Abstract: In order to improve a storage stability at high temperatures of a lithium polymer battery including: a positive electrode comprising a lithium-containing complex oxide; a negative electrode comprising a material capable of absorbing and desorbing a lithium ion; and a separator comprising a liquid organic electrolyte and a host polymer retaining the liquid organic electrolyte, the separator is rendered homogeneous and excellent in the affinity with the organic electrolyte by using a crosslinked copolymer having a main-chain comprising a vinylidene fluoride unit and a side-chain comprising an alkylene oxide unit and at least one of an acrylate unit and methacrylate unit as the host polymer.

Abstract: A porous film having a crosslinking polymer supported thereon, which can preferably be used for producing a gel electrolyte battery having sufficient adhesion between the electrodes and the separator, low internal resistance and high rate performance, and which can function as a separator in a battery, and a method for producing a gel electrolyte battery using such a crosslinking polymer-supported porous film. The crosslinking polymer-supported porous film for battery separator comprises a porous film substrate having supported thereon a crosslinking polymer having plural cation-polymerizable functional groups in the molecule.

Abstract: A partially crosslinked adhesive-supported porous film for battery separator, which in producing a battery, can effectively produce a battery as an electrode/separator laminate in which an electrode and a separator are temporarily bonded to each other without causing mutual slip movement between the electrode and the separator and which after producing a battery, functions itself as a separator having a small heat shrinkage factor even at high temperatures, and a process of producing a battery using such a partially crosslinked adhesive-supported porous film.

Abstract: A heat-resistant separator composed of a non-woven fabric of high-melting resin, 1 to 20 &mgr;m in average fiber diameter, 5 to 300 g/m2 in basis weight, 1 to 200 cc/cm2/sec in air permeability, and 0.01 to 1.0 mm in thickness, or a laminated heat-resistant separator composed of a laminate having a melt-blown, non-woven fabric layer of high-melting resin, 1 to 20 &mgr;m in average fiber diameter, 5 to 300 g/m2 in basis weight, 1 to 200 cc/cm2/sec in air permeability, and 0.01 to 1.0 mm in thickness is more resistant to heat, and hence safer, and is suitable for batteries and electrical double-layer capacitors serviceable at high temperature.

Abstract: A photocurable and thermosetting resin composition comprising (A) a photosensitive prepolymer having a carboxyl group in combination with at least two ethylenically unsaturated double bonds in its molecule, (B) a polymerization initiator, (C) a diluent, (D) an oxetane compound having at least two oxetanyl groups in its molecule, and (E) a curing promotor is developable with an alkaline solution and can be formulated as a one package preparation. Such a photocurable and thermosetting resin composition and a photosensitive dry film prepared by the use thereof are useful as various resist materials and electrical insulating materials, particularly as solder resists for printed circuit boards, interlaminar insulating materials for build-up multi-layer printed circuit boards, and the like.

Abstract: In a separator for a fuel cell and a method of producing a separator for a fuel cell according to the invention, bondcarbon is used in which composition ratios are set to 60 to 90 wt. % (preferably, 70 to 87 wt. %) of graphite powder having an average diameter in a range of 15 to 125 &mgr;m (preferably, 40 to 100 &mgr;m), and 10 to 40 wt. % (preferably, 13 to 30 wt. %) of a thermosetting resin. The compound is previously cold-molded into a shape similar to a final molded shape. The preliminary molded member is then placed in a mold, and then molded into a separator of the final shape by applying a pressure of a range of 10 to 100 MPa. The surface roughness Ra of at least a portion of the separator contacting with an electrode is set to a range of 0.1 to 0.5 &mgr;m.

Abstract: An adhesive composition-supporting separator for a battery includes a porous substrate supporting thereon a thermally cross-linkable adhesive composition comprising a multi-functional isocyanate and a reactive polymer having a functional group capable of reacting with an isocyanato group of the multi-functional isocyanate; an electrode/separator laminate is obtained by contact pressing the adhesive composition-supporting separator for a battery against electrodes; and an electrode/separator bonded material having a cross-linked adhesive composition is obtained by heating the electrode/separator laminate to thereby react the multifunctional isocyanate with the reactive polymer for causing cross-linking.

Abstract: An inexpensive composite electrolyte for use in electrochemical fuel cells includes (i) an inorganic cation exchange material, (i) a silica-based binder; and (ii) a polymer-based binder. The cation exchange material includes aluminosilicate clays. The composite electrolyte can be fabricated with a tape casting apparatus.

Abstract: A flat, flexible electrochemical cell is provided. The within invention describes various aspects of the flat, flexible electrochemical cell. A printed anode is provided that obviates the need for a discrete anode current collector, thereby reducing the size of the battery. An advantageous electrolyte is provided that enables the use of a metallic cathode current collector, thereby improving the performance of the battery. Printable gelled electrolytes and separators are provided, enabling the construction of both co-facial and co-planar batteries. Cell contacts are provided that reduce the potential for electrolyte creepage in the flat, flexible electrochemical cells of the within invention.

Abstract: The present application discloses a lithium-ion battery using heat-activatable microporous membrane which comprises a hot-melt adhesive, an engineering plastics, a tackifier and a filler. It also discloses methods of preparing such microporous membrane and the lithium-ion batteries. The battery built with the use of the microporous membrane of the present invention shows high rate capability, long cycle life, and low as well as stable impedance during charge-discharge cycling. The microporous membrane of the present invention also shows thermal shutdown behavior.

Abstract: A battery separator is provided which is hardly broken by tension during the manufacture of batteries, is hardly punctured with a plate flash, and is hardly torn off with a plate edge, thereby hardly causing a short circuit. Accordingly, the separator can facilitate the stable manufacture of the batteries. The battery separator is equipped with a fiber sheet containing a polypropylene fiber having a tensile strength of not less than 10 g/d (denier) and a Young's modulus of not less than 800 kg/mm2, said separator having a resistance of not less than 585 gf to puncture by edge, or is equipped with a fiber sheet containing not less than 10 mass % of a polypropylene fiber having a tensile strength of not less than 10 g/d (denier) and a Young's modulus of not less than 800 kg/mm2.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell is presented having an improved separator disposed at the interface of the anode and cathode. In particular, the separator conforms to the contour of the electrode and is thinner than conventional separators made of non-woven fabric. The conformal separator may be formed from combinations of certain polymers and inorganic crosslinking agents.

Abstract: A novel microporous membrane comprising a hot-melt adhesive and an engineering plastics, the methods of preparing such microporous membrane and the uses of the microporous membrane in, e.g., batteries, super capacitors, fuel cells, sensors, electrochromic devices or the like.

Abstract: A battery element of a lead acid battery including a negative plate, a positive plate and a separator having a metal inhibiting additive that reduces the detrimental effects of at least one impurity on the negative plate.

Abstract: A valve-regulated lead-acid cell utilizes an absorptive glass mat separator having a glass fiber surface which is modified by treatment with at least one particular polymer, as by treatment with a polymer emulsion to coat at least part of the glass fiber surface and then sintering to dry the coating, the polymers including polyolefins, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylchlorides, polyacrylonitriles, polyesters, amphiphilic block and graft copolymers, hydrophilic and amphiphilic nitrogen-containing polymers and polyorgano-silica compounds such as polysilanes and polysiloxanes.

Abstract: A battery element of a lead acid battery including a negative plate, a positive plate and a separator having a metal inhibiting additive that reduces the detrimental effects of at least one impurity on the negative plate.

Abstract: A battery diaphragm having superior chemical resistance, low resistance, superior ion selective permeability and high mechanical strength is provided. The battery diaphragm is formed of a composite film including a complex of a porous base substrate (A) with a crosslinked polymer (B1) containing repeated units of a vinyl heterocyclic compound having at least two hydrophilic groups. Alternatively, the battery diaphragm is formed of a composite film including a complex of a porous base substrate (A) with a crosslinked polymer (B2) containing repeated units of a vinyl compound each having a functional group, and thereafter decomposing part of the functional groups.

Abstract: A lithium ion battery comprising a positive electrode 1, a negative electrode 4 and a separator 7 for retaining an electrolyte, characterized in that as an adhesive 8 for bonding said positive electrode 1 to said separator 7 and said negative electrode 4 to said separator 7 there is used a thermosetting adhesive comprising a mixture of at least one organic vinyl compound containing two or more vinyl groups per molecule, a reaction catalyst and a volatile organic solvent.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a separator which is excellent in sticking and adhesion capability with the solid electrolyte, physically strong and highly heat-resistive and to provide a solid electrolyte condenser which is excellent in the impedance characteristic and leak current characteristic. In a solid electrolyte condenser comprising an anode foil, a cathode foil, a separator, the separator is made of a nonwoven fabric containing polyester resin or its derivative manufactured by the wet method. The condenser element is formed by rolling the anode foil and the cathode foil together with the separator between them. The solid electrolyte is provided between the anode foil and the cathode foil of the condenser element.

Abstract: A battery separator, for placement between conductive plates within a battery, includes a non-woven fiber mat made up of one or more nonwoven fibers, which have a specific cross-sectional shape and exhibit a microcapillary action. The fibers are preferred to be made of a thermoplastic selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, fluoropolymers, polyimides, polysulfones, polyesters, polyamides, and mixtures thereof Each of the fibers includes an outer surface, a hollow internal cavity, and an extended slot. The hollow internal cavity communicates with the outer surface by way of the extended slot. Capillary forces within the fibers are greater than those on the fiber surface, such that a liquid electrolyte readily moves through the interior of the fiber via a wicking action. As a result, the battery separator tends to direct fluid to adjacent battery plates even when an electrolyte level, within the battery, drops below the tops of the plates.

Abstract: An alkaline battery separator comprising a gas-permeable sheet which contains a hydrophilic portion carrying a methacrylic/ethylene copolymer component having a crystallinity of 25% or more on at least a part of a surface of said hydrophilic portion.

Abstract: In order to improve a storage stability at high temperatures of a lithium polymer battery including: a positive electrode comprising a lithium-containing complex oxide; a negative electrode comprising a material capable of absorbing and desorbing a lithium ion; and a separator comprising a liquid organic electrolyte and a host polymer retaining the liquid organic electrolyte, the separator is rendered homogeneous and excellent in the affinity with the organic electrolyte by using a crosslinked copolymer having a main-chain comprising a vinylidene fluoride unit and a side-chain comprising an alkylene oxide unit and at least one of an acrylate unit and methacrylate unit as the host polymer.

Abstract: Conventional batteries are disadvantageous in that a firm outer case must be used to maintain an electrical connection between electrodes, which has been an obstacle to size reduction. Those in which each electrode and a separator are joined with an adhesive resin suffer from conflict between adhesive strength and battery characteristics, particularly ion conductivity and internal resistivity. To solve these problems, it is an object of the invention to reduce resistance between electrodes, i.e., internal resistance of a battery to improve battery characteristics while securing both insulation function against electron conduction and ion conductivity between electrodes and also to maintain adhesive strength enough to firmly join the electrodes thereby to provide a light, compact and thin battery.

Abstract: An alkaline battery separator comprising a nonwoven fabric containing one or more mixture layers of entangled short fibers and entangled long fibers, wherein a fiber length of the short fibers is from 1 mm to less than 25 mm, a fiber length of the long fibers is 25 mm or more, and a total thickness of all of the mixture layers accounts for not less than one-third of a whole thickness of the nonwoven fabric is disclosed. The alkaline battery separator according to the present invention exhibits an excellent electrolyte-holding capacity, tensile strength, tear strength and bending resistance, and can be used to stably prepare a battery. Electrode flash rarely penetrate the separator, to thereby cause a short circuit between electrodes.

Abstract: A recombinant battery element of a lead acid battery including a negative plate, a positive plate and a separator having an additive associated with the separator that improves the overall efficiency of the lead acid battery.

Abstract: A battery element of a lead acid battery including a negative plate, a positive plate and a separator having a metal inhibiting additive having a plurality of chemically different functional groups, associated with the separator that reduces the detrimental effects of at least one impurity on the negative plate.

Abstract: A microporous film which is excellent in permeability and mechanical strength and has breakage resistance at high temperatures; a separator for a nonaqueous-electrolyte battery which comprises the microporous film; and a nonaqueous-electrolyte battery employing the separator. The microporous film has a gel content of from 20 to 90% as determined through 3-hour immersion in boiling xylene.

Abstract: The present invention provides: a separator for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, interposed between the gas diffusion electrodes of the fuel cell and having, in at least one side, a groove for supply of an oxidizing agent or a fuel gas, which separator is made of a carbon composite material comprising (a) 100 parts by weight of an expanded graphite powder and (b) 10-45 parts by weight of a thermosetting resin dispersed in the expanded graphite powder (a), wherein the expanded graphite powder has an average particle diameter of 5-12 &mgr;m and at least 80% of the total particles of the expanded graphite powder have particle diameters of 0.1-20 &mgr;m. The separator for polymer electrolyte fuel cells according to the present invention is lightweight, can be grooved precisely and easily, and has a high gas barrier property, strength and electroconductivity.

Abstract: A nickel-hydrogen secondary battery having a negative electrode comprising a hydrogen-absorbing alloy containing magnesium, a rare earth element and nickel as essential elements, which is capable of suppressing the self-discharge being occurred under the condition of high temperature storage, or the like. This secondary battery comprises a negative electrode containing a hydrogen-absorbing alloy, a positive electrode containing nickel hydroxide, a separator comprising a non-woven fabric, and an alkaline electrolyte. The hydrogen-absorbing alloy is represented by (R1−xMgx)NiyAz (wherein R is at least one element selected from rare earth elements (including yttrium), Ca, Zr and Ti, A is at least one element selected from Co, Mn, Fe, V, Cr, Nb, Al, Ga, Zn, Sn, Cu, Si, P and B), and x, y and z are atomic ratio individually defined as 0<x<1, 0≦z≦1.5, 2.5≦y+z<4.5).

Abstract: An organic electrolyte lithium secondary battery wherein lithium is an active material. The battery comprises a negative electrode made of metallic lithium or a lithium alloy and a separator made of a microporous polyolefin separator matrix whose pores are filled with an ionic conductive gel electrolyte. The separator is in the form of a sheet with at least one face contacting the negative electrode having a gel electrolyte layer. The gel electrolyte is formed by ultraviolet irradiation of a solution having a major component being a mixture of an oligomer and a monomer added to an organic electrolyte. Using the separator in an organic electrolyte lithium secondary battery internal short circuiting of the battery due to dendridic lithium growing on a negative electrode during the charging cycle can be prevented and a longer cycle life achieved.

Abstract: A separator for an electrochemical generator is constituted by a microporous polyolefin film grafted with at least one monomer selected from diethyleneglycol dimethacrylate, furfuryl acrylate and a diethyleneglycol dimethacrylate/acrylic acid mixture. In a process for the production of a separator of this kind grafting of the monomer is carried out in three stages:irradiation of the film,if required, storage of the irradiated film,immersion of the irradiated film in the grafting solution comprising the monomer, a solvent, and at least one additive. The separator may be used in an electrochemical generator with either an aqueous or nonaqueous electrolyte where the salt concentration is between 1M and 2M.

Abstract: A polymeric film useful as an interelectrode separator or electrolyte member in electrolytic devices, such as rechargeable batteries, comprises a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene, a medium to high-boiling plasticizer, and a finely divided inorganic filler which has been subjected to actinic radiation or thermal energy to cause crosslinking thereof in the presence of a crosslinking agent selected from the group consisting of an acrylate ester, di- or triallyl ester and a di- or triglycidyl ether.

Abstract: An improved multi-cell electrochemical energy storage device, such as a battery, fuel cell, or double layer capacitor using a cell separator which allows cells to be stacked and interconnected with low electrical resistance and high reliability while maximizing packaging efficiency. By adding repeating cells, higher voltages can be obtained. The cell separator is formed by applying an organic adhesive on opposing surfaces of adjacent carbon electrodes or surfaces of aerogel electrodes of a pair of adjacent cells prior to or after pyrolysis thereof to form carbon aerogel electrodes. The cell separator is electronically conductive, but ionically isolating, preventing an electrolytic conduction path between adjacent cells in the stack.

Abstract: An improved multi-cell electrochemical energy storage device, such as a battery, fuel cell, or double layer capacitor using a cell separator which allows cells to be stacked and interconnected with low electrical resistance and high reliability while maximizing packaging efficiency. By adding repeating cells, higher voltages can be obtained. The cell separator is formed by applying an organic adhesive on opposing surfaces of adjacent carbon electrodes or surfaces of aerogel electrodes of a pair of adjacent cells prior to or after pyrolysis thereof to form carbon aerogel electrodes. The cell separator is electronically conductive, but ionically isolating, preventing an electrolytic conduction path between adjacent cells in the stack.

Abstract: An electrolyte-immobilizing mat for a mat-immobilized-electrolyte battery comprising a plurality of randomly oriented resilient fibers resistant to and wettable by sulfuric acid electrolyte, wherein the mat is held in a stressed, precompressed state by a resin which is substantially insoluble in sulfuric acid but is sufficiently degradable therein under battery formation conditions to free the mat from its stressed state during formation and allow it to swell within battery cell element. Thermosetting resins and particularly melamine-formaldehyde are preferred. The invention is particularly useful with mats made from glass fibers.

Abstract: An electrolyte-immobilizing mat for a mat-immobilized-electrolyte battery comprising a plurality of randomly oriented resilient fibers resistant to and wettable by sulfuric acid electrolyte, wherein the mat is held in a stressed, precompressed state by a resin which is substantially insoluble in sulfuric acid but is sufficiently degradable therein under battery formation conditions to free the mat from its stressed state during formation and allow it to swell within battery cell element. Thermosetting resins and particularly melamine-formaldehyde are preferred. The invention is particularly useful with mats made from glass fibers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a carbon sheet by baking and aims to produce a warpage-free carbon sheet having a high electric conductivity. The present invention is characterized by forming sheets comprising fibrous cellulose, thermosetting resin, and graphite powder and laminating the sheets, into which thermosetting resin is impregnated.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell separator plate formed from a mixture of carbonizable resin and coke particles, wherein the plate is molded from the resin and coke particles, carbonized, and graphitized. The particle size distribution of the coke is selected so that expansion occurring during graphitization minimizes the rupture of carbonized bonds within the separator plate. The separator plates have improved properties over separator plates formed from graphite particles including increased density, decreased porosity and increased corrosion resistance. The coke particle plates are more energy efficient to manufacture than graphite particle plates.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell separator plate formed from a composition of carbonizable resin, coke, and graphite particles, and methods of making and using the same. The separator plate has an improved balance of properties such as flexural modulus. The plates are formed by molding a composition of carbonizable resin, coke, and graphite particles, surface grinding the plate and then carbonizing and graphitizing the plate. The composition comprises about 40% to about 60% of carbonizable resin and about 60% to about 40% of a coke-graphite mixture. The coke-graphite mixture comprises about 30% to about 90% of coke particles and about 70% to about 10% of graphite particles. These separator plates may be used in, for example, fuel cells.

Abstract: A battery separator having a low electrical resistance after extended use is made by thermal consolidation and thermal embossing of a paper web formed from a furnish containing a synthetic pulp the fibrils of which are filled with an inorganic filler, the web incorporating a wetting agent which is preferably an organic sulphonate, and organic succinate, or a phenol ethoxylate.

Abstract: A storage battery separator comprising a phenol resin, polyolefin resin and inorganic powder, showing restraint of battery over charging and reduced brittleness, is described.

Abstract: The instant invention is directed to a sheet product capable of forming an improved battery separator. The present sheet product is formed from a thin, acid-stable, porous material and has a first and a second major face with a plurality of separate, continuous, open channels on each major face such that each channel on each major face defines a separation between two channels on the other major face. Further, each channel defines an imaginary median line with at least some portions of at least some channels extending laterally with respect to the imaginary median line and each channel has at least one continuous contour line in the form of straight line segments such that every portion of each channel is capable of being at an acute angle of not greater than 70 degrees from an imaginary vertical line orientated from bottom to top of a battery containing the sheet product.

Abstract: The instant invention is directed to a sheet product capable of forming an improved battery separator. The present sheet product is formed from a thin, acid-stable, porous material and has a first and a second major face with a plurality of separate, continuous, open channels on each face such that each channel on each major face defines a separation between two channels on the other major face. Further, each channel defines an imaginary medium line with at least some portions of at least some channels extending laterally with respect to the imaginary medium line, and every portion of each channel is capable of being at an acute angle of not greater than 70 degrees from an imaginary vertical line oriented from bottom to top of a battery containing the sheet product.

Abstract: A film-forming polyvinyl alcohol resin is admixed, in aqueous solution, with a dialdehyde cross-linking agent which is capable of cross-linking the polyvinyl alcohol resin and a water soluble acid aldehyde containing a reactive aldehyde group capable of reacting with hydroxyl groups in the polyvinyl alcohol resin and an ionizable acid hydrogen atom. The dialdehyde is present in an amount sufficient to react with from 1 to 20% by weight of the theoretical amount required to react with all of the hydroxyl groups of the polyvinyl alcohol. The amount of acid aldehyde is from 1 to 50% by weight, same basis, and is sufficient to reduce the pH of the aqueous admixture to 5 or less. The admixture is then formed into a desired physical shape, such as by casting a sheet or film, and the shaped material is then heated to simultaneously dry and cross-link the article.

Abstract: A non-gassing storage battery wherein oxygen is reduced at the negative electrodes submerged in the electrolyte. The storage battery consists of positive and negative electrodes separated from one another by separators, and of a liquid acidic or alkaline electrolyte. The separators are gas-permeable and have at least the upper peripheral region consisting of a micro-porous and gas-impermeable material in order to prevent escape of the oxygen into the gas chamber. The storage battery can be used primarily as a high performance storage battery, for example, as a starter battery in motor vehicles.

Abstract: A thin electrochemical cell separator plate with greatly improved properties is made by molding and then graphitizing a mixture of preferably 50 percent high purity graphite powder and 50 percent carbonizable thermosetting phenolic resin, the graphite molding powder particles having a specified preferred shape and a size distribution requiring 31 to 62 weight percent of the particles to be less than 45 microns in size.

Abstract: Battery separators, filters and other porous semi-rigid products are provided by a thermoset resin impregnated fibrous web containing cellulosic fiber, synthetic wood pulp, paper making staple long fiber and thermoset resin. The temperature for thermosetting can exceed the Vicat softening and even the melting temperature of the synthetic pulp without the loss of the flexibilizing effect of the synthetic pulp. By extension the teaching reaches to non-fibrous and non-porous materials. A process is also revealed.

Abstract: A film-forming polyvinyl alcohol polymer is mixed with a polyaldehyde-polysaccharide cross-linking agent having at least two monosaccharide units and a plurality of aldehyde groups per molecule, preferably an average of at least one aldehyde group per monosaccharide units. The cross-linking agent, such as a polydialdehyde starch, is used in an amount of about 2.5 to 20% of the theoretical amount required to cross-link all of the available hydroxyl groups of the polyvinyl alcohol polymer. Reaction between the polymer and cross-linking agent is effected in aqueous acidic solution to produce the cross-linked polymer. The polymer product has low electrical resistivity and other properties rendering it suitable for making separators for alkaline batteries. In that event, the mixture of polymer and cross-linking agent is formed into a sheet or film or the like and the film is cut to size and otherwise fabricated into a configuration suitable for a particular end use.

Abstract: A method of producing a cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol structure, such as a battery separator membrane or electrode envelope. An aqueous solution of a film-forming polyvinyl alcohol is admixed with an aldehyde cross-linking agent at basic pH to inhibit cross-linking. The cross-linking agent, preferably a dialdehyde such as glutaraldehyde, is used in an amount of from about 1/2 to about 20% of the theoretical amount required to cross-link all of the hydroxyl groups of the polymer. The aqueous admixture is formed into a desired physical shape, such as by casting a sheet of the solution. The sheet is then dried to form a self-supporting film. Cross-linking is then effected by immersing the film in aqueous acid solution. The resultant product has excellent properties for use as a battery separator, including a low electrical resistivity, the value of which is principally determined by the amount of cross-linking which is easily and closely controlled by the amount of cross-linking agent added to the polymer.

Abstract: A high pressure, low porosity wet seal for a substrate in a fuel cell in which the seal is made up of a granular material having a particle size varying from 10 to 0.1 microns in size bonded together with polytetrafluoroethylene to prevent leakage of the gaseous fuel or oxidant from the cell.