The invention relates to solid polyelectrolyte membranes and processes for
their production. As solid polyelectrolyte materials, there have been
known fluoropolymers which have perfluoroskeletons and side chains
bearing sulfonic acid groups and heat-resistant resins which have
hydrocarbon skeletons and contain alkylsulfonic acid or alkylphosphoric
acid groups introduced thereto. The fluoropolymers are excellent in heat
resistance and chemical resistance but have the problem of being
expensive, while the heat-resistant resins have the problem of being poor
in chemical resistance. Further, solid polyelectrolyte materials having
higher electric conductivities have been desired. With the purpose of
providing solid polyelectrolyte membranes having satisfactorily high
electric conductivities and being excellent in heat resistance and
chemical resistance and processes for producing the membranes, solid
polyelectrolyte membranes are made from resins bearing both phosphoric
acid groups and sulfonic acid groups which resins are obtained by
copolymerizing a monomer bearing in the molecule a phosphoric acid group
and an ethylenically unsaturated bond with a monomer bearing in the
molecule a sulfonic acid group and an ethylenically unsaturated bond.