阅读说明：本技术 交联聚烯烃隔膜及其制造方法 (Crosslinked polyolefin separator and method for producing same ) 是由 裵元植 李柱成 柳飞悟 李娥英 于 2019-09-11 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种交联聚烯烃隔膜及其制造方法,所述交联聚烯烃隔膜的特征在于,在所述隔膜的四个侧面被固定并使所述隔膜在130℃下静置30分钟之后,在380nm至700nm的区域内显示出30％以上的透光率平均值。因此,本发明能够提供由于闭孔温度低而改善了安全性、并且熔断温度高且口模流涎被抑制的交联聚烯烃隔膜及其制造方法。(The present invention relates to a cross-linked polyolefin separator characterized by exhibiting an average value of light transmittance of 30% or more in a region of 380nm to 700nm after fixing four sides of the separator and allowing the separator to stand at 130 ℃ for 30 minutes, and a method for manufacturing the same. Accordingly, the present invention can provide a crosslinked polyolefin separator having improved safety due to a low cell closing temperature, a high fusing temperature, and suppressed die drooling, and a method for producing the same.)

1. A cross-linked polyolefin separator exhibiting an average value of light transmittance of 30% or more in a region of 380nm to 700nm after four sides of the separator are fixed and left standing at 130 ℃ for 30 minutes.

2. The crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 1, which shows an average value of light transmittance of 58% or more in a region of 380nm to 700nm after four sides of the separator are fixed and left standing at 130 ℃ for 30 minutes.

3. A crosslinked polyolefin separator having 0.5 to 10 graft units based on 1000 carbon atoms in a polyolefin backbone chain forming the crosslinked polyolefin separator.

4. The crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 3, the separator having 1.0 to 8.0 graft units based on 1000 carbon atoms in a polyolefin main chain forming the crosslinked polyolefin separator.

5. The crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 3, wherein the graft unit is a silane-grafted unit.

6. The crosslinked polyolefin separator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the separator having a thickness of 4.0 to 12.0 μm.

7. A method of manufacturing a cross-linked polyolefin separator, comprising the steps of:

(S1) introducing polyolefin, a diluent, alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group, an initiator, and a crosslinking catalyst into an extruder, then mixing, and performing reactive extrusion;

(S2) forming the reaction extruded silane-grafted polyolefin composition into a sheet and stretching;

(S3) extracting the diluent from the stretched sheet to obtain a porous film;

(S4) heat-fixing the porous film; and

(S5) crosslinking the heat-fixed porous film in the presence of water,

wherein, in step (S1), at least one of the initiator or the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group is introduced and mixed in divided amounts at predetermined time intervals, and

the weight ratio (A/B) of the total content (A) of the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the total content (B) of the initiator is 80 to 600, or

The alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group that is introduced first into the extruder has a higher boiling point than the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group that is introduced later into the extruder.

8. The method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 7, wherein the step (S1) comprises:

(S11) introducing the polyolefin and the first diluent into an extruder and then mixing;

(S12) introducing a second diluent, a first carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane, an initiator, and a crosslinking catalyst into the extruder, and then mixing; and

(S13) introducing a third diluent and a second alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group into the extruder, then mixing, and reactive extrusion of the silane-grafted polyolefin composition,

wherein the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group of the first group has a higher boiling point than the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group of the second group.

9. The method for producing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 8, wherein the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group of the first group has a boiling point of 150 to 200 ℃ and the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group of the second group has a boiling point of 70 to 140 ℃.

10. The method for producing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 8, wherein the weight ratio of the alkoxysilane containing the first carbon-carbon double bond group to the alkoxysilane containing the second carbon-carbon double bond group is 8:2 to 2: 8.

11. The method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 8, wherein the first alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group contains any one of vinyltriethoxysilane, vinyltriisopropoxysilane, and vinyltriacetoxysilane, or a mixture of at least two thereof.

12. The method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 8, wherein the second carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane comprises any one of vinyltrimethoxysilane and vinyl chloride (dimethyl) silane or a mixture thereof.

13. The method of manufacturing a cross-linked polyolefin separator according to claim 8, wherein the first diluent, the second diluent, and the third diluent each independently comprise liquid paraffin oil, solid paraffin oil, mineral oil, wax, soybean oil, phthalate, aromatic ether, C10-C20 fatty acid, C10-C20 fatty acid alcohol, fatty acid ester, or a mixture of at least two thereof.

14. The method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 8, wherein the weight ratio of the first diluent to the second diluent is 4:3 to 7: 1.5.

15. The method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 8, wherein the weight ratio of the first diluent to the third diluent is 4:3 to 7: 1.5.

16. The method for producing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 8, wherein a ratio of the time elapsed from introduction to extrusion of the first carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane is 0.6 to 0.9 based on the time elapsed from introduction to extrusion of the polyolefin.

17. The method for producing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 8, wherein a ratio of a time elapsed from introduction to extrusion of the second carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane is 0.2 to 0.5 based on a time elapsed from introduction to extrusion of the polyolefin.

18. The method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 8, wherein the content of the first carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane is 0.1 to 3.0 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the total content of the polyolefin, the first diluent, the second diluent, and the third diluent.

19. The method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 8, wherein the content of the second carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane is 0.1 to 3.0 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the total content of the polyolefin, the first diluent, the second diluent, and the third diluent.

20. The method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 8, wherein the step (S5) is performed at 60 to 90 ℃ for 6 to 18 hours at a relative humidity of 50 to 85%.

21. The method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 7, wherein the step (S1) is performed by introducing the initiator into the extruder in divided amounts at predetermined time intervals and mixing, and

the weight ratio (A/B) of the total content (A) of the carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane to the total content (B) of the initiator is 80-600.

22. The method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 21, wherein, in step (S1), the initiator is introduced into the extruder together with at least one of the diluent, the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group, and the crosslinking catalyst, and is introduced and mixed in divided amounts at predetermined time intervals.

23. The method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 22, wherein the step (S1) comprises:

introducing the polyolefin into the extruder;

introducing a previously introduced composition comprising the diluent, initiator, alkoxysilane containing carbon-carbon double bond groups, and a portion of the crosslinking catalyst into the extruder and then mixing; and

introducing a post-introduced composition containing the diluent, initiator, alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group and the remainder of the crosslinking catalyst into the extruder at predetermined time intervals, then mixing, and then reactive extrusion of a silane-grafted polyolefin composition,

wherein the weight ratio (a/b) of the alkoxysilane (a) containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the initiator (b) in the previously introduced composition is 100 to 700, and

the weight ratio (c/d) of the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group (c) to the initiator (d) in the post-introduced composition is less than the weight ratio (a/b) of the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group (a) to the initiator (b) in the pre-introduced composition.

24. The method for producing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 23, wherein the weight ratio (c/d) of the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group (c) to the initiator (d) in the post-introduced composition is 20 to 400.

25. The method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 23, wherein the weight ratio (a/b) of the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group (a) to the initiator (b) in the previously introduced composition is 3 to 15 times the weight ratio (c/d) of the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group (c) to the initiator (d) in the subsequently introduced composition.

26. The method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 23, wherein the ratio (t2/t1) of the time (t2) elapsed from the introduction to the extrusion of the post-introduced composition based on the time (t1) elapsed from the introduction to the extrusion of the pre-introduced composition is 0.3 to 0.8.

27. The method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 21, wherein the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group comprises a compound represented by the following chemical formula 1:

[ chemical formula 1]

Wherein R is₁、R₂And R₃Each independently represents a C1-C10 alkoxy group or a C1-C10 alkyl group, provided that R₁、R₂And R₃At leastOne represents an alkoxy group; and is

R represents a vinyl group, an acryloxy group, a methacryloxy group or a C1-C20 alkyl group wherein at least one hydrogen atom of the alkyl group is substituted by a vinyl group, an acryloyl group or a methacryloyl group.

28. The method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 27, wherein the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group comprises vinyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, vinyltriacetoxysilane, (3-methacryloxypropyl) trimethoxysilane, (3-methacryloxypropyl) triethoxysilane, vinylmethyldimethoxysilane, vinyl-tris (2-methoxyethoxy) silane, vinylmethyldiethoxysilane, or a mixture of at least two thereof.

29. The method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 7, wherein the initiator comprises 2, 5-dimethyl-2, 5-di (t-butylperoxy) hexane (DHBP), benzoyl peroxide, acetyl peroxide, dilauroyl peroxide, di-t-butyl peroxide, dicumyl peroxide, cumene peroxide, hydrogen peroxide, potassium persulfate, or a mixture of at least two thereof.

30. The method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 7, wherein the diluent comprises liquid paraffin oil, solid paraffin oil, mineral oil, wax, soybean oil, phthalate, aromatic ether, C10-C20 fatty acid, C10-C20 fatty acid alcohol, fatty acid ester, or a mixture of at least two thereof.

31. The method for producing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 23, wherein the weight ratio (a/b) of the alkoxysilane (a) containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the initiator (b) in the previously introduced composition is 300 to 600.

32. The method for producing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to claim 23, wherein the weight ratio (c/d) of the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group (c) to the initiator (d) in the post-introduced composition is 57.1 to 66.7.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a cross-linked polyolefin separator and a method for manufacturing the same.

The present application claims priority to korean patent application No. 10-2018-0108562, filed in korea at 11.9.2018, korean patent application No. 10-2018-0133814, filed in korea at 2.11.2018, and korean patent application No. 10-2019-0059518, filed in korea at 21.5.2019, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Background

Recently, energy storage technology has received increasing attention. As the application of energy storage technology has expanded to the energy of mobile phones, camcorders and notebook computers and even to electric vehicles, research and development of electrochemical devices has been increasingly embodied. In this case, the electrochemical device is most spotlighted. Among such electrochemical devices, the development of rechargeable secondary batteries is a focus of attention. Recently, in order to improve capacity density and specific energy when developing such batteries, active research on designing new electrodes and batteries has been conducted.

Among commercially available secondary batteries, lithium secondary batteries developed in the early 1990's have received much attention due to higher operating voltages and significantly higher energy densities as compared to conventional batteries using aqueous electrolytes, such as Ni-MH, Ni-Cd, and sulfuric acid-lead batteries.

Such a lithium secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an electrolyte, and a separator. In particular, the separator needs to have an insulating property to separate the cathode and the anode from each other, and needs to have high ion conductivity in order to increase lithium ion permeability based on high porosity.

In addition, the separator is required to have a wide interval between a closed cell (shutdown) temperature and a fusing (meltdown) temperature so that the lithium secondary battery including the separator can secure safety. In order to enlarge the interval between the closed-cell hole temperature and the fusing temperature, it is required to control the closed-cell hole temperature to be lowered and the fusing temperature to be raised. As the fusing temperature increases, the separator has a higher melting temperature to provide improved stability. As the closed cell temperature decreases, cell plugging can occur at lower temperatures. The closed cell temperature may be determined by the light transmittance of the separator. The method for manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin porous film according to the related art shows insufficient effect of increasing light transmittance.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

The present disclosure is designed to solve the problems of the related art, and therefore the present disclosure is directed to providing a method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator having a high melt-off temperature and exhibiting improved processability by preventing a die drooling phenomenon, and a separator obtained by the method.

The present disclosure is also directed to providing a method of manufacturing a cross-linked polyolefin separator having high light transmittance and ensuring safety, and a separator obtained by the method.

Technical scheme

In an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cross-linked polyolefin separator according to any one of the following embodiments.

According to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a cross-linked polyolefin separator that exhibits an average value of light transmittance of 30% or more in a region of 380nm to 700nm after four sides of the separator are fixed and left standing at 130 ℃ for 30 minutes.

According to a second embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in the first embodiment, which shows an average value of light transmittance of 58% or more in a region of 380nm to 700nm after four sides of the separator are fixed and left standing at 130 ℃ for 30 minutes.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, a cross-linked polyolefin separator according to any one of the following embodiments is provided.

According to a third embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a crosslinked polyolefin separator having 0.5 to 10 graft units based on 1000 carbon atoms in a polyolefin backbone chain forming the crosslinked polyolefin separator.

According to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in the third embodiment, the separator having 1.0 to 8.0 graft units based on 1000 carbon atoms in a polyolefin backbone chain forming the crosslinked polyolefin separator.

According to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the crosslinked polyolefin membrane as defined in the third or fourth embodiment, wherein the graft unit is a silane-grafted unit.

According to a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in the first to fifth embodiments, having a thickness of 4.0 to 12.0 μm.

In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to any one of the following embodiments is provided.

According to a seventh embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator, including the steps of:

(S1) introducing polyolefin, a diluent, alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group, an initiator, and a crosslinking catalyst into an extruder, then mixing, and performing reactive extrusion;

(S2) forming the reaction extruded silane-grafted polyolefin composition into a sheet and stretching;

(S3) extracting the diluent from the stretched sheet to obtain a porous film;

(S4) heat-fixing the porous film; and

(S5) crosslinking the heat-fixed porous film in the presence of water,

wherein, in step (S1), at least one of the initiator or the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group is introduced and mixed in divided amounts at predetermined time intervals, and

the weight ratio (A/B) of the total content (A) of the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the total content (B) of the initiator is 80 to 600, or

The alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group that is introduced first into the extruder has a higher boiling point than the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group that is introduced later into the extruder.

According to an eighth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in the seventh embodiment, wherein the step (S1) includes:

(S11) introducing the polyolefin and the first diluent into an extruder and then mixing;

(S12) introducing a second diluent, a first carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane, an initiator, and a crosslinking catalyst into the extruder, and then mixing; and

(S13) introducing a third diluent and a second alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group into the extruder, then mixing, and reactive extrusion of the silane-grafted polyolefin composition,

wherein the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group of the first group has a higher boiling point than the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group of the second group.

According to a ninth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in the eighth embodiment, wherein the alkoxysilane containing the first carbon-carbon double bond group has a boiling point of 150 to 200 ℃, and the alkoxysilane containing the second carbon-carbon double bond group has a boiling point of 70 to 140 ℃.

According to a tenth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in any one of the seventh to ninth embodiments, wherein a weight ratio of the alkoxysilane containing the first carbon-carbon double bond group to the alkoxysilane containing the second carbon-carbon double bond group is 8:2 to 2: 8.

According to an eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in any one of the seventh to tenth embodiments, wherein the first carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane comprises any one of vinyltriethoxysilane, vinyltriisopropoxysilane, and vinyltriacetoxysilane, or a mixture of at least two thereof.

According to a twelfth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in any one of the seventh to eleventh embodiments, wherein the second carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane comprises any one of vinyltrimethoxysilane and vinyl chloride (dimethyl) silane, or a mixture thereof.

According to a thirteenth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method of manufacturing a cross-linked polyolefin separator as defined in any one of the seventh to twelfth embodiments, wherein the first diluent, the second diluent, and the third diluent each independently comprise a liquid paraffin oil, a solid paraffin oil, a mineral oil, a wax, a soybean oil, a phthalate, an aromatic ether, a C10-C20 fatty acid, a C10-C20 fatty acid alcohol, a fatty acid ester, or a mixture of at least two thereof.

According to a fourteenth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in any one of the seventh to thirteenth embodiments, wherein the weight ratio of the first diluent to the second diluent is 4:3 to 7: 1.5.

According to a fifteenth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in any one of the seventh to fourteenth embodiments, wherein the weight ratio of the first diluent to the third diluent is 4:3 to 7: 1.5.

According to a sixteenth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method for producing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in any one of the seventh to fourteenth embodiments, wherein a ratio of a time elapsed from introduction to extrusion of the first carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane based on a time elapsed from introduction to extrusion of the polyolefin is 0.6 to 0.9.

According to a seventeenth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in any one of the seventh to sixteenth embodiments, wherein a ratio of a time elapsed from introduction to extrusion of the second carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane based on a time elapsed from introduction to extrusion of the polyolefin is 0.2 to 0.5.

According to an eighteenth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in any one of the seventh to seventeenth embodiments, wherein the content of the first carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane is 0.1 to 3.0 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the total content of the polyolefin, the first diluent, the second diluent, and the third diluent.

According to a nineteenth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in any one of the seventh to eighteenth embodiments, wherein the content of the second carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane is 0.1 to 3.0 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the total content of the polyolefin, the first diluent, the second diluent, and the third diluent.

According to a twentieth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method for manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in any one of the seventh to nineteenth embodiments, wherein the step (S5) is performed at 60 to 90 ℃ for 6 to 18 hours at a relative humidity of 50 to 85%.

According to a twenty-first embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in the seventh embodiment, wherein the step (S1) is performed by introducing the initiator into the extruder in divided amounts at predetermined time intervals and mixing, and

the weight ratio (A/B) of the total content (A) of the carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane to the total content (B) of the initiator is 80-600.

According to a twenty-second embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in the twenty-first embodiment, wherein, in the step (S1), the initiator is introduced into the extruder together with at least one of the diluent, the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group, and the crosslinking catalyst, and is introduced and mixed in divided amounts at predetermined time intervals.

According to a twenty-third embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in the twenty-first or twenty-second embodiment, wherein the step (S1) includes:

introducing the polyolefin into the extruder;

introducing a previously introduced composition comprising the diluent, initiator, alkoxysilane containing carbon-carbon double bond groups, and a portion of the crosslinking catalyst into the extruder and then mixing; and

introducing a post-introduced composition containing the diluent, initiator, alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group and the remainder of the crosslinking catalyst into the extruder at predetermined time intervals, then mixing, and then reactive extrusion of a silane-grafted polyolefin composition,

wherein the weight ratio (a/b) of the alkoxysilane (a) containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the initiator (b) in the previously introduced composition is 100 to 700, and

the weight ratio (c/d) of the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group (c) to the initiator (d) in the post-introduced composition is less than the weight ratio (a/b) of the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group (a) to the initiator (b) in the pre-introduced composition.

According to a twenty-fourth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method for producing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in the twenty-third embodiment, wherein the weight ratio (c/d) of the alkoxysilane (c) containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the initiator (d) in the post-introduced composition is 20 to 400.

According to a twenty-fifth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in the twenty-third or twenty-fourth embodiment, wherein a weight ratio (a/b) of the alkoxysilane (a) containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the initiator (b) in the previously introduced composition is 3 to 15 times a weight ratio (c/d) of the alkoxysilane (c) containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the initiator (d) in the subsequently introduced composition.

According to a twenty-sixth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in any one of the twenty-third to twenty-fifth embodiments, wherein a ratio (t2/t1) of an elapsed time (t2) from introduction to extrusion of the post-introduced composition based on an elapsed time (t1) from introduction to extrusion of the pre-introduced composition is 0.3 to 0.8.

According to a twenty-seventh embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in any one of the twenty-first to twenty-sixth embodiments, wherein the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group comprises a compound represented by the following chemical formula 1:

[ chemical formula 1]

Wherein R is₁、R₂And R₃Each independently represents a C1-C10 alkoxy groupOr a C1-C10 alkyl group, provided that R₁、R₂Or R₃At least one of them represents an alkoxy group; and is

R represents a vinyl group, an acryloxy group, a methacryloxy group or a C1-C20 alkyl group wherein at least one hydrogen atom of the alkyl group is substituted by a vinyl group, an acryloyl group or a methacryloyl group.

According to a twenty-eighth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in the twenty-seventh embodiment, wherein the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group comprises vinyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, vinyltriacetoxysilane, (3-methacryloxypropyl) trimethoxysilane, (3-methacryloxypropyl) triethoxysilane, vinylmethyldimethoxysilane, vinyl-tris (2-methoxyethoxy) silane, vinylmethyldiethoxysilane, or a mixture of at least two thereof.

According to a twenty-ninth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in any one of the seventh to twenty-eighth embodiments, wherein the initiator comprises 2, 5-dimethyl-2, 5-di (t-butylperoxy) hexane (DHBP), benzoyl peroxide, acetyl peroxide, dilauryl peroxide, di-t-butyl peroxide, dicumyl peroxide, cumene peroxide, hydrogen peroxide, potassium persulfate, or a mixture of at least two thereof.

According to a thirtieth embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in any one of the seventh to twenty-ninth embodiments, wherein the diluent comprises liquid paraffin oil, solid paraffin oil, mineral oil, wax, soybean oil, phthalate, aromatic ether, C10 to C20 fatty acid, C10 to C20 fatty acid alcohol, fatty acid ester, or a mixture of at least two thereof.

According to a thirty-first embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method for manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in the twenty-third embodiment, wherein the weight ratio (a/b) of the alkoxysilane (a) containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the initiator (b) in the previously introduced composition is 300 to 600.

According to a thirty-second embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided the method for producing a crosslinked polyolefin separator as defined in the twenty-third embodiment, wherein the weight ratio (c/d) of the alkoxysilane (c) containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the initiator (d) in the post-introduced composition is 57.1 to 66.7.

Advantageous effects

The method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can provide a crosslinked polyolefin separator having a high melting temperature through a silane aqueous crosslinking process.

In the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an alkoxysilane having a first carbon-carbon double bond group with a higher boiling point is introduced first, and an alkoxysilane having a second carbon-carbon double bond group with a lower boiling point is introduced later. Thus, heat resistance and processability can be improved, and a crosslinked polyolefin separator preventing die drooling can be provided.

In the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the total content of alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group based on the total content of the initiator is controlled so that silane grafting can be formed to an appropriate Si grafting ratio. Thus, as can be seen from the increase in light transmittance of the separator, the separator may be provided with improved safety and processability. In addition, die drooling caused by excessive use of an alkoxysilane having a carbon-carbon double bond group can be suppressed.

In the method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the weight ratio of alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to an initiator and the introduction time point thereof are controlled so that silane grafts may be formed at an appropriate Si graft ratio. Thus, as can be seen from the increase in light transmittance of the separator, it is possible to provide a crosslinked polyolefin separator ensuring safety and to improve processability. Side reactions caused by direct polyolefin crosslinking by the initiator can also be suppressed.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Before the description, it should be understood that the terms used in the specification and the appended claims should not be construed as limited to general and dictionary meanings, but interpreted based on the meanings and concepts corresponding to technical aspects of the present disclosure on the basis of the principle that the inventor is allowed to define terms appropriately for the best explanation.

As used herein, the expression "one portion is connected to another portion" encompasses not only "one portion is directly connected to another portion" but also "one portion is indirectly connected to another portion" via other elements interposed therebetween. In addition, the connection means not only physical connection but also electrochemical connection.

Throughout the specification, the expression "a portion 'comprising' an element" does not exclude the presence of any other element, but means that the portion may comprise other elements as well.

Further, it will be understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising" or "includes" and/or "including," when used in this specification, specify the presence of any stated shapes, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof, but do not preclude the addition of one or more other shapes, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

As used herein, the terms "about," "substantially," and the like, when used in conjunction with an allowance for manufacturing and materials inherent to the stated meaning, are used in the meaning of the numerical value or its vicinity, and are used to prevent overuse by less blatant intruders of the disclosure including the exact or absolute numerical value provided to assist in understanding the disclosure.

As used herein, the term "combination thereof" included in any Markush-type expression refers to a combination or mixture of one or more elements selected from the group of elements disclosed in the Markush-type expression and refers to the presence of one or more elements selected from the group.

As used herein, the expression "a and/or B" means "A, B or both.

In an aspect of the present disclosure, a method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator and a crosslinked polyolefin separator obtained thereby are provided.

When a separator for a lithium secondary battery has a large difference between a closed cell temperature and a fusing temperature, it exhibits excellent safety. Here, in order to enlarge the interval between them, it is necessary to control the closed-cell temperature to be lowered and the fusing temperature to be raised.

The method of increasing the fusing temperature includes adding an alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to a polyolefin and a diluent to prepare a silane-grafted polyolefin composition from which a separator is obtained.

However, when the above-mentioned materials are introduced into an extruder at one time and mixed, it is difficult to control the process due to a die drooling phenomenon or the like during the manufacture, thereby providing a separator having an uneven appearance.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to providing a crosslinked polyolefin separator that ensures workability and processability by reducing a die drooling phenomenon and has a high melting temperature.

On the other hand, as the closed cell temperature decreases, cell plugging can occur at lower temperatures. When pore clogging occurs at a lower temperature, the safety of the electrochemical device can be improved. In these cases, it is desirable to provide a separator having a low closed cell temperature. The closed cell temperature can be determined by the light transmittance. However, when the polyolefin, the diluent, the initiator, the crosslinking agent, and the crosslinking catalyst are introduced at one time according to the related art, the resulting separator still exhibits low light transmittance. Therefore, there is a need to solve the above-mentioned problems.

Accordingly, an aspect of the present disclosure is directed to providing a method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator having high light transmittance and improved safety, and a crosslinked polyolefin separator obtained thereby.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator, including the steps of:

(S1) introducing polyolefin, a diluent, alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group, an initiator, and a crosslinking catalyst into an extruder, then mixing, and performing reactive extrusion;

(S2) forming the reaction extruded silane-grafted polyolefin composition into a sheet and stretching;

(S3) extracting the diluent from the stretched sheet to obtain a porous film;

(S4) heat-fixing the porous film; and

(S5) crosslinking the heat-fixed porous film in the presence of water,

wherein, in step (S1), at least one of the initiator or the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group is introduced and mixed in divided amounts at predetermined time intervals, and

the weight ratio (A/B) of the total content (A) of the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the total content (B) of the initiator is 80 to 600, or

The alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group that is introduced first into the extruder has a higher boiling point than the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group that is introduced later into the extruder.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator according to the present disclosure will be explained in detail.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, in step (S1), at least one of an initiator or an alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group is introduced and mixed in divided amounts at predetermined time intervals. Here, when the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group is introduced in a divided amount, the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group introduced into the extruder first has a higher boiling point than the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group introduced into the extruder later. On the other hand, when the initiator is introduced in divided amounts, the weight ratio of the total content of the initiator based on the total content of the alkoxysilane having a carbon-carbon double bond group is controlled to be within a predetermined range.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group may be introduced in divided amounts at predetermined time intervals. This embodiment will be described in detail below.

When the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group is introduced in divided amounts, first, the polyolefin, the diluent, the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group, the initiator, and the crosslinking agent may be introduced into an extruder and mixed. In one variation, the polyolefin and the first diluent may be first introduced into the extruder (S11), and then the second diluent, the first alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group, the initiator, and the crosslinking catalyst may be introduced into the extruder and mixed (S12). According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to effectively blend the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group with the molten material in the extruder, the polyolefin and the first diluent may be first introduced into the extruder, and then the alkoxysilane containing a first carbon-carbon double bond group may be introduced thereto, or the polyolefin and the diluent may be first introduced into the extruder, and then the diluent, the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group, the initiator, and the crosslinking catalyst are introduced thereto, and then mixed.

According to the related art, a diluent, an initiator, an alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group (crosslinking agent), and a crosslinking catalyst are introduced into an extruder at one time and mixed, and then reactive extrusion is performed to obtain a silane-grafted polyolefin composition.

However, according to the related art, there is a problem associated with long-term processability due to die drooling during the manufacture of the separator.

Accordingly, the inventors of the present disclosure have conducted intensive studies to improve the processability of the crosslinked polyolefin separator. It has been found that when the retention time of alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group is controlled in consideration of the boiling point thereof, it is possible to provide a separator having a high melting temperature and to improve problems associated with appearance caused by die drooling. The present disclosure has been completed based on this finding.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the step (S1) may include:

(S11) introducing the polyolefin and the first diluent into an extruder and then mixing;

(S12) introducing a second diluent, a first carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane, an initiator, and a crosslinking catalyst into the extruder, and then mixing; and

(S13) introducing a third diluent and a second alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group into the extruder, then mixing, and reactive extrusion of the silane-grafted polyolefin composition,

wherein the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group of the first group has a higher boiling point than the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group of the second group.

Here, the polyolefin is the same as described below.

Otherwise, the diluent is the same as described below.

On the other hand, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the description of the first diluent, the second diluent, and the third diluent may refer to the following description of the diluents. Here, the first diluent, the second diluent, and the third diluent may be the same as or different from each other.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group is a crosslinking agent that initiates silane crosslinking, is grafted to the polyolefin through a vinyl group, and functions to perform polyolefin crosslinking through aqueous crosslinking caused by the alkoxy group.

According to the present disclosure, the first carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane has a higher boiling point than the second carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane described below. As used herein, the first alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group refers to an alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group that is first introduced into the extruder. As used herein, the second carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane refers to an alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group that is post-introduced into the extruder.

When a vinyl silane having a high boiling point such as an alkoxysilane having a first carbon-carbon double bond group is used, the amount of the alkoxysilane having a carbon-carbon double bond group which evaporates under the high temperature condition of the extruder can be reduced. Accordingly, the die drooling problem caused by smoke generation during sheet extrusion can be reduced, thereby providing improved processability. However, there is a problem in that the alkoxysilane containing the first carbon-carbon double bond group has a high molecular weight, resulting in a decrease in reactivity with the polyolefin.

In contrast, when a second alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group, as described below, is used, the polyolefin to silane grafting ratio is high. Such a high grafting ratio appears to be caused by the high mobility of the molecules due to the low molecular weight of the second carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane. However, in the case of the second carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane, when it has a long retention time in the extruder, appearance-related problems such as die drool may be caused.

Under these circumstances, the boiling point of the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group and its retention time in the extruder are simultaneously controlled according to the present disclosure to reduce die drooling and provide a crosslinked polyolefin separator having improved processability and processability.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group may have a boiling point of 150 to 200 ℃, 155 to 190 ℃, or 160 to 180 ℃.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group may comprise vinyltriethoxysilane (boiling point 160 ℃), vinyltriisopropoxysilane (boiling point 180 ℃), vinyltriacetoxysilane (boiling point 175 ℃), or a mixture of at least two thereof.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the content of the first carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane may be 0.1 to 3.0 parts by weight, 0.2 to 2.0 parts by weight, or 0.3 to 1.5 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the total content of the polyolefin, the first diluent, the second diluent, and the third diluent. When the content of the first carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane satisfies the above-defined range, it is possible to prevent the problems of a decrease in the degree of crosslinking caused by a low silane content and a reduced graft ratio and deterioration in the appearance of the extruded sheet caused by a high silane content and the residue of unreacted silane.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a ratio of the time elapsed from the introduction to the extrusion of the first carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane based on the time elapsed from the introduction to the extrusion of the polyolefin may be 0.6 to 0.9, 0.65 to 0.85, or 0.7 to 0.8. When the retention time of the first carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane in the extruder satisfies the above-defined range, the problem of poor grafting of the first carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane to the polyolefin due to an excessively short extrusion time can be reduced, and the first carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane can be more effectively blended with the polyolefin by pre-blending the polyolefin with the first diluent.

Then, the third diluent and the second carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane may be introduced into an extruder and mixed, and reactive extrusion of the silane-grafted polyolefin composition may be performed (S13).

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the description of the third diluent may be the same as that of the first diluent.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the third diluent may be the same as or different from each of the first diluent and the second diluent as described above.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the total content of the first diluent, the second diluent, and the third diluent may be 100 to 350 parts by weight, 125 to 300 parts by weight, or 150 to 250 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the polyolefin. When the total content of the first diluent, the second diluent, and the third diluent satisfies the above-defined range, problems caused by an increase in the content of the polyolefin, such as a decrease in porosity and pore size, a decrease in interconnectivity between pores and a significant decrease in permeability, an increase in viscosity and extrusion load of the polyolefin composition, and processing difficulties, may be reduced. It is also possible to reduce problems caused by the reduction of the polyolefin content, such as fracture and thickness unevenness at stretching due to the reduced compatibility of the polyolefin with the first diluent, the second diluent, and the third diluent and the extrusion of the polyolefin in the form of gel without the thermodynamic blending of the polyolefin with the first diluent, the second diluent, and the third diluent.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the weight ratio of the first diluent to the second diluent may be 4:3 to 7: 1.5. The weight ratio of the first diluent to the third diluent may be 4:3 to 7: 1.5. When the weight ratio of the first diluent, the second diluent, and the third diluent satisfies the range defined above, it is possible to pre-blend the polyolefin having a high viscosity with the first diluent and smoothly introduce the crosslinking additive into the extruder together with the second diluent and the third diluent.

In accordance with the present disclosure, the first diluent may be introduced simultaneously with the polyolefin to increase compatibility with the polyolefin. The second diluent and the first carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane may then be introduced into the extruder, and then the third diluent and the second carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane may be further introduced into the extruder at time intervals as described below.

According to the present disclosure, the second alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group is a crosslinking agent that initiates silane crosslinking, grafts to the polyolefin through a vinyl group, and functions to perform polyolefin crosslinking through aqueous crosslinking caused by the alkoxy group. However, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the alkoxysilane containing the second carbon-carbon double bond group has a lower boiling point than the alkoxysilane containing the first carbon-carbon double bond group as described above.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane may have a boiling point of 70 to 140 ℃, 90 to 135 ℃, or 100 to 130 ℃.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group may comprise vinyltrimethoxysilane (boiling point 123 ℃), vinyl (chlorodimethyl) silane (boiling point 83 ℃) or a mixture thereof.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the content of the second carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane may be 0.1 to 3.0 parts by weight, 0.2 to 2.0 parts by weight, or 0.3 to 1.5 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the total content of the polyolefin, the first diluent, the second diluent, and the third diluent. When the content of the second carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane satisfies the above-defined range, it is possible to prevent the problems of a decrease in the degree of crosslinking caused by a low silane content and a reduced graft ratio and deterioration in the appearance of the extruded sheet caused by a high silane content and the residue of unreacted silane.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the weight ratio of the alkoxysilane of the first carbon-carbon double bond containing group to the alkoxysilane of the second carbon-carbon double bond containing group may be 8:2 to 2:8, 3:7 to 7:3, or 4:6 to 6: 4. When the weight ratio of the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group satisfies the above-defined range, both the alkoxysilane having a first carbon-carbon double bond group with a relatively high boiling point and the alkoxysilane having a second carbon-carbon double bond group with a relatively low boiling point can contribute to the crosslinking of the polyolefin, thereby further improving the fusing temperature.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a ratio of the time elapsed from the introduction of the second carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane to the extrusion based on the time elapsed from the introduction of the polyolefin and the first diluent to the extrusion may be 0.2 to 0.5, 0.25 to 0.45, or 0.3 to 0.4. When the retention time of the alkoxysilane containing a second carbon-carbon double bond group satisfies the above-defined range, the problem of deterioration in appearance caused by too long retention time of the alkoxysilane containing a second carbon-carbon double bond group can be avoided, and the problem of poor grafting to polyolefin caused by too short retention time of the alkoxysilane containing a second carbon-carbon double bond group in the extruder can be reduced.

As described above, because the alkoxysilane containing a first carbon-carbon double bond group is first introduced into the extruder in accordance with the present disclosure, the retention time of the alkoxysilane containing a first carbon-carbon double bond group in the extruder is controlled to be longer than the retention time of the alkoxysilane containing a second carbon-carbon double bond group in the extruder.

In other words, according to the present disclosure, the retention time of the alkoxysilane having the first carbon-carbon double bond-containing group having lower reactivity with the polyolefin is controlled to a longer time so that the first alkoxysilane is sufficiently reacted with the polyolefin. On the other hand, the retention time of the second carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilane is controlled to a shorter time because more smoke generation may be caused when the second alkoxysilane having a lower boiling point has a long retention time in the extruder, thereby causing problems in terms of appearance.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the initiator may be any initiator as long as it is capable of generating a radical. Non-limiting examples of initiators include 2, 5-dimethyl-2, 5-di (t-butylperoxy) hexane (DHBP), benzoyl peroxide, acetyl peroxide, dilauroyl peroxide, di-t-butyl peroxide, dicumyl peroxide, cumene peroxide, hydrogen peroxide, potassium persulfate, and the like.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the initiator may be included in an amount of 0.1 to 20 parts by weight, 0.5 to 10 parts by weight, or 1 to 5 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the total content of the first and second carbon-carbon double bond group-containing alkoxysilanes. When the content of the initiator satisfies the above-defined range, it is possible to prevent the decrease in the silane graft ratio caused by a low initiator content and the problem of crosslinking between polyethylene molecules in the extruder caused by a high initiator content.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the initiator is introduced and mixed in a divided amount in the step (S1), wherein the weight ratio (a/B) of the total content (a) of the alkoxysilane having a carbon-carbon double bond group to the total content (B) of the initiator is 80 to 600.

When the polyolefin, the initiator, the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group, and the crosslinking catalyst are introduced into the extruder at one time according to the related art, the initiator may act on the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group and the polyolefin. In particular, the free radicals generated by the initiator in the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group may react with the polyolefin to cause silane grafting. In addition, the free radicals generated in the polyolefin by the initiator may react with other polyolefins to cause direct crosslinking between the polyolefin and the polyolefin. Silane grafting and direct polyolefin crosslinking occur competitively in the extruder.

Since silane grafting lowers the melting point of the silane-grafted polyolefin composition, resulting in a decrease in the closed cell temperature and an increase in light transmittance, it is desirable to facilitate silane grafting. In contrast, since direct crosslinking hardly provides the effect of increasing light transmittance, it is desirable to minimize direct crosslinking.

In these cases, according to the present disclosure, the initiator supplied to the extruder is introduced and mixed in divided amounts at predetermined intervals, wherein the weight ratio (A/B) of the total content (A) of the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the total content (B) of the initiator is controlled to be 80 to 600.

In particular, from the viewpoint of promoting silane grafting and minimizing direct polyolefin crosslinking, it is preferable to introduce and mix the diluent and the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group in a divided amount.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the weight ratio (A/B) of the total content (A) of the alkoxysilanes containing carbon-carbon double bond groups to the total content (B) of the initiator may be 80 to 600, 100 to 500, 100 to 400, or 125 to 350.

When the weight ratio (a/B) of the total content (a) of the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the total content (B) of the initiator is less than 80, a sufficient effect of increasing light transmittance cannot be provided. When the weight ratio (a/B) of the total content (a) of the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond to the total content (B) of the initiator is more than 600, the alkoxysilane containing an alkoxy group present in the extruder may increase or drooling may occur at the die or die lip.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, in step (S1), the initiator may be introduced into the extruder in divided amounts at predetermined time intervals together with at least one of a diluent, an alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group, or a crosslinking catalyst.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the step (S1) may include:

introducing the polyolefin into the extruder;

introducing a previously introduced composition comprising the diluent, initiator, alkoxysilane containing carbon-carbon double bond groups, and a portion of the crosslinking catalyst into the extruder and then mixing; and

introducing a post-introduced composition containing the diluent, initiator, alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group, and the remainder of the crosslinking catalyst into the extruder at predetermined time intervals, then mixing, and then reactive extrusion of the silane-grafted polyolefin composition.

Herein, the weight ratio (a/b) of the alkoxysilane (a) containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the initiator (b) in the composition introduced first may be 100 to 700, and the weight ratio (c/d) of the alkoxysilane (c) containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the initiator (d) in the composition introduced later may be smaller than the weight ratio (a/b) of the alkoxysilane (a) containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the initiator (b) in the composition introduced first.

In accordance with the present disclosure, the ratio of alkoxysilane containing carbon-carbon double bond groups to initiator can be controlled by using at least two feed ports in the extruder. Here, by controlling the weight ratio (a/b) of the alkoxysilane (a) containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the initiator (b) which is introduced first into the composition of the first hopper to be larger than the weight ratio (c/d) of the alkoxysilane (c) containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the initiator (d) which is introduced later into the composition of the second hopper, silane grafting can be maximized and direct polyolefin crosslinking can be minimized.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the weight ratio (a/b) of the alkoxysilane (a) containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the initiator (b) in the composition introduced first may be 3 to 15 times, 3.5 to 13 times, or 4.49 to 10.5 times the weight ratio (c/d) of the alkoxysilane (c) containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the initiator (d) in the composition introduced later.

Within the ranges defined above, it is possible to control the pressure variation during the extrusion process and optimize the conveying capacity of the blended molten materials.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the weight ratio (a/b) of the alkoxysilane (a) containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the initiator (b) in the composition introduced first may be 100 to 700, 200 to 650, or 300 to 600. Within the range defined above, the graft ratio of the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group can be maximized.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the weight ratio (c/d) of the alkoxysilane (c) containing a carbon-carbon double bond group to the initiator (d) in the post-introduced composition may be 20 to 400, 30 to 300, 40 to 250, or 57.1 to 66.7. Within the range defined above, the graft ratio of the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group can be maximized.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a ratio (t2/t1) of an elapsed time (t2) from introduction of a later-introduced composition to extrusion based on an elapsed time (t1) from introduction of a first-introduced composition to extrusion may be 0.3 to 0.8, 0.4 to 0.75, or 0.5 to 0.7. In the above-defined elapsed time range, it is possible to control the graft ratio of the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group and to suppress side reactions.

When the above-mentioned processing conditions (e.g., a/b, c/d, t2/t1) are satisfied, the extruded sheet obtained by the extruder may contain 0.5 to 10, 1.0 to 8.0, or 1.4 to 8.0 units of alkoxysilane grafted with a carbon-carbon double bond-containing group, based on 1000 carbon atoms in the polyolefin main chain. When the number of units of the alkoxysilane grafted with a carbon-carbon double bond-containing group is within the range defined above, the light transmittance of the separator may be increased.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the polyolefin may be polyethylene; polypropylene; polybutylene; polypentene; polyhexene; polyoctene; copolymers of at least two of ethylene, propylene, butene, pentene, 4-methylpentene, hexene, heptene and octene; or mixtures thereof.

In particular, the polyethylene includes Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE), High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), and the like. Among them, high density polyethylene having high crystallinity and high resin melting point is most preferable.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the polyolefin may have a weight average molecular weight of 200,000 to 1,000,000, 220,000 to 700,000, or 250,000 to 500,000. According to the present disclosure, a separator having excellent strength and heat resistance can be obtained while ensuring uniformity and film forming processability of the separator by using a high molecular weight polyolefin having a weight average molecular weight of 200,000 to 1,000,000 as a starting material.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the diluent may include liquid or solid paraffin oil, mineral oil, wax, soybean oil, and the like, which are generally used for manufacturing a separator by a wet process.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the diluent may be a diluent capable of liquid-liquid phase separation with respect to the polyolefin. For example, the diluent may be: phthalic acid esters such as dibutyl phthalate, dihexyl phthalate, dioctyl phthalate, and the like; aromatic ethers such as diphenyl ether, benzyl ether, etc.; C10-C20 fatty acids such as palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, etc.; C10-C20 fatty acid alcohols such as palmitic acid alcohol, stearic acid alcohol, oleic acid alcohol, etc.; and fatty acid esters such as palmitic acid mono-, di-or triesters, stearic acid mono-, di-or triesters, oleic acid mono-, di-or triesters, linoleic acid mono-, di-or triesters, and the like, which are produced by esterification between saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having 4 to 26 carbon atoms in the fatty acid group or one or two or more fatty acids in which the double bond of the unsaturated fatty acid is replaced with epoxy and C1-C10 alcohol having 1 to 8 hydroxyl groups.

The diluent may comprise any one of the above ingredients or a mixture of at least two of them.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the diluent may be contained in an amount of 100 to 350 parts by weight, 125 to 300 parts by weight, or 150 to 250 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the polyolefin. When the total content of the diluent satisfies the above-defined range, problems caused by an increase in the polyolefin content, such as a decrease in porosity and pore size, a decrease in interconnectivity between pores and a significant decrease in permeability, an increase in viscosity and extrusion load of the polyolefin composition, and processing difficulties, may be reduced. It is also possible to reduce problems caused by the reduction of the polyolefin content, such as breakage upon stretching and thickness unevenness caused by the reduction of the compatibility of the polyolefin with the diluent and the extrusion of the polyolefin in the form of a gel without the thermodynamic blending of the polyolefin with the diluent.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group is a crosslinking agent that initiates silane crosslinking, grafts to the polyolefin through a vinyl group, and functions to effect crosslinking of the polyolefin through aqueous crosslinking caused by the alkoxy group.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group may include a compound represented by the following chemical formula 1:

[ chemical formula 1]

Wherein R is₁、R₂And R₃Each independently represents a C1-C10 alkoxy group or a C1-C10 alkyl group, provided that R₁、R₂Or R₃At least one of them represents an alkoxy group; and is

R represents a vinyl group, an acryloxy group, a methacryloxy group or a C1-C20 alkyl group wherein at least one hydrogen atom of the alkyl group is substituted by a vinyl group, an acryloyl group or a methacryloyl group.

Meanwhile, R may further include an amino group, an epoxy group, or an isocyanate group.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group may comprise vinyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, vinyltriacetoxysilane, (3-methacryloxypropyl) trimethoxysilane, (3-methacryloxypropyl) triethoxysilane, vinylmethyldimethoxysilane, vinyl-tris (2-methoxyethoxy) silane, vinylmethyldiethoxysilane, or a mixture of at least two thereof.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the initiator may be any initiator as long as it is capable of generating a radical. Non-limiting examples of initiators include 2, 5-dimethyl-2, 5-di (t-butylperoxy) hexane (DHBP), benzoyl peroxide, acetyl peroxide, dilauroyl peroxide, di-t-butyl peroxide, dicumyl peroxide, cumene peroxide, hydrogen peroxide, potassium persulfate, and the like.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a crosslinking catalyst is added to promote silane crosslinking.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the crosslinking catalyst may be a carboxylate of a metal such as tin, zinc, iron, lead or cobalt, an organic base, an inorganic acid or an organic acid. Non-limiting examples of crosslinking catalysts include: metal carboxylates such as dibutyltin dilaurate, dibutyltin diacetate, stannous acetate, stannous octoate, zinc naphthenate, zinc octoate, and cobalt naphthenate; organic bases such as ethylamine, dibutylamine, hexylamine and pyridine; inorganic acids such as sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid; and organic acids such as toluenesulfonic acid, acetic acid, stearic acid and maleic acid. Such crosslinking catalysts may be used alone or in combination.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the crosslinking catalyst may be contained in an amount of 0.1 to 20 parts by weight, 0.5 to 10 parts by weight, or 1 to 5 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the alkoxysilane having a carbon-carbon double bond group. When the content of the crosslinking catalyst satisfies the above range, silane crosslinking may be performed to a desired level, and undesired side reactions in the lithium secondary battery may be prevented. In addition, the problems related to the cost such as catalyst waste do not exist.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the content of the alkoxysilane having a carbon-carbon double bond group may be 0.01 to 1 part by weight or 0.05 to 0.7 part by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the total content of the polyolefin and the diluent. When the content of the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group satisfies the above-defined range, it is possible to prevent the problems of a decrease in the degree of crosslinking caused by a low silane content and a reduced graft ratio and deterioration in the appearance of the extruded sheet caused by a high silane content and the residue of unreacted silane.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the silane-grafted polyolefin composition may further include conventional additives for improving specific functions, such as antioxidants, UV stabilizers, antistatic agents, nucleating agents, and the like, as needed.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, reactive extrusion may be performed by using a single-screw extruder or a twin-screw extruder.

Next, the reaction-extruded silane-grafted polyolefin composition is formed into a sheet shape and stretched (S2).

For example, the reaction-extruded silane-grafted polyolefin composition may be extruded by using an extruder equipped with a T-die or the like, and then the cooled extrudate may be formed by a general casting or calendering process using a water-cooling or air-cooling mode.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a separator having improved mechanical strength and puncture strength may be provided through a stretching step as described above.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the stretching may be performed by sequential or simultaneous stretching using a roll or a tenter. The stretching ratio may be 3 times or more or 4 to 10 times in the longitudinal and transverse directions, respectively. When the stretch ratio satisfies the above-defined ratio, problems of insufficient orientation in one direction, unbalance of physical properties between the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction, and reduction of tensile strength and puncture strength can be prevented. When the total stretching ratio satisfies the range defined above, the problem of unstretched or pore-forming failure can be prevented.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the stretching temperature may vary depending on the melting point of the polyolefin and the concentration and type of diluent.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the polyolefin is polyethylene and the diluent is liquid paraffin, the stretching temperature may be 70 to 160 ℃, 90 to 140 ℃, or 100 to 130 ℃ in the Machine Direction (MD) and may be 90 to 180 ℃, 110 to 160 ℃, or 120 to 150 ℃ in the Transverse Direction (TD). When stretching is performed simultaneously in two directions, the stretching temperature may be 90 to 180 ℃, 110 to 160 ℃ or 110 to 150 ℃.

When the stretching temperature satisfies the above range, the problem of breakage or non-stretching due to lack of flexibility caused by low stretching temperature can be prevented. In addition, excessive stretching or difference in physical properties caused by high stretching temperature can be prevented.

Then, the diluent is completely extracted from the stretched sheet to obtain a porous film (S3).

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the diluent may be extracted from the porous film by using an organic solvent, and then the porous film may be dried.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the organic solvent is not particularly limited as long as it can extract the diluent. However, methyl ethyl ketone, dichloromethane, or hexane, which has high extraction efficiency and shows a high drying rate, is suitably used.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the extraction may be any conventional solvent extraction process, such as a dipping process, a solvent spraying process, or an ultrasonic process, and such processes may be used alone or in combination. After the extraction is carried out, the content of the residual diluent should preferably be 1% by weight or less. When the content of the residual diluent is more than 1% by weight, physical properties are deteriorated and the permeability of the porous film is decreased. The content of residual diluent may be affected by the extraction temperature and extraction time. To increase the solubility of the diluent in the organic solvent, higher extraction temperatures are preferred. However, the extraction temperature is preferably 40 ℃ or less in view of safety problems caused by boiling of the organic solvent. When the extraction temperature is equal to or lower than the freezing point of the diluent, the extraction efficiency may be significantly reduced. Thus, the extraction temperature should be above the freezing point of the diluent.

In addition, the extraction time may vary depending on the thickness of the porous membrane. When the thickness of the porous membrane is 5 to 15 μm, the extraction time may be suitably 1 to 4 minutes.

Then, the porous film is thermally fixed (S4).

The heat fixation is a process of fixing and heating the porous film so that the porous film to be shrunk can be forcibly fixed to remove residual stress.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the thermal fixing temperature may be 100 to 140 ℃, 105 to 135 ℃, or 110 to 130 ℃.

When the polyolefin is polyethylene and the thermal fixing temperature satisfies the range defined above, polyolefin molecules may be rearranged to remove residual stress of the porous film, and the problem of pore blocking of the porous film caused by partial melting may be reduced.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the thermal fixing time may be 10 to 120 seconds, 20 to 90 seconds, or 30 to 60 seconds. When the heat-fixing is carried out for the above-defined range of time, polyolefin molecules may be rearranged to remove residual stress of the porous film, and the problem of pore clogging of the porous film caused by partial melting may be reduced.

Next, the heat-fixed porous membrane is crosslinked in the presence of water (S5).

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the crosslinking may be performed at 60 to 100 ℃, 65 to 95 ℃, or 70 to 90 ℃.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the crosslinking may be performed at a humidity of 60% to 95% for 6 to 50 hours.

On the other hand, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the alkoxysilane containing a carbon-carbon double bond group is introduced in a divided amount, the step (S5) may be performed at a temperature of 60 to 90 ℃ for 6 to 18 hours at a relative humidity of 50 to 85%.

In particular, the crosslinking can be carried out at a temperature of 60 to 90 ℃, 60 to 80 ℃ or 60 to 70 ℃. The crosslinking can be carried out at a humidity of 50% to 85% for 6 to 18 hours, 10 to 16 hours, or 12 to 16 hours. Thus, by controlling the temperature, humidity and time in the crosslinking step after the silane grafting is performed, the closed cell temperature can be reduced. In this way, a cross-linked polyolefin separator having high light transmittance can be provided. Here, in order to provide such a cross-linked polyolefin separator having high light transmittance, it is necessary to fully satisfy the ranges of temperature, humidity and time defined above.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a crosslinked polyolefin separator obtained by the above method.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a cross-linked polyolefin separator that exhibits an average value of light transmittance of 30% or more, 40% or more, 58% or more, or 63% or more in a region of 380nm to 700nm after four sides of the separator are fixed and left standing at 130 ℃ for 30 minutes.

As used herein, when horizontal light is caused to pass through the membrane in the thickness direction, "light transmittance" can be calculated by the formula { (the amount of light before passing through the membrane-the amount of light after passing through the membrane)/the amount of light before passing through the membrane } × 100.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when light in a region of 380nm to 700nm passes through the separator, the average value of the light transmittance may be 30% or more, 58% or more, 60% to 80%, 62% to 75%, or 63% to 67%. When the light transmittance satisfies the above-defined range, the safety of the lithium secondary battery can be improved by pore blocking caused by closed pores. In particular, when pores are present in the separator, the separator itself appears opaque due to the difference in refractive index between polyolefin and air. However, when the temperature increases above the closed cell temperature, air cannot pass through the membrane due to the clogging of the cells, and thus the air is blocked. Accordingly, a separator including only polyolefin blocking air can be obtained, and a separator having high light transmittance can be provided.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the light transmittance may be determined by using a turbidimeter according to ASTM-D1003. Specifically, the transmittance can be determined by measuring the transmittance at each wavelength in the visible light range of 380 to 700nm and then averaging.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the separator may have a thickness of 4 to 12 μm or 6 to 12 μm.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a separator may be applied to a lithium secondary battery.

The embodiments will be described more fully hereinafter so that the disclosure may be readily understood. The following examples may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.