TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRICAL POWER AND ENERGY - Preferred Process: The process further comprises adding a first solvent to the mixture; adding a second solvent to the mixture, where the second solvent is an alcohol, water, carbon dioxide liquid, an aldehyde, a ketone, a nitrile, a sulfoxide, a sulfone, an ester and/or an amide, preferably isopropyl alcohol and/or dimethylsulfoxide; and forming the proton conductor within and between the pores of the porous substrate to produce a proton conductive crosslinked integrated crosslinking porous substrate. The sulfonated proton conductor is obtained by sulfonating and crosslinking a proton conductor. The mixing step takes place by extrusion, brushing, spraying and/or transfer coating. In the process, converting step takes place, before the mixture is arranged on the porous substrate. Preferred Components: The electrolyte membrane comprises 0.5-50 wt.% of a proton conductor. The electrolyte membrane exhibits greater than 0.0001 siemens/cm of proton conduction at 80 degrees C and greater than 50% of moisture.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The aromatic polyhalo compound is an aromatic sulfonated dihalide. The polyhydroxy compound is of formulae (VIII)-(XI). The porous substrate is an organic polymer, which is polyolefin, polyamide, polycarbonate, cellulose polymer, polyurethane, polyester, polyether, polyacrylate, copolyetherester, copolyetheramide, chitosan and/or fluoropolymer (preferred). The fluoropolymer is polytetrafluoroethylene, poly(vinylidenefluoride), polyvinylidenefluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene, poly(tetrafluoroethyleneoxide-co-difluoromethyleneoxide, and/or poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-perfluoro(propylvinylether)), preferably expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. The proton conductor is polyetherketone, polyarylether, polyphenylene ether, polybenzimidazole, polyethersulfone, polysulfone, polybenzoxazole, polybenzothiazole, polythiazole, polyphenylquinoxaline, polypyridine, polypyrimidine, polyoxathiazole, polytetra azapyrazine, polyvinylpyridine, polyvinylimidazole, polypyrrolidone or sulfonated derivative of polyetherketone. The crosslinked proton conductor is obtained by reacting the polyhydroxy compound, an aromatic polyhalo compound and an alkali metal hydroxide. (III) is deprotonated with alkali metal hydroxide.B1 = H, alkyl, aryl or protonic acid containing group, where the protonic acid group is a sulfonate-, carboxylate-, phosphate-, an alkylsulfonate (-(R4)nSO3H)-, a sulfamoylsulfonylalkyl- or a sulfamoylsulfonylaryl (-SO2NHSO2R))-, a perfluoroalkylsulfonate ((CF2)nSO3H)-, a sulfonylalkylsulfonate (SO2(R4)nSO3H)-, a sulfonylperfluoroalkylsulfonate (SO2(CF2)SO3H)-, a sulfamoylsulfonylalkylsulfonate (SO2NHSO2(R4)nSO3H)-, a sulfamoylsulfonylperfluoroalkylsulfonate (SO2NHSO2(CF2)nSO3H), an alkylcarboxylate (-(R4)nCOOH)-, a perfluoroalkylcarboxylate- ((CF2)nCO2H), an alkylphosphonate (-(R4)nPO3H2), a perfluoroalkylphosphonate group or its conjugated salt, where the conjugated salt exhibits a metal cation;R = alkyl or aryl;R1, R2 = H, halo, 1-10C-alkyl, halo substituted 1-10C-alkyl, or 6-50C-aryl;R3, R5-R10 = H, halo, 1-10C-alkyl, halo substituted 1-10C-alkyl, 6-50C-aryl or a halo substituted 6-50C-aryl;X1 = O, S or SO2;R11, W1, R15 = -C(R1c)(R1d)-, -C(=R1e)-, -O-, -S-, -S(=O)-, -S(=O)2-, SO2NHSO2 or SO2(CF2)nSO2 or benzo(1,2-d,5,4-d')bisoxazol-2,6-yl;R1c, R1d = H or univalent linear or cyclic hydrocarbon;R1e = a bivalent hydrocarbon, O or S;s, t = 1-4;C1a = a protonic acid containing group, which is a sulfonate-, carboxylate-, phosphate-, an alkylsulfonate (-(R12)nSO3H)-, a sulfamoylsulfonylalkyl- or a sulfamoylsulfonylaryl (-SO2NHSO2R)-, a perfluoroalkylsulfonate ((CF2)nSO3H)-, a sulfonylalkylsulfonate (SO2(R12)nSO3H)-, a sulfonylperfluoroalkylsulfonate (SO2(CF2)SO3H)-, a sulfamoylsulfonylalkylsulfonate (SO2NHSO2(R12)nSO3H)-, a sulfamoylsulfonylperfluoroalkylsulfonate (SO2NHSO2(CF2)nSO3H), an alkylcarboxylate (-(R12)nCOOH)-, a perfluoroalkylcarboxylate- ((CF2)nCO2H), an alkylphosphonate (-(R12)nPO3H2), a perfluoroalkylphosphonate group or its conjugated salt, where the conjugated salt exhibits a metal cation;R13, R14 = H, halo (both preferred), 1-10C-alkyl, halo substituted 1-10C-alkyl, 6-10C-aryl or halo substituted 6-10C-aryl;R4, R12 = an alkyl-, aryl- or perfluoroalkyl; andM = a metal cation from group I, preferably Na.