyl alcohol)) and the polymer of the electrolyte is of sulphonated prods. of polystyrenes, polyethylenes, (meth)acrylic resins, styrene-butadiene copolymers, styrene-divinylbenzene copolymers and ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers, esp. a sulphonated prod. of a fluorine-contg. polymer (pref. perfluoro-sulphonic acid polymer), or poly(styrene-sulphonic acid).    USE/ADVANTAGE -   Used as e.g. an electric source for automobiles. Improved adhesion is obtd. between the polyelectrolyte and electrodes.