Nafion is a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene based fluoropolymer-copolymer discovered in the late 1960s by Walther Grot of DuPont. It is the first of a class of synthetic polymers with ionic properties which are called ionomers.his form of Nafion, referred to as the neutral or salt form, is finally converted to the acid form containing the sulfonic acid (-SO 3 H) groups. Nafion can be cast into thin films by heating in aqueous alcohol at 250 Â°C in an autoclave.
Antarctic Ecosystem: Abundance of Life Diatoms like these are at the base of the Antarctic food chain. In summer they use photosynthesis to grow, and multiply into huge populations. Young (juvenile) krill that were collected in a net. A curious Emperor penguin approaches a technician.
Reaching heights of over three feet (one meter), the largest penguin in the world is the Emperor Penguin. Their markings resemble those of the King Penguin, but this species is larger and the two species generally do not have overlapping distributions. Emperor Penguins spend all year in Antarctica, while King Penguins live in sub-antarctic island groups and in southern South America. Emperor Penguins are foraging predators that feed on fishes, squids, and sometimes krill in the cold, productive currents around Antarctica. Scientists have demonstrated that these penguins can dive to depths of at least 1700 feet (500 m) in search of food. Though they feed in the open ocean, Emperor Penguins nest on the ice surface. This penguin is the only species that nests during the winter, and its nesting cycle is fascinating.