Rubber Or Thermoplastic Resin Patents (Class 429/254)
  • Patent number: 8835059
    Abstract: A lithium rechargeable battery, which includes a separator having excellent mechanical strength such as elastic strength, swelling resistance, heat resistance, and peel strength. The lithium rechargeable battery includes a cathode, an anode, a separator for separating both electrodes from each other, and a non-aqueous electrolyte, wherein the separator includes a porous membrane formed of a ceramic material and a binder, and the binder has an elongation ratio of 200 to 300%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-Hee Kim, Won-Chull Han, Jae-Yun Min
  • Patent number: 8822083
    Abstract: A negative electrode for a lithium-ion secondary battery, has a current collector and an active-material layer bound on a surface of the current collector. The active-material layer includes active materials, binders, conductive additives, and buffer materials. The active materials include Si and/or Sn, and the buffer materials comprise a silicone composite powder in which a spherical silicone-rubber powder is covered with a silicone resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventors: Manabu Miyoshi, Hitotoshi Murase, Keiichi Hayashi, Shinji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8815384
    Abstract: A porous film includes aromatic polyamide as a constituent component that has high heat resistance, high air permeability and high affinity to electrolytes. It is a porous aromatic polyamide film including aromatic polyamide and a hydrophilic polymer, wherein the hydrophilic polymer accounts for 12 to 50 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the aromatic polyamide, the thickness being 2 to 30 micrometers, the Gurley air permeability being 0.5 to 300 seconds/100 ml, and the thermal shrinkage rate being ?0.5 to 1.0% at 200° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Atsushi Sawamoto, Kenta Nishibara, Akimitsu Tsukuda
  • Publication number: 20140227604
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for manufacturing a fine porous film to be used as a separation film of a secondary battery. The apparatus for manufacturing the fine porous film of the present invention includes: a T-shaped die (20) for molding a precursor film by extruding a molten resin generated by melting a partially crystalline resin through the front end of a nozzle; a guide roller (50) arranged at a downstream side of the extrusion direction of the T-shaped die (20) so as to move and guide the precursor film (F1) at a predetermined draft ratio; a precursor film cooling unit (40) for providing, in the moving direction of the precursor film, a flow of cooling air over either or both of the front and back surfaces of the precursor film so as to cool the precursor film; and a film stretching unit for applying a tensile force, in an axial direction or in biaxial directions, to the cooled film while same is passing through the precursor film cooling means (40).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: E-Cell Tech. Inc.
    Inventor: Hyun Chae Park
  • Publication number: 20140227605
    Abstract: The present invention provides a production method and the like of a microporous stretched film having a high puncture strength and the like. The method includes: a first step of melt-kneading a cellulose nanofiber and a polyolefin resin to thereby disperse the nanofiber in the resin; a second step of removing water from a kneaded mixture obtained in the first step; a third step of mixing a plasticizer in the nanofiber and the resin and melt-kneading them to prepare a polyolefin resin composition; a fourth step of extrusion-molding the polyolefin resin composition; a fifth step of stretching an extrusion-molded article obtained in the fourth step to form a film; and a sixth step of extracting the plasticizer from the film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: THE JAPAN STEEL WORKS, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru Nakamura, Yoshiyuki Kushizaki, Ryou Ishiguro, Mariko Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 8801984
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a multi-layered microporous polyolefin film for a battery separator and a method for preparing the same. The microporous multi-layered film of the present invention has a characteristics to have both the low shutdown temperature conferred by the polyethylene and the high melt fracture temperature conferred by the polypropylene and heat-resistant filler. In addition, it has the high strength and stability conferred by the micropores prepared under wet process and the high permeability and high strength conferred by the macropores prepared under dry process. Therefore, this multi-layered film can be used effectively to manufacture a secondary battery with high capacity and high power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: SK Innovation Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jang-Weon Rhee, Inhwa Jung, Gwigwon Kang, Youngkeun Lee
  • Patent number: 8790828
    Abstract: A primary electrochemical cell having an anode comprising lithium and a cathode comprising iron disulfide (FeS2) and carbon particles. The cell is balanced so that the anode is in theoretical capacity excess (mAmp-hrs) compared to the theoretical capacity of the cathode. The anode and cathode can be spirally wound with separator therebetween and inserted into the cell casing with electrolyte then added. The electrolyte comprises a lithium salt dissolved in organic solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventors: Steven Jeffrey Specht, Michael Pozin, Yelena Valentinovna Kouznetsova, Bhupendra Kanchanial Patel, Fred Joseph Berkowitz
  • Patent number: 8771859
    Abstract: A separator for batteries according to the present invention includes a multilayer porous film having a resin porous film containing a thermoplastic resin as a main component and a heat resistant porous layer containing heat resistant particles as a main component, and the heat resistant porous layer has a thickness of 1 to 15 ?m, and the 180° peel strength between the resin porous film and the heat resistant porous layer is 0.6 N/cm or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Maxell, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuaki Matsumoto, Hideaki Katayama, Yoshinori Sato
  • Patent number: 8758926
    Abstract: Provided is a separator for an electrochemical device including a plate-like porous substrate, and a porous thin-film coating layer formed on at least one surface of the plate-like porous substrate and containing crosslinked polyester. The crosslinked polyester coating layer hardly affects the air permeability of the separator. Also, the crosslinked polyester coating layer has good hydrophilicity and wettability to an electrolyte, and thus improves the performance of the battery. Also, the crosslinked polyester coating layer has excellent resistance to heat and deformation, and thus prevents the thermal shrinkage of the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jeong-Man Son, Yoon-Jung Bae
  • Publication number: 20140134498
    Abstract: A separator medium for electrochemical cells that contains at least one nonwoven sheet of polymeric fibers. The nonwoven sheet has a surface area of about 0.5 to about 1.5 m2/g and has a maximum pore size that is equal to or more than 2.5 times the mean flow pore size and more than 11 times the minimum pore size. The sheet may be sulfonated to a level of 0.67% and demonstrates superior tensile properties after sulfonation and relative to previously known separators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: E I DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY
    Inventors: HYUN SUNG LIM, PANKAJ ARORA
  • Patent number: 8715849
    Abstract: The invention relates to a microporous membrane which comprises polyethylene, the microporous membrane having a differential pore volume curve with an area under the curve over the range of pore diameters of from about 100 nm to about 1,000 nm that is 25% or more of a total area under the curve over the range of pore diameters of from about 10 nm to about 1,000 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Toray Battery Separator Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kotaro Takita, Shintaro Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 8715862
    Abstract: A lithium secondary battery includes a positive electrode having a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode having a negative electrode active material, a separator separating the positive electrode from the negative electrode, and an electrolyte. The negative electrode active material includes a graphite core particle, at least one metal particle located on the graphite core particle, and a polymer film coating the graphite core particle and the at least one metal particle. The polymer includes a polyimide- or polyacrylate-based polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Cheol-Hee Hwang, Bong-Chull Kim, Jong-Chan Kim, Se-Ho Park, Na-Rae Won
  • Publication number: 20140120426
    Abstract: The present invention pertains to a secondary battery comprising at least one separator, said separator comprising at least one fluorinated polymer [polymer (F)], said polymer (F) comprising recurring units derived from vinylidene fluoride (VDF), hexafluoropropylene (HFP) and at least one (meth)acrylic monomer (MA) having formula (I) here below, wherein: —R1, R2 and R3, equal to or different from each other, are independently selected from a hydrogen atom and a C1-C3 hydrocarbon group, and —ROH is a C1-C5 hydrocarbon moiety comprising at least one hydroxyl group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: SOLVAY SPECIALTY POLYMERS ITALY S.P.A.
    Inventors: Julio A. Abusleme, Regis Faig, Riccardo Pieri
  • Publication number: 20140079980
    Abstract: In accordance with at least selected aspects, objects or embodiments, optimized, novel or improved membranes, battery separators, batteries, and/or systems and/or related methods of manufacture, use and/or optimization are provided. In accordance with at least selected embodiments, the present invention is related to novel or improved battery separators that prevent dendrite growth, prevent internal shorts due to dendrite growth, or both, batteries incorporating such separators, systems incorporating such batteries, and/or related methods of manufacture, use and/or optimization thereof. In accordance with at least certain embodiments, the present invention is related to novel or improved ultra thin or super thin membranes or battery separators, and/or lithium primary batteries, cells or packs incorporating such separators, and/or systems incorporating such batteries, cells or packs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: CELGARD, LLC
    Inventors: Paul M. Halmo, Xiaomin Zhang, Paul D. Vido, Zhengming Zhang, Lie Shi, Daniel R. Alexander, Jill V. Watson
  • Publication number: 20140030608
    Abstract: A heat-resistant material based on an amorphous thermoplastic polymer that is resistant to, but highly compatible with electrolyte solutions is disclosed. In an aspect, the heat-resistant material is used to form a separator for a battery cell and/or an electrolytic capacitor cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: SABIC Innovative Plastics IP B.V.
    Inventors: Roy Martinus Adrianus l'Abee, Anne Helene Gelebart, Soma Guhathakurta, Huiqing Wu, Jie Gao, Qunjian Huang
  • Patent number: 8617743
    Abstract: A primary electrochemical cell having an anode comprising lithium and a cathode comprising iron disulfide (FeS2) and carbon particles. The cell is balanced so that the anode is in theoretical capacity excess (mAmp-hrs) compared to the theoretical capacity of the cathode. The anode and cathode can be spirally wound with separator therebetween and inserted into the cell casing with electrolyte then added. The electrolyte comprises a lithium salt dissolved in organic solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventors: Steven J. Specht, Michael Pozin, Yelena Kouznetsova, Bhupendra K. Patel, Fred J. Berkowitz
  • Publication number: 20130344396
    Abstract: In various embodiments an improved binder composition, electrolyte composition and a separator film composition using discrete carbon nanotubes, their methods of production and utility for energy storage and collection devices, like batteries, capacitors and photovoltaics, is described. The binder, electrolyte, or separator composition can further comprise polymers. The discrete carbon nanotubes further comprise at least a portion of the tubes being open ended and/or functionalized. The utility of the binder, electrolyte or separator film composition includes improved capacity, power or durability in energy storage and collection devices. The utility of the electrolyte and or separator film compositions includes improved ion transport in energy storage and collection devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Inventors: Clive P. Bosnyak, Kurt W. Swogger, Milos Marinkovic
  • Publication number: 20130344395
    Abstract: A polyolefin microporous membrane that can realize a lithium ion secondary battery having favorable resistance against foreign matters or the like, and high cycle characteristics at a high temperature is provided. The present invention provides a polyolefin microporous membrane having a ratio of tensile strength in a length direction to that in a width direction of 0.75 to 1.25, and a thermal shrinkage rate in the width direction at 120° C. of less than 10%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: Asahi Kasei E-Materials Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke INAGAKI, Shinichi IWAKIRI, Shintarou INABA
  • Publication number: 20130337311
    Abstract: A method for producing a polyolefin-based porous film includes an (A) step: a raw fabric forming step for forming a non-porous raw fabric from a polyolefin-based resin composition, a (B) step: an MD cold stretching step for cold stretching the non-porous raw fabric obtained in the (A) step at a temperature of ?20° C. to (Tm?30)° C. (Tm is a melting point (° C.) of the non-porous raw fabric) in an extruding direction (MD) of the raw fabric to make the raw fabric porous; a (D) step: a TD cold stretching step for cold stretching a film processed in the (B) step in a direction (TD) perpendicular to the MD, and an (H) step: a thermal fixing step, in the above order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2011
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: Asahi Kasei E-materials Corporation
    Inventor: Miyuki Itou
  • Publication number: 20130330590
    Abstract: The porous membrane according to the present invention comprises non-conductive particles, a binder, and a water-soluble polymer, and is characterized in that: the three dimensions of the non-conductive particles, namely the length (L), thickness (t), and width (b), are such that the length (L) is 0.1 to 0 ?m, the ratio (b/t) of the width (b) and the thickness (t) is 1.5 to 100; the binder is a copolymer containing (meth)acrylonitrile monomer units and (meth)acrylic acid ester monomer units; and the water-soluble polymer contains sulfonic acid groups, and has a weight average molecular weight of 1000 to 15000. The slurry for a porous membrane according to the present invention is characterized by being formed by dispersing the non-conductive particles, the binder, and the soluble polymer, in water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: ZEON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yujiro Toyoda
  • Publication number: 20130316247
    Abstract: A porous polypropylene film includes a polypropylene resin and a ?-crystal nucleating agent, in which a temperature at which a heat shrinkage rate of a dimension in the width direction of the film is 5% is 130 to 200° C., air permeation resistance is 50 to 500 sec/100 ml, porosity is 35 to 70%, and when porosity is ? and air permeation resistance is G, both satisfy expression (1): G+15×??1,200 ??(1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Takuya Kuma, Soichi Fujimoto, Masatoshi Ohkura
  • Patent number: 8592089
    Abstract: A microporous polyethylene battery separator material (212), for use in a flooded-cell type lead-acid battery, benefits from increased porosity, enhanced wettability, and exceptionally low electrical resistance when an electrolyte-soluble pore former is employed in the manufacturing process. The pore former (210) is soluble in electrolytic fluid and therefore dissolves in-situ in sulfuric acid during battery assembly. The dissolution of the pore former leaves behind additional, larger voids (220) in the separator material and thereby enhances ionic diffusion and improves battery performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Amtek Research International, LLC
    Inventors: Chi Thuong-Le La, Robert R. Waterhouse, Richard W. Pekala
  • Patent number: 8592088
    Abstract: An electrode assembly for a battery that can improve safety of the ceramic layer and increase lifetime capacity and high rate charge/discharge capacity and low temperature charge/discharge capacity of the electrode assembly. The electrode assembly having a porous ceramic layer coated on at least one surface of the positive electrode plate or the negative electrode plate to prevent an electrical short between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, where a main peak of pore size of the ceramic layer is in the range of 20 nm to 80 nm, and a secondary battery including the electrode assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jinhee Kim
  • Publication number: 20130306560
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of hydrophobic solid surfaces, and more particularly to polyvinylidene fluoride (PIMP) membranes having a superhydrophobic surface. The invention also relates to the process for preparing these membranes and also to the industrial applications thereof. The PVDF membranes according to the invention comprise a superhydrophobic surface comprising a structure that is porous on the nanometer scale and interconnected crystalline nodules of micrometer size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Inventors: Andre Deratani, Damien Quemener, Denis Booyer, Celine Pochat-Bohatier, Chia-Ling Li, Juin-Yih Lai, Da-Ming Wang
  • Publication number: 20130273434
    Abstract: A process of producing a membrane includes extruding diluent and polymer to form an extrudate, the polymer includes a first polyethylene having an Mw<1.0×106, a second polyethylene having an Mw?1.0×106, and a polypropylene having an Mw?5.0×105 and a ?Hm?80.0 J/g; wherein the sum of the polypropylene having an Mw?5.0×105 and a ?Hm?80.0 J/g and the second polyethylene is ?15.0 wt. % and processing the extrudate into a membrane having a thickness ?12.0 ?m by stretching the extrudate in at least one planar direction at about 108.0 to 116.0° C. after removing the solvent to a magnification factor of ?1.1 and excludes any stretching of the extrudate after removing the solvent at a magnification factor or >1.1 and removing at least a portion of the diluent from the extrudate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Inventors: Shintaro Kikuchi, Kotaro Takita, Junko Takita, Kazuhiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 8546025
    Abstract: Disclosed is a lithium ion secondary battery, in which comprises a vinyl alcohol polymer or a derivative thereof in an amount of 0.3 mg or more per 1 mAh of battery capacity in terms of a vinyl alcohol unit moiety content. The lithium ion secondary battery can decrease the battery voltage under high-temperature conditions and cannot be recharged after being exposed to high-temperature conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignees: Japan Vilene Company, Ltd., National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventors: Masanao Tanaka, Tatsuo Nakamura, Hiroshi Ohnishi, Yuka Kondo, Koji Kimura, Te Hyon Cho, Tetsuo Sakai
  • Patent number: 8535826
    Abstract: A rechargeable lithium battery includes a positive electrode including a positive active material; a negative electrode including a negative active material; an electrolyte including a lithium salt and a non-aqueous organic solvent; and a separator interposed between the positive and negative electrodes and including a ceramic material having a first metal oxide-containing core and a second metal oxide shell disposed on the surface of the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hye-Sun Jeong, Jun-Kyu Cha, Seung-Hun Han, Kwi-Seok Choi
  • Patent number: 8530097
    Abstract: A secondary battery including an electrode assembly including a positive electrode including a positive electrode active material layer, a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material layer, a separator separating the positive and negative electrodes from each other, and an electrolyte. The separator includes a porous layer comprising a ceramic material and a binder, and a polyolefin-based resin layer. The porous layer has a centerline average roughness (Ra) of 0.3 ?m to 1.5 ?m, the polyolefin-based resin layer has a porosity of 30% to 60%, and the polyolefin-based resin layer has a compressibility of 4% to 10%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-Hee Kim, Wan-Mook Lim
  • Patent number: 8512898
    Abstract: To obtain a separator for a nonaqueous electrolyte battery that has an excellent nonaqueous electrolyte permeability into an electrode and an excellent electrolyte retentivity of the electrode and achieves a large capacity, a high energy density and a good high-temperature charge characteristic. A separator 3 used for a nonaqueous electrolyte battery is formed by disposing a porous layer 2 made of inorganic fine particles and a resin binder on a porous separator substrate 1, the resin binder is made of at least one resin selected from the group consisting of polyimide resins, polyamide resins and polyamideimide resins and the molecular chain of the resin has a halogen atom content of 10% to 30% by weight, and the content of the resin binder in the porous layer is 5% by weight or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignees: SANYO Electronics Co., Ltd., TORAY Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasunori Baba, Naoki Imachi, Atsushi Nakajima, Michihiko Irie, Masanori Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8486555
    Abstract: A process for producing a porous laminate having many micropores interconnected in the thickness direction, which comprises: a step in which a laminate is produced which comprises at least three layers comprising an interlayer made of a thermoplastic resin having a hard segment and a soft segment and two nonporous outer layers made of a filler-containing resin and located as outer layers respectively on both sides of the interlayer; a step in which the laminate obtained is impregnated with a supercritical or subcritical fluid and this state is relieved to vaporize the fluid and thereby make the interlayer porous; and a step in which the two nonporous outer layers located respectively on both sides are made porous by stretching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi Usami, Tomoyuki Nemoto, Jun Takagi, Satoshi Teshima
  • Publication number: 20130164598
    Abstract: The invention relates to microporous polymeric membranes suitable for use as battery separator film. The membrane comprises polyethylene, polypropylene, and polymethylpentene. The invention also relates to a method for producing such a membrane, batteries containing such membranes as battery separators, methods for making such batteries, and methods for using such batteries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: TORAY BATTERY SEPARATOR FILM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Ishihara, Koichi Kono, Satoshi Miyaoka, Patrick Brant
  • Publication number: 20130164597
    Abstract: Provided is a microporous separator for a lithium secondary battery having shutdown properties wherein the separator comprises a propylene random copolymer which has a melt index of 0.5-10 g/10 minutes and comprises one or more species of comonomers in the content of 0.1-8 wt %.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: SAMSUNG TOTAL PETROCHEMICALS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: SAMSUNG TOTAL PETROCHEMICALS CO., LTD.
  • Patent number: 8470898
    Abstract: A porous thin-film polymer separator for use in a lithium ion battery may be formed by a phase separation method in which hydrophobic-treated ceramic particles are used to help induce the formation of a tortuous, interconnected network of pores coextensively across the thickness of the separator. As part of the phase separation method, a wet thin-film layer is formed from a polymer slurry that comprises a polymer solvent in which a polymer material is dissolved and the hydrophobic-treated ceramic particles are dispersed. The wet thin-film layer is subsequently exposed to a polymer non-solvent to form a solvent-exchanged thin-film precipitated polymer layer which is then heated to produce the separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Xiaosong Huang
  • Patent number: 8460829
    Abstract: A porous polymer separator layer that exhibits a non-uniform cross-sectional thickness and a method of making the same are disclosed. The porous polymer separator layer may be made by a process that involves forming a film having a non-uniform cross-sectional thickness similar to that sought to be imparted to the resultant separator layer and deriving the porous polymer separator layer from the film. An electrochemical battery cell for a secondary liquid-electrolyte battery may incorporate the disclosed porous polymer separator layer between a negative electrode and a positive electrode in a way that helps maintain a more evenly distributed current density within the cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Xiaosong Huang, Hamid G. Kia, Mark W. Verbrugge
  • Patent number: 8455140
    Abstract: A porous polymer separator layer that exhibits a non-uniform cross-sectional thickness and a method of making the same are disclosed. The porous polymer separator layer may be made by a phase-separation process. This process involves precipitating the porous polymer separator layer from a film having a non-uniform cross-sectional thickness similar to that sought to be imparted to the resultant separator layer. An electrochemical battery cell for a secondary liquid-electrolyte battery may incorporate the disclosed porous polymer separator layer between a negative electrode and a positive electrode in a way that that helps maintain a more evenly distributed current density within the cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Xiaosong Huang, Hamid G. Kia, Mark W. Verbrugge
  • Patent number: 8414663
    Abstract: The invention relates to a microporous membrane. The membrane can have an average thickness of 23 ?m or more, an air permeability in a range of about 20 sec/100 cm3 to 100 sec/100 cm3, a pin puncture strength of 2,450 mN or more, and a heat shrinkage ratio of 12% or less at 105° C. The membrane can be produced from a polyolefin solution made by combining a membrane-forming solvent and at least one polyolefin resin containing polyethylene having a viscoelastic angular frequency ??0#191 of at least about 0.01 rad/sec.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Toray Battery Separator Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kotaro Kimishima
  • Publication number: 20130078527
    Abstract: Disclosed is a porous nanoweb including first and second nanofilaments, which facilitates to perform heat resistance simultaneously with a shutdown function for preventing a battery explosion caused by an abnormal heat generation, and to realize small thickness and easy control of porosity, wherein, if the porous nanoweb is used as a battery separator for a secondary battery, it allow the good battery efficiency and good safety owing to the low resistance, the porous nanoweb comprising the first nanofilament having a melting temperature not more than 200° C.; and the second nanofilament having a melting temperature not less than 210° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: KOLON INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventor: Moo-Seok Lee
  • Patent number: 8399126
    Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte is provided that includes a non-aqueous solvent and an electrolyte salt, wherein the non-aqueous solvent contains a fluorinated ether (1) represented by the following Formula: HCF2CF2CF2CH2—O—CF2CF2H (1). This non-aqueous electrolyte has good wettability to a polyolefin separator, can provide a battery with excellent load characteristics for a long period, does not easily decompose in the battery under high-temperature storage, and causes little gas generation due to decomposition. Furthermore, a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery is provided that includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator, and the above-described non-aqueous electrolyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tooru Matsui, Tetsuo Nanno
  • Patent number: 8372545
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing battery separators for use in a lithium-ion battery containing non-aqueous electrolytes, producing batteries being resistant to thermal runaway and explosion, includes the steps of preparing a dryblend comprising two UHMW Polyethylenes and Calcined Kaolin, feeding said dry-blend into an extruder, melt-kneading said dry blend in the extruder while feeding mineral oil, making a solution from a die into the form of a sheet, using casting rolls, thereby cooling the solution down, producing a thick gel sheet, stretching the gel sheet in both machine and transverse directions, producing a 20 micron thick gel sheet containing oil thereby, extracting the oil by use of a solvent and drying the film, heat-setting the film and producing a microporous membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Advanced Membrane Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Garrin Samii, Abbas Samii, Banafsheh Behnam, David Veno
  • Publication number: 20130022876
    Abstract: The present invention relates to new, improved or modified polymer materials, membranes, substrates, and the like and to new, improved or modified methods for permanently modifying the physical and/or chemical nature of surfaces of the polymer materials, membranes, or substrates for a variety of end uses or applications. For example, one improved method uses a carbene and/or nitrene modifier to chemically modify a functionalized polymer to form a chemical species which can chemically react with the surface of a polymer substrate and alter its chemical reactivity. Furthermore, this invention can be used to produce chemically modified membranes, fibers, hollow fibers, textiles, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Inventors: Kristoffer K. Stokes, Karl F. Humiston
  • Publication number: 20130017452
    Abstract: As a porous film in which the air-permeability at the time of elongation of the porous film was adjusted, whereby, when used as a battery separator, the holes of a separator in an electrode/separator wound body have been controlled, a polypropylene series resin porous film is proposed, in which, for a porous film having a polypropylene series resin as the main component, regarding air-permeability (Pa) prior to elongation and air-permeability (Pa?) at 5% elongation, (1) Pa? is 1,000 seconds/100 ml or less and (2) Pa?/Pa is 1.5 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI PLASTICS, INC.
    Inventors: Miho Yamamoto, Takeyoshi Yamada, Yasushi Usami
  • Publication number: 20130004857
    Abstract: A product, and a method for forming a product, that includes a composite material having a polymeric carrier resin and a shape memory polymer material capable of transformation between a temporary shape and a permanent shape in the presence of an external stimuli, wherein said transformation from said temporary shape to said permanent shape changes at least one property of said composite material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2011
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Hamid G. Kia, Mark W. Verbrugge, Tao Xie, Ingrid A. Rousseau
  • Patent number: 8323547
    Abstract: Disclosed in the present invention are a microporous polyethylene film and a method of manufacture thereof. The polyethylene microporous film manufactured according to the present invention may contribute to an increased productivity of stable products as its extrusion and stretching may be done readily. And thus manufactured product may be used for battery separators and various filters owing to its high gas permeability, superior puncture strength, and small ratio of shrinkage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: SK Innovation Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young-Keun Lee, Jang-Weon Rhee, Jung-Moon Sung, Byoung-Cheon Jo, Chol-Ho Lee, Gwi-Gwon Kang, In-Hwa Jung, Je-An Lee
  • Patent number: 8304113
    Abstract: A ceramic microporous polyolefin battery separator membrane, high in air permeability, low in shrinkage and improved temperature resistance addresses the safety requirements of lithium ion batteries. The separators made by the current invention consists of one or more polyolefin polymers and kaolin fillers comprised of aluminum oxide and silicon oxide. The membranes of current invention have a thickness of 5-200 microns, air permeability of 1-200 sec/10 cc (Gurley seconds), and average pore diameter of less than 1 micron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Advanced Membrane Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Garrin Samii, Banafsheh Behnam, David Veno, Abbas Samii
  • Patent number: 8304114
    Abstract: A microporous polyolefin membrane having a structure in which its pore size distribution curve obtained by mercury intrusion porosimetry has at least two peaks, which is produced by extruding a melt-blend of a polyolefin composition comprising (a) high density polyethylene resin having a weight average molecular weight of from about 2.5×105 to about 5×105 and a molecular weight distribution of from about 5 to about 100, (b) polypropylene resin having a weight average molecular weight of from about 3×105 to about 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Toray Battery Separator Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kotaro Takita, Shintaro Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 8283073
    Abstract: The present invention provides a microporous polyolefin membrane having a porosity of 45% to 85% wherein the microporous polyolefin membrane easily absorbs the strain produced when the membrane undergoes compression, and retains excellent permeability and excellent electrical insulation performance even after compression by setting the maximum pore diameter at 0.1 ?m to 0.23 ?m, the MD elastic modulus at 400 to 2,000 MPa, and the ratio MD elastic modulus/TD elastic modulus at 1.5 to 9.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Asahi Kasei E-Materials Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Ikemoto, Yoshihiro Imamura, Takeshi Onizawa
  • Publication number: 20120202104
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a separator and a lithium secondary battery including the same. The separator comprises a polyethylene-based powder or a polypropylene-based powder provided on or in the base film, wherein the polyethylene-based powder or the polypropylene-based powder is different from the base film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2011
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seonghoon Han, Changbum Ahn
  • Patent number: 8236068
    Abstract: A separator carries lithium particles on its surface. Using the separator, a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having a high initial efficiency and improved cycle retentivity is available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mikio Aramata, Meguru Kashida, Satoru Miyawaki
  • Publication number: 20120189897
    Abstract: Disclosed is a porous membrane for a secondary battery, which has further improved output characteristics and long-term cycle characteristics when compared with conventional porous membranes. The porous membrane for a secondary battery is used for a lithium ion secondary battery or the like. Specifically disclosed is a porous membrane for a secondary battery, which contains polymer particles A that have a number average particle diameter of 0.4 ?m or more but less than 10 ?m and a glass transition temperature of 65° C. or more and polymer particles B that have a number average particle diameter of 0.04 ?m or more but less than 0.3 ?m and a glass transition temperature of 15° C. or less. It is preferable that the polymer particles B have a crystallization degree of 40% or less and a main chain structure that is composed of a saturated structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Wakizaka, Naoki Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20120183862
    Abstract: A battery separator comprising at least one nonwoven web layer is provided. The nonwoven web layer comprises a plurality of first fibers, a plurality of second fibers, and a binder. The first fibers comprise a water non-dispersible synthetic polymer and have a different configuration and/or composition than the second fibers. The first fibers have a length of less than 25 millimeters and a minimum transverse dimension of less than 5 microns. The nonwoven web layer comprises at least 10 weight percent of the first fibers, at least 10 weight percent of the second fibers, and at least 1 weight percent of the binder. The battery separator exhibits an enhanced combination of strength, durability, and ionic resistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: EASTMAN CHEMICAL COMPANY
    Inventors: Rakesh Kumar Gupta, Melvin Glenn Mitchell, Daniel William Klosiewicz, Mark Dwight Clark, Chris Delbert Anderson, Marvin Lynn Mitchell, Paula Hines Mitchell, Amber Layne Wolfe