阅读说明：本技术 包含无机颗粒的电池隔离件 (Battery separator comprising inorganic particles ) 是由 蒋志平 于 2016-04-07 设计创作，主要内容包括：一般性地提供了电池隔离件。在一些实施方案中,电池隔离件可包括非织造网,所述非织造网包含多个无机颗粒(例如,二氧化硅)。在一些实施方案中,非织造网可包含多根相对粗的玻璃纤维(例如,平均直径大于约1.5微米),例如,以使非织造网具有特定的最大孔径和中值孔径。具有本文所述特征的无机颗粒与非织造网的组合可以表现出提高的电解质分层距离和/或减少的电解质填充时间。在一些实施方案中,可以实现这样的改善,同时对电池隔离件和/或整个电池的另外的特性具有相对最小的或者没有不利影响。(A battery separator is generally provided. In some embodiments, the battery separator may include a nonwoven web comprising a plurality of inorganic particles (e.g., silica). In some embodiments, the nonwoven web may comprise a plurality of relatively coarse glass fibers (e.g., having an average diameter greater than about 1.5 microns), for example, to provide the nonwoven web with a particular maximum and median pore size. The combination of inorganic particles having the features described herein and a nonwoven web may exhibit increased electrolyte delamination distance and/or decreased electrolyte fill time. In some embodiments, such improvements can be achieved while having relatively minimal or no adverse effects on additional characteristics of the battery separator and/or the overall battery.)

1. A battery separator comprising:

a nonwoven web comprising:

a plurality of glass fibers having an average diameter of greater than or equal to about 1.5 micrometers, wherein the glass fibers are present in an amount of greater than or equal to about 50 weight percent of the nonwoven web; and

a plurality of inorganic particles, wherein the inorganic particles,

wherein the nonwoven web has a maximum pore size of at least about 8 microns and less than or equal to about 25 microns, and

wherein the nonwoven web has a median pore diameter of at least about 2.5 microns and less than or equal to about 6 microns.

2. A battery separator comprising:

a nonwoven web comprising:

a plurality of glass fibers having an average diameter of greater than or equal to about 1.5 micrometers, wherein the glass fibers are present in an amount of greater than or equal to about 50 weight percent of the nonwoven web;

a plurality of inorganic particles;

wherein the nonwoven web has an acid stratification distance of less than or equal to about 5 cm; and

wherein the nonwoven web has an acid fill time of less than or equal to about 200 seconds.

3. A lead acid battery comprising the battery separator of any preceding claim.

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to nonwoven webs, and in particular, to nonwoven webs that may be used as battery separators for batteries, such as lead acid batteries.

Background

Batteries convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy and are commonly used as an energy source. Typically, a battery includes one or more electrochemical cells including a negative electrode, a positive electrode, an electrolyte, and a battery separator. Battery separators are a critical component in many batteries. The battery separator mechanically and electrically isolates the negative and positive electrodes while also allowing ions in the electrolyte to move between the electrodes.

The battery separator should be chemically, mechanically, and electrochemically stable in a highly reactive environment during battery operation, should not adversely interact with electrolyte and/or electrode materials, and should not adversely affect battery performance (e.g., energy generation, cycle life, safety). For example, the battery separator should not degrade, should not leach out harmful components, should not react with the electrode material in a negative manner, should not allow for the formation of short circuits between the electrodes, and/or should not crack or break during battery assembly and/or operation. Battery separators also play a role in determining the speed of assembly of the battery as well as performance during use. For example, during assembly, acid electrolyte may be filled into the cell container, and the structure of the separator may affect the filling speed and distribution (e.g., delamination) of the electrolyte in the cell. While many battery separators exist, it would be beneficial to improve the retention of electrolyte and/or improve the formation of the battery.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to nonwoven webs, and in particular, to nonwoven webs that may be used as battery separators for batteries, such as lead acid batteries.

In one set of embodiments, a series of battery separators is provided. In one embodiment, a battery separator comprises a nonwoven web comprising: a plurality of glass fibers having an average diameter of greater than or equal to about 1.5 micrometers, wherein the glass fibers are present in an amount of greater than or equal to about 50 weight percent of the nonwoven web; and a plurality of inorganic particles, wherein the nonwoven web has a maximum pore size of at least about 8 microns and less than or equal to about 25 microns, and wherein the nonwoven web has a median pore size of at least about 2.5 microns and less than or equal to about 6 microns.

In another embodiment, a battery separator comprises a nonwoven web comprising: a plurality of glass fibers having an average diameter of greater than or equal to about 1.5 micrometers, wherein the glass fibers are present in an amount of greater than or equal to about 50 weight percent of the nonwoven web; a plurality of inorganic particles; wherein the nonwoven web has an acid stratification distance (acid stratification distance) of less than or equal to about 5 cm; and wherein the nonwoven web has an acid filling time (acid filling time) of less than or equal to about 200 seconds.

Other advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of various non-limiting embodiments of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings. In the event that the present specification and a document incorporated by reference include conflicting and/or inconsistent disclosure, the present specification shall control. If two or more documents incorporated by reference include disclosures that are inconsistent and/or inconsistent with respect to each other, the document that comes to the effective date shall control.

Drawings

Non-limiting embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are schematic and are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated is typically represented by a single numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component is labeled, nor is every component of each embodiment of the invention shown where illustration is not necessary to allow those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention. In the drawings:

fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of a battery separator including a nonwoven web according to one set of embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section of a nonwoven web comprising a plurality of fibers and a plurality of inorganic particles, according to one set of embodiments;

FIG. 3A is a photograph of a test apparatus for determining acid fill time of a nonwoven web according to one set of embodiments;

FIG. 3B is a photograph of a test apparatus for determining acid stratification distance of a nonwoven web according to one set of embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a battery arrangement according to one set of embodiments;

fig. 5 is a plot of maximum pore size, median pore size, and minimum pore size for an exemplary battery separator according to one set of embodiments;

fig. 6 is a graph of acid stratification distance and acid fill time for the exemplary battery separator of fig. 5, according to one set of embodiments; and

fig. 7 is a plot of the maximum pore size, median pore size, and minimum pore size of an exemplary battery separator, some of which contain inorganic particles, according to one set of embodiments;

fig. 8 is a graph of acid stratification distance and acid fill time for the exemplary battery separator of fig. 7, according to one set of embodiments.

Detailed Description

A battery separator is provided. In some embodiments, the battery separators described herein can comprise a nonwoven web comprising a plurality of inorganic particles (e.g., silica). In some embodiments, the nonwoven web may comprise a plurality of relatively coarse glass fibers (e.g., having an average diameter greater than about 1.5 microns), for example, to provide the nonwoven web with a particular maximum pore size and/or median pore size. The combination of inorganic particles having the characteristics described herein and a nonwoven web may exhibit reduced electrolyte delamination and/or reduced electrolyte fill time. In some embodiments, such improvements can be achieved while having relatively minimal or no adverse effects on the battery separator and/or other characteristics of the overall battery. The battery separators described herein may be well suited for use with a variety of battery types, including lead acid batteries.

In a typical cell, the function of the cell separator is primarily to electrically and mechanically isolate the negative and positive electrodes while allowing ionic conduction. However, the presence of a battery separator between the electrodes can affect battery performance (e.g., resistance). For example, the battery separator typically provides increased resistance to ion movement between the electrodes, and thus increased resistance of the battery, as compared to the electrolyte alone. Furthermore, for a given volume between the electrodes, the battery separator may allow the amount of electrolyte between the electrodes to be reduced due to the volume occupied by the battery separator as compared to the electrolyte alone. This reduction in electrolyte can limit the battery capacity. Generally, the chemical properties (e.g., composition, stability, wettability), structural properties (e.g., porosity, pore size, thickness, permeability), and/or mechanical properties (e.g., strength, stiffness) of the battery separator may affect the battery performance (e.g., resistance, capacity).

Manufacturing processes for forming batteries (e.g., lead acid batteries) typically include an acid electrolyte filling step. The pore structure of the separator can affect the rate of acid filling and/or the performance of the resulting cell. It is generally desirable to have a separator (e.g., a separator with a relatively large pore size) that can allow rapid diffusion of the acid electrolyte into the separator and allow the electrolyte to contact the electrodes. It is also desirable to have a fast battery assembly speed and to prevent defects in the battery, for example from hydrogen shortages (hydrogen shortages) caused by uneven distribution of acid in the battery and/or separator. However, when the lead acid battery is cycled, sulfuric acid (H)₂SO₄) Molecules tend to accumulate at the bottom of the separator, resulting in electrolyte (e.g., in the entire separator)Acid electrolyte) concentration, also referred to as acid stratification. Acid stratification often leads to corrosion and/or battery performance degradation and reduces battery life. Accordingly, there is a need for improved battery separators that address the balance between acid stratification and acid fill time.

As described above, in some embodiments, battery separators including nonwoven webs described herein can have relatively fast electrolyte (e.g., acid) fill times and relatively small electrolyte (e.g., acid) delamination distances (a measure of the distance an acid electrolyte displaces a low density acid in the separator within 60 minutes, as described in more detail below). The relatively fast fill time and/or the relatively small delamination distance may be at least partially affected by the surface area of the inorganic particles (e.g., capable of increasing the absorption of the acid) and/or the pore size (e.g., maximum pore size, median pore size) of the separator. Generally, a relatively small acid stratification distance is associated with smaller pores, while a relatively fast acid fill time is associated with larger pores, all other factors being equal. Such a combination of desirable characteristics is often difficult to achieve in a single spacer. As described herein, in some embodiments, the incorporation of inorganic particles enables increased acid absorption, resulting in relatively low acid stratification distances, while the pore size (e.g., maximum pore size, median pore size) of the battery separator can be adjusted to enable relatively fast acid fill times.

One non-limiting example of a battery separator comprising a nonwoven web is schematically shown in fig. 1. In some embodiments, the battery separator 5 may include a nonwoven web 6. In some embodiments, the nonwoven web 6 comprises a plurality of glass fibers. The nonwoven web may also comprise a plurality of inorganic particles, such as silica particles. In some embodiments, the battery separator may be a single layer (e.g., the separator does not include layer 7 in fig. 1). For example, the battery separator may be formed of a single nonwoven web.

In other embodiments, the battery separator may include a plurality of layers. For example, the battery separator may also include an optional layer 7 (e.g., an additional layer) that may be adjacent to (e.g., contacting one side of) the nonwoven web, in addition to the nonwoven web 6. The multilayer battery separator may include at least one nonwoven web (e.g., at least two nonwoven webs, at least three nonwoven webs), wherein at least one nonwoven web comprises a plurality of inorganic particles, as described herein.

In some embodiments, one or more optional layers (e.g., additional layers) may be a nonwoven web. Non-limiting examples of optional/additional layers include a fibrous web, such as a nonwoven web comprising a plurality of glass fibers, which in some embodiments may further comprise a plurality of inorganic particles, and in other embodiments may be substantially free of inorganic particles. Other types of layers are also possible.

As used herein, when a layer is referred to as being "adjacent" another layer, it can be directly adjacent to the layer, or intervening layers may also be present. A layer "directly adjacent" to another layer means that there are no intervening layers present.

It should be understood that the configuration of the layers shown in the figures is by way of example only, and in other embodiments, battery separators comprising other configurations of layers may be possible. Furthermore, in some embodiments, additional layers may be present in addition to those shown in the figures. It should also be understood that in some embodiments, not all of the components shown in the figures need be present.

A non-limiting example of a nonwoven web comprising inorganic particles is shown in fig. 2. Examples of inorganic particles are provided below. As schematically illustrated in fig. 2, the nonwoven web 10, shown in cross-section, may contain a plurality of fibers 15 (e.g., glass fibers, and synthetic fibers). In some cases, the nonwoven web 10 may also include a plurality of inorganic particles 18 (e.g., sulfuric acid resistant inorganic particles).

As described herein, in some embodiments, the nonwoven web may comprise inorganic particulates. In some embodiments, the inorganic particles in the nonwoven web can result in an increase in the surface area of the nonwoven web without significantly altering the bulk porosity of the nonwoven web. The resulting nonwoven web may have improved wettability for electrolytes and may absorb more electrolyte than a similar nonwoven web without inorganic particles (all other factors being equal). Thus, a nonwoven web comprising inorganic particles can have a reduced acid stratification distance as compared to a similar nonwoven web without inorganic particles (all other factors being equal). In some embodiments, inorganic particles can be used to reduce the pore size and/or pore size variation of the nonwoven web.

Non-limiting examples of inorganic particles include silica (e.g., fumed silica, precipitated silica, colloidal silica), clay, talc, diatoms (e.g., diatomaceous earth), zeolites, and combinations thereof. In certain embodiments, the inorganic particles (e.g., silica) are milled, fused, and/or agglomerated. In some embodiments, the inorganic particles are substantially non-porous. However, in some cases, the inorganic particles may be porous. As described in more detail below, for certain battery types, suitable inorganic particles may be resistant to sulfuric acid and/or may have a suitable surface area. Additionally, the inorganic particles may be chemically inert and thermally stable.

In some embodiments, the weight percentage of the inorganic particles in the nonwoven web and/or the battery separator may be greater than or equal to about 3 weight percent, greater than or equal to about 5 weight percent, greater than or equal to about 7 weight percent, greater than or equal to about 10 weight percent, greater than or equal to about 15 weight percent, greater than or equal to about 20 weight percent, or greater than or equal to about 25 weight percent. In some cases, the weight percentage of the inorganic particles in the nonwoven web and/or the battery separator may be less than or equal to about 30 weight percent, less than or equal to about 25 weight percent, less than or equal to about 20 weight percent, less than or equal to about 15 weight percent, less than or equal to about 10 weight percent, less than or equal to about 7 weight percent, or less than or equal to about 5 weight percent. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 3 wt% and less than about 30 wt%, greater than or equal to about 5 wt% and less than about 15 wt%). Other ranges are also possible. The weight percent of inorganic particles in the entire nonwoven web and/or battery separator is on a dry solids basis and may be determined prior to forming the nonwoven web.

In some embodiments, the inorganic particles (e.g., silica) can have a relatively high surface area. In certain embodiments, inorganic particles having a high surface area may resist delamination or stratification of acids that may occur during battery charging.

In some embodiments, the inorganic particles included in the nonwoven webs and/or separators described herein can be selected to have a particular range of average surface area. The average surface area of the inorganic particles can be, for example, greater than or equal to about 100m²A/g of greater than or equal to about 200m²A/g of greater than or equal to about 300m²A/g of greater than or equal to about 400m²A/g of greater than or equal to about 500m²A/g of greater than or equal to about 600m²A/g of greater than or equal to about 700m²A/g, greater than or equal to about 750m²A/g, or greater than or equal to about 800m²(ii) in terms of/g. In some embodiments, the average surface area of the inorganic particles may be less than or equal to about 850m²A/g, less than or equal to about 750m²A/g of less than or equal to about 700m²A/g of less than or equal to about 600m²A/g of less than or equal to about 500m²A/g of less than or equal to about 400m²A/g of less than or equal to about 300m²A,/g, or less than or equal to about 200m²(ii) in terms of/g. Combinations of the above-described ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 100 m)²A ratio of/g to less than or equal to about 850m²A/g of greater than or equal to about 300m²A number of grams of less than or equal to about 750m²A/g of greater than or equal to about 200m²A number of grams of less than or equal to about 600m²A/g of greater than or equal to about 400m²A number of grams of less than or equal to about 700m²In terms of/g). Other ranges are also possible. As determined herein, surface area is measured according to BCIS-03A, revised 9 months 2009, method 8 (e.g., using a 0.5 gram sample).

In some embodiments, the inorganic particles included in the nonwoven webs and/or separators described herein can have an average particle size (e.g., average diameter or average largest cross-sectional dimension) of, for example, greater than about 0.01 microns, greater than or equal to about 0.05 microns, greater than or equal to about 0.1 microns, greater than or equal to about 0.5 microns, greater than or equal to about 1 microns, greater than or equal to about 2 microns, greater than or equal to about 4 microns, greater than or equal to about 6 microns, greater than or equal to about 8 microns, greater than or equal to about 10 microns, greater than or equal to about 12 microns, greater than or equal to about 14 microns, greater than or equal to about 16 microns, or greater than or equal to about 18 microns. The particles can have an average particle size of, for example, less than or equal to about 20 microns, less than or equal to about 18 microns, less than or equal to about 16 microns, less than or equal to about 14 microns, less than or equal to about 12 microns, less than or equal to about 10 microns, less than or equal to about 8 microns, less than or equal to about 6 microns, less than or equal to about 4 microns, less than or equal to about 2 microns, less than or equal to about 1 micron, less than or equal to about 0.5 microns, less than or equal to about 0.1 microns, or less than or equal to about 0.05 microns. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 0.05 microns and less than or equal to about 20 microns, greater than or equal to about 1 micron and less than or equal to about 18 microns). Other ranges are also possible. One skilled in the art will be able to select suitable methods for determining the average particle size, including, for example, laser diffraction. For example, in the laser diffraction method, particles are passed through by a laser beam (e.g., a He — Ne laser beam) and the scattering of the laser is measured, where the particle diameter is proportional to the intensity of light scattering and inversely proportional to the angle of the laser beam.

In some embodiments, the inorganic particles contained in the nonwoven web and/or the battery separator may be resistant to sulfuric acid. As used herein, sulfuric acid resistant particles refer to inorganic particles that: using BCIS-03A, month 3 2010, method 13, the acid weight loss of the granules after 3 hours of refluxing in 1.260SG sulfuric acid was less than 20% (e.g., less than 15%, less than 10%, less than 5%) of the total weight of the granules. The weight of the inorganic particles was measured before and after such sulfuric acid exposure to determine the percent weight loss (e.g.,% acid weight loss [% weight of particles before exposure-weight of particles after exposure ]/weight of particles before exposure 100). In some embodiments, less than 20%, less than 15%, less than 10%, or less than 5% of the total weight loss of the inorganic particles is used in the nonwoven webs and/or battery separators described herein.

In general, the inorganic particles may be added to the nonwoven web and/or the battery separator using any suitable process. In some embodiments, inorganic particles are added to the fiber slurry along with the fibers during formation of the nonwoven web (e.g., to form a wet mass that can be subsequently dried).

In some embodiments, the nonwoven web may comprise glass fibers (e.g., microglass fibers, chopped strand glass fibers, or a combination thereof). Microglass fibers and chopped strand glass fibers are known to those of ordinary skill in the art. One of ordinary skill in the art can determine by observation (e.g., optical microscope, electron microscope) whether the glass fibers are microglass or chopped strand. Microglass fibers may also be chemically different from chopped strand glass fibers. In some cases, although not required, the chopped strand glass fibers may include higher levels of calcium or sodium than the microglass fibers. For example, the chopped strand glass fibers may be nearly alkali-free and have high calcium oxide and aluminum oxide content. Microglass fibers may contain 10% to 15% alkali (e.g., sodium, magnesium oxide) and have relatively low melting and processing temperatures. The term refers to the technique used to make glass fibers. These techniques impart certain characteristics to the glass fibers. Typically, chopped strand glass fibers are drawn from the tip of a tube and cut into fibers in a process similar to textile production. Chopped strand glass fibers are produced in a more controlled manner than microglass fibers and, therefore, will generally have less variation in fiber diameter and length than microglass fibers. The microglass fibers are pulled from the cannula tip and further subjected to a flame blowing or rotational spinning process. In some cases, fine microglass fibers may be manufactured using a remelting process. In this aspect, the microglass fibers may be fine or coarse. As used herein, fine microglass fibers have a diameter of less than or equal to 1 micron, while coarse microglass fibers have a diameter of greater than or equal to 1 micron.

The microglass fibers may have a small diameter. For example, in some embodiments, the microglass fibers may have an average diameter of less than or equal to about 10 microns, less than or equal to about 9 microns, less than or equal to about 7 microns, less than or equal to about 5 microns, less than or equal to about 3 microns, or less than or equal to about 1 micron. In some cases, the microglass fibers may have an average fiber diameter of greater than or equal to about 0.1 microns, greater than or equal to about 0.3 microns, greater than or equal to about 1 micron, greater than or equal to about 3 microns, or greater than or equal to about 7 microns. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 0.1 microns and less than or equal to about 10 microns, greater than or equal to about 0.1 microns and less than or equal to about 5 microns, greater than or equal to about 0.3 microns and less than or equal to about 3 microns). Other values of average fiber diameter are also possible. The mean diameter distribution of the microglass fibers is generally lognormal (log-normal). However, it is to be understood that the microglass fibers may be provided in any other suitable average diameter distribution (e.g., gaussian distribution).

In some embodiments, the average length of the microglass fibers may be less than or equal to about 10mm, less than or equal to about 8mm, less than or equal to about 6mm, less than or equal to about 5mm, less than or equal to about 4mm, less than or equal to about 3mm, or less than or equal to about 2 mm. In certain embodiments, the average length of the microglass fibers may be greater than or equal to about 1mm, greater than or equal to about 2mm, greater than or equal to about 4mm, greater than or equal to about 5mm, greater than or equal to about 6mm, or greater than or equal to about 8 mm. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., the average length of the microglass fibers is greater than or equal to about 4mm and less than about 6 mm). Other ranges are also possible.

Generally, the average fiber diameter of the chopped strand glass fibers may be greater than the diameter of the microglass fibers. For example, in some embodiments, the average diameter of the chopped strand glass fibers may be greater than or equal to about 5 microns, greater than or equal to about 7 microns, greater than or equal to about 9 microns, greater than or equal to about 11 microns, or greater than or equal to about 20 microns. In some cases, the chopped strand glass fibers may have an average fiber diameter of less than or equal to about 30 microns, less than or equal to about 25 microns, less than or equal to about 15 microns, less than or equal to about 12 microns, or less than or equal to about 10 microns. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 5 microns and less than or equal to about 12 microns). Other values of average fiber diameter are also possible. The chopped strand diameters tend to follow a normal distribution. However, it will be appreciated that the chopped strand glass fibers may be provided in any suitable average diameter distribution (e.g., a gaussian distribution).

In some embodiments, the chopped strand glass fibers may have a length of from about 3mm to about 25mm (e.g., about 6mm, or about 12 mm). In some embodiments, the average length of the chopped strand glass fibers may be less than or equal to about 25mm, less than or equal to about 20mm, less than or equal to about 15mm, less than or equal to about 12mm, less than or equal to about 10mm, less than or equal to about 7mm, or less than or equal to about 5 mm. In certain embodiments, the average length of the chopped strand glass fibers may be greater than or equal to about 3mm, greater than or equal to about 5mm, greater than or equal to about 10mm, greater than or equal to about 12mm, greater than or equal to about 15mm, or greater than or equal to about 20 mm. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., the average length of the chopped strand glass fibers is greater than or equal to about 3mm and less than about 25 mm). Other ranges are also possible.

It is to be understood that the above dimensions are non-limiting and that the microglass fibers and/or chopped strand fibers, as well as the other fibers described herein, may also have other dimensions.

In some embodiments, the glass fibers in the nonwoven web (e.g., whether the glass fibers are microglass, chopped strand, or another type) can have an average diameter of greater than or equal to about 1.5 microns, greater than or equal to about 2 microns, greater than or equal to about 2.5 microns, greater than or equal to about 3 microns, greater than or equal to about 4.5 microns, greater than or equal to about 5 microns, greater than or equal to about 6 microns, greater than or equal to about 7 microns, or greater than or equal to about 9 microns. In some cases, the average diameter of the glass fibers in the nonwoven web can have an average fiber diameter of less than or equal to about 10 microns, less than or equal to about 9 microns, less than or equal to about 7 microns, less than or equal to about 6 microns, less than or equal to about 5 microns, less than or equal to about 4.5 microns, less than or equal to about 3 microns, less than or equal to about 2.5 microns, or less than or equal to about 2 microns. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 1.5 microns and less than or equal to about 10 microns, greater than or equal to about 2 microns and less than or equal to about 9 microns, greater than or equal to about 2 microns and less than or equal to about 5 microns, greater than or equal to about 2.5 microns and less than or equal to about 4.5 microns).

In some embodiments, the average length of the glass fibers (e.g., whether the glass fibers are microglass, chopped strand, or another type) in the nonwoven web may be less than or equal to about 25mm, less than or equal to about 20mm, less than or equal to about 15mm, less than or equal to about 12mm, less than or equal to about 10mm, less than or equal to about 8mm, less than or equal to about 5mm, less than or equal to about 3mm, or less than or equal to about 1 mm. In certain embodiments, the average length of the glass fibers in the nonwoven web may be greater than or equal to about 0.05mm, greater than or equal to about 0.1mm, greater than or equal to about 0.3mm, greater than or equal to about 0.5mm, greater than or equal to about 1mm, greater than or equal to about 5mm, greater than or equal to about 10mm, greater than or equal to about 15mm, or greater than or equal to about 20 mm. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 1mm and less than about 25mm, greater than or equal to about 0.3mm and less than about 20mm, greater than or equal to about 0.1mm and less than about 12mm, greater than or equal to about 0.2mm and less than about 6mm, greater than or equal to about 0.5mm and less than about 3 mm). Other ranges are also possible.

The nonwoven web may contain a suitable percentage of glass fibers (e.g., whether the glass fibers are microglass, chopped strand, or another type). In some embodiments, the weight percentage of glass fibers in the nonwoven web may be greater than or equal to about 50 weight percent, greater than or equal to about 60 weight percent, greater than or equal to about 70 weight percent, greater than or equal to about 80 weight percent, greater than or equal to about 90 weight percent, or greater than or equal to about 95 weight percent. In some embodiments, the weight percentage of glass fibers in the nonwoven web may be less than or equal to about 97 weight percent, less than or equal to about 95 weight percent, less than or equal to about 90 weight percent, less than or equal to about 80 weight percent, less than or equal to about 70 weight percent, or less than or equal to about 60 weight percent. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than about 50 wt% and less than or equal to about 97 wt%, greater than about 60 wt% and less than or equal to about 97 wt%, greater than about 70 wt% and less than or equal to about 97 wt%). Other ranges are also possible. In some embodiments, the nonwoven web comprises glass fibers in the ranges described above relative to the total weight of the fibers in the nonwoven web and/or the battery separator.

In some embodiments, the nonwoven web comprises from about 0% to about 30% by weight chopped strand glass fibers and the remainder comprising microglass fibers. For example, in some embodiments, the nonwoven web comprises greater than or equal to about 0 wt%, greater than or equal to about 5 wt%, greater than or equal to about 10 wt%, greater than or equal to about 15 wt%, greater than or equal to about 20 wt%, or greater than or equal to about 25 wt% chopped strand glass fibers, and the remainder comprising microglass fibers. In certain embodiments, the nonwoven web comprises less than or equal to about 30 wt%, less than or equal to about 25 wt%, less than or equal to about 20 wt%, less than or equal to about 15 wt%, less than or equal to about 10 wt%, or less than or equal to about 5 wt% chopped strand glass fibers, and the remainder comprising microglass fibers. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than about 0 wt.% and less than or equal to about 30 wt.% chopped strand glass fibers, greater than about 5 wt.% and less than or equal to about 10 wt.% chopped strand glass fibers). Other ranges are also possible. In some embodiments, the nonwoven web comprises chopped strand glass fibers in the ranges described above relative to the total weight of the fibers in the nonwoven web and/or the battery separator.

In some embodiments, the nonwoven webs described herein comprise one or more synthetic fibers. The synthetic fibers may comprise any suitable type of synthetic polymer. Examples of suitable synthetic fibers include polyesters (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate), polyaramides, polyimides, polyolefins (e.g., polyethylene), polypropylene, Kevlar (Kevlar), nomex (nomex), halogenated polymers, acrylics, polyphenylene oxide, polyphenylene sulfide, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the synthetic fibers are organic polymer fibers. Synthetic fibers can also include multicomponent fibers (i.e., fibers having multiple compositions, such as bicomponent fibers). The nonwoven web may also comprise a combination of more than one type of constituent synthetic fibers. It is to be understood that other compositions of synthetic fiber types may be used.

In some embodiments, the synthetic fibers may be binder fibers, as described in more detail below.

Nonwoven webs comprising combinations of different types of synthetic fibers are also possible.

The nonwoven web may comprise a suitable percentage of synthetic fibers. In some embodiments, the weight percentage of synthetic fibers in the nonwoven web may be 0%, greater than or equal to about 1%, greater than or equal to about 4%, greater than or equal to about 5%, greater than or equal to about 10%, or greater than or equal to about 15% by weight. In some embodiments, the weight percentage of synthetic fibers in the nonwoven web may be less than or equal to about 20 weight percent, less than or equal to about 10 weight percent, less than or equal to about 5 weight percent, or less than or equal to about 4 weight percent. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than about 0 wt.% and less than or equal to about 20 wt.%, greater than about 1 wt.% and less than or equal to about 20 wt.%, greater than about 4 wt.% and less than or equal to about 15 wt.%). Other ranges are also possible. In some embodiments, the nonwoven web comprises synthetic fibers in the ranges described above relative to the total weight of the fibers in the nonwoven web and/or the battery separator.

In general, the synthetic fibers may have any suitable dimensions. For example, in some embodiments, the synthetic fibers can have an average diameter of greater than or equal to about 0.5 microns, greater than or equal to about 1 micron, greater than or equal to about 2 microns, greater than or equal to about 4 microns, greater than or equal to about 6 microns, greater than or equal to about 8 microns, greater than or equal to about 10 microns, greater than or equal to about 12 microns, greater than or equal to about 15 microns, greater than or equal to about 20 microns, greater than or equal to about 30 microns, or greater than or equal to about 40 microns. In some cases, the synthetic fibers can have an average diameter of less than or equal to about 50 microns, less than or equal to about 40 microns, less than or equal to about 30 microns, less than or equal to about 20 microns, less than or equal to about 15 microns, less than or equal to about 12 microns, less than or equal to about 10 microns, less than or equal to about 8 microns, less than or equal to about 6 microns, less than or equal to about 4 microns, or less than or equal to about 2 microns. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 0.5 microns and less than about 50 microns, greater than or equal to about 2 microns and less than about 20 microns). Other ranges are also possible.

In some embodiments, the synthetic fibers may have an average length of greater than or equal to about 0.25mm, greater than or equal to about 0.5mm, greater than or equal to about 1mm, greater than or equal to about 3mm, greater than or equal to about 5mm, greater than or equal to about 10mm, greater than or equal to about 25mm, or greater than or equal to about 50 mm. In some cases, the synthetic fibers may have an average length of less than or equal to about 50mm, less than or equal to about 25mm, less than or equal to about 20mm, less than or equal to about 15mm, less than or equal to about 12mm, less than or equal to about 10mm, less than or equal to about 9mm, less than or equal to about 6mm, less than or equal to about 4mm, less than or equal to about 2mm, or less than or equal to about 1 mm. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 1mm and less than or equal to about 12mm, greater than or equal to about 3mm and less than or equal to about 15 mm). Other values of average fiber length are also possible.

As described herein, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the synthetic fibers may be binder fibers. The binder fibers may be monocomponent (i.e., having a single composition) or multicomponent (i.e., having multiple compositions, such as bicomponent fibers). The nonwoven web may comprise suitable percentages of monocomponent fibers and/or multicomponent fibers. In some embodiments, all of the synthetic fibers are monocomponent fibers. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the synthetic fibers are multicomponent fibers. In some embodiments, the nonwoven web may comprise residues from the binder fibers.

One example of a multicomponent fiber is a bicomponent fiber comprising a first material and a second material different from the first material. The different components of a multicomponent fiber can exhibit a variety of spatial arrangements. For example, the multicomponent fibers may be arranged in a core-sheath configuration (e.g., the first material may be a sheath material surrounding the second material (the core material)), a side-by-side configuration (e.g., the first material may be arranged adjacent to the second material), a segmented-pie arrangement (e.g., the different materials may be arranged adjacent to each other in a wedge-shaped configuration), a trilobal arrangement (e.g., the ends of the lobes may have different materials than the lobes), and an arrangement of local regions of one component in the different component (e.g., "islands-in-the-sea").

In some embodiments, for a core-sheath configuration, a multicomponent fiber (e.g., a bicomponent fiber) may include a sheath of a first material surrounding a core comprising a second material. In such an arrangement, for some embodiments, the melting point of the first material may be lower than the melting point of the second material. Thus, in a suitable step (e.g., drying) during the manufacture of the nonwoven web, the first material comprising the sheath may melt (e.g., may exhibit a phase change) while the second material comprising the core remains unchanged (e.g., may not exhibit a phase change). For example, the melting temperature of the outer sheath portion of the multicomponent fiber can be from about 50 ℃ to about 200 ℃ (e.g., 180 ℃), while the melting temperature of the inner core of the multicomponent fiber can be greater than 200 ℃. Thus, when the fiber is subjected to a temperature of, for example, 180 ℃ during drying, the outer sheath of the fiber may melt without melting the core of the fiber.

Examples of suitable multicomponent fibers include polyolefin (e.g., polyethylene)/PET, copeT (e.g., melt amorphous, melt crystalline)/PET, PBT/PET, and polyethylene/polypropylene. In this list of multi-component fibers, the convention is to separate the material having the lower melting temperature (e.g., the first material) from the material having the higher melting temperature (e.g., the second material) with a "/". Other suitable compositions are known to those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, the binder fibers may include a vinyl compound (e.g., polyvinyl alcohol).

In some embodiments, the weight percentage of multicomponent fibers (e.g., bicomponent fibers) in the nonwoven web may be 0%, greater than or equal to about 1%, greater than or equal to about 4%, greater than or equal to about 5%, greater than or equal to about 10%, or greater than or equal to about 15% by weight. In some embodiments, the weight percentage of multicomponent fibers (e.g., bicomponent fibers) in the nonwoven web may be less than or equal to about 20 weight percent, less than or equal to about 10 weight percent, less than or equal to about 5 weight percent, or less than or equal to about 4 weight percent. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than about 0 wt.% and less than or equal to about 20 wt.%, greater than about 4 wt.% and less than or equal to about 15 wt.%). Other ranges are also possible. In some embodiments, the nonwoven web comprises multicomponent fibers (e.g., bicomponent fibers) in the ranges described above, relative to the total weight of the fibers in the nonwoven web and/or the battery separator.

In some embodiments, the nonwoven web may comprise one or more additional types of fibers. The one or more additional fibers may comprise natural fibers (e.g., cellulose), carbon fibers, nanofibers, and/or fibrillated fibers. In some embodiments, the weight percentage of the one or more additional fibers in the nonwoven web may be 0 wt%, greater than or equal to about 0.5 wt%, greater than or equal to about 1 wt%, greater than or equal to about 2 wt%, greater than or equal to about 5 wt%, or greater than or equal to about 7 wt%. In certain embodiments, the weight percentage of the one or more additional fibers in the nonwoven web may be less than or equal to about 10 weight percent, less than or equal to about 7 weight percent, less than or equal to about 5 weight percent, less than or equal to about 2 weight percent, less than or equal to about 1 weight percent, or less than or equal to about 0.5 weight percent. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 0.5 wt% and less than or equal to about 10 wt%, greater than or equal to about 1 wt% and less than or equal to about 5 wt%).

In certain embodiments, wherein the nonwoven web/separator comprises inorganic particles (e.g., silica particles), the nonwoven web/separator may comprise a retention aid. Retention aids may help retain the inorganic particles in the nonwoven web. Various types of retention aids may be used. The retention aid may be cationic, anionic or nonionic. Non-limiting examples of retention aids include colloidal silica, aluminum chloride, sodium aluminate, polyaluminum sulfate, polyaluminum chloride, cationically or anionically modified polyacrylamide, guar (e.g., amine-treated cationic guar), starch (e.g., anionically oxidized starch), and nonionic polymeric materials such as polyacrylamide and polyethylene oxide. Other retention aids are also possible.

The amount of retention aid present in the nonwoven web/separator can be, for example, at least about 0.02 wt%, at least about 0.04 wt%, at least about 0.05 wt%, at least about 0.1 wt%, at least about 0.15 wt%, at least about 0.2 wt%, at least about 0.3 wt%, at least about 0.4 wt%, or at least about 0.5 wt% of the total weight of the nonwoven web/separator. In certain embodiments, the retention aid may be present in the nonwoven web/separator in an amount less than or equal to about 1 wt%, less than or equal to about 0.5 wt%, less than or equal to about 0.4 wt%, less than or equal to about 0.3 wt%, less than or equal to about 0.2 wt%, less than or equal to about 0.15 wt%, less than or equal to about 0.1 wt%, less than or equal to about 0.05 wt%, or less than or equal to about 0.05 wt% of the total weight of the nonwoven web/separator. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., about 0.02 wt% to about 0.5 wt%). Other ranges are also possible. The weight percentage of retention aid in the nonwoven web and/or the battery separator is on a dry solids basis.

The retention aid may be added to the web in any suitable manner. In some embodiments, a retention aid is added to the fiber slurry during formation of the nonwoven web. In some embodiments, one or more retention aids within the above ranges may be added to the fiber slurry during formation of the nonwoven web, and the weight percentages may be based on solids present in the slurry.

As described herein, in some embodiments, the nonwoven webs described herein (e.g., nonwoven webs comprising a plurality of glass fibers and a plurality of inorganic particles) have a desired acid fill time (e.g., the time for an acid electrolyte to fill a battery separator). In some embodiments, the acid fill time is less than or equal to about 200 seconds, less than or equal to about 150 seconds, less than or equal to about 100 seconds, less than or equal to about 75 seconds, or less than or equal to about 50 seconds. In some implementationsIn the scheme. The acid fill time is greater than or equal to about 30 seconds, greater than or equal to about 50 seconds, greater than or equal to about 75 seconds, greater than or equal to about 100 seconds, or greater than or equal to about 150 seconds. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 30 seconds and less than or equal to about 200 seconds, greater than or equal to about 50 seconds and less than or equal to about 150 seconds). Other ranges are also possible. As determined herein, acid fill time was measured by placing a 6.0 inch (measured in the Machine Direction (MD)) x 1.9 inch sample nonwoven web/separator cut in the machine direction upright between two plates (e.g., polycarbonate plates) and surrounded with a gasket (e.g., so that the acid does not extend beyond the sides of the nonwoven web). An exemplary test setup is shown in fig. 3A. The inlet to the space between the plates (i.e. within the area defined by the spacer and in which the sample is present) is near the top of the sample and the outlet is near the bottom of the sample. The plates were spaced at a distance such that the average density of the spacer samples was about 200g/m²And/mm. For example, the plates may be spaced as follows: first, it was confirmed that about 200g/m was obtained²The thickness of the spacer required for an average density of/mm, and a shim (shim) of a specific thickness is placed between the plates to maintain this thickness. Acid is filled into the inlet so that the acid contacts the upper edge of the sample. A vacuum (pressure of 530mm Hg) was then applied at the outlet. The acid fill time is determined by the amount of time required for the acid to move vertically 6 inches past the sample. The timing was stopped when the acid was seen to leave the bottom of the upright sample. The test is carried out at ambient pressure and a temperature of about 15 ℃ to 25 ℃.

In some embodiments, the nonwoven webs described herein (e.g., nonwoven webs comprising a plurality of glass fibers and a plurality of inorganic particles) have a particular acid absorption capacity. Acid absorption capacity, as used herein, is measured as the weight of acid (in grams) absorbed by the nonwoven web per unit weight of the nonwoven web. In some embodiments, the acid absorption capacity of the nonwoven web is greater than or equal to about 7 grams acid/gram nonwoven web, greater than or equal to about 7.5 grams acid/gram nonwoven web, greater than or equal to about 8 grams acid/gram nonwoven web, greater than or equal to about 8.5 grams acid/gram nonwoven web, greater than or equal to about 9 grams acid/gram nonwoven web, or greater thanOr equal to about 9.5 grams acid per gram of nonwoven web. In certain embodiments, the nonwoven web has an acid absorption capacity of less than or equal to about 10 grams acid/gram of nonwoven web, less than or equal to about 9.5 grams acid/gram of nonwoven web, less than or equal to about 9 grams acid/gram of nonwoven web, less than or equal to about 8.5 grams acid/gram of nonwoven web, less than or equal to about 8 grams acid/gram of nonwoven web, or less than or equal to about 7.5 grams acid/gram of nonwoven web. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 7g acid/g nonwoven web and less than or equal to about 10g acid/g nonwoven web, greater than or equal to about 8g acid/g nonwoven web and less than or equal to about 9.5g acid/g nonwoven web). Other ranges are also possible. As determined herein, the acid absorption capacity is measured as follows: a sample of the nonwoven web was prepared, the dry weight of the nonwoven web was measured, and the nonwoven web was immersed in an acid electrolyte (specific gravity of 1.28 g/cm)³Sulfuric acid solution) (e.g., about 15 minutes) so that the electrolyte is absorbed. The sample was removed from the acid electrolyte and excess electrolyte was removed by hanging the sample with tweezers and allowing excess acid to drip out of the sample. The nonwoven web was weighed 1 minute after the electrolyte no longer dripped from the web. The acid absorption capacity is the difference between the wet weight (e.g., nonwoven web and absorbed acid electrolyte) and the dry weight of the nonwoven web divided by the dry weight of the nonwoven web. The test is carried out at ambient pressure and a temperature of about 15 ℃ to 25 ℃.

In some embodiments, the nonwoven webs described herein (e.g., nonwoven webs comprising a plurality of glass fibers and a plurality of inorganic particles) have a particular acid stratification distance. The acid delamination distance is 1.1g/cm specific gravity in the acid electrolyte displaced nonwoven web within 60 minutes (e.g., while under compression)³A measure of the distance of the sulfuric acid solution of (a). In some embodiments, the nonwoven web has an acid delamination distance of greater than or equal to about 0.5cm, greater than or equal to about 1cm, greater than or equal to about 2cm, greater than or equal to about 3cm, or greater than or equal to about 4 cm. In certain embodiments, the nonwoven web has an acid stratification distance of less than or equal to about 5cm, less than or equal to about 4cm, less than or equal to about 3cm, less than or equal to about 2cm, or less than or equal to about 1 cm. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 0.5cm and less than or equal toEqual to about 5cm, greater than or equal to about 1cm, and less than or equal to about 3 cm). Other ranges are also possible.

As determined herein, the acid stratification distance is measured as follows: a sample of 8.5 inches (measured in the MD) by 1.5 inches of nonwoven web/separator was first dipped into a specific gravity of 1.1g/cm³For about 1 minute, for example, until the nonwoven web is leached through the acid. The saturated sample is then placed straight vertically oriented between two plates (e.g., polycarbonate plates) and surrounded with a gasket (e.g., so that the acid does not extend beyond the sides of the sample) so that the upper surface of the sample is accessible at the top of the plates. An exemplary test setup is shown in fig. 3B. The plates were spaced apart at a distance such that the average density of the spacer samples was about 240g/m²And/mm. For example, the plates may be spaced as follows: first, it was confirmed that about 240g/m was obtained²The thickness of the spacer required for an average density of/mm, and a shim of a specific thickness is placed between the plates to maintain this thickness. An acid electrolyte (specific gravity about 1.28g/cm containing a soluble dye) in a volume of 10mL to 25mL³Sulfuric acid) is introduced into the accessible area on top of the nonwoven web between the plates until the acid electrolyte just contacts the upper edge of the sample. The distance that the acid electrolyte moved downward (displaced the initial acid within the nonwoven web) after 60 minutes (i.e., the acid stratification distance) was determined. If there is a change in the distance traveled by the acid electrolyte (e.g., a change across the width of the sample), the midpoint of the highest distance and the lowest distance is used to calculate the acid stratification distance. The test is carried out at ambient pressure and a temperature of about 15 ℃ to 25 ℃.

Fig. 4 shows a cross section of an exemplary cell arrangement. Fig. 4 shows a cross-section of a battery arrangement including a flat battery separator 70 (e.g., including a nonwoven web as described herein) located between and in direct contact with a negative electrode 75 and a positive electrode 80, the flat battery separator 70 being located between and in direct contact with the negative electrode 75 and the positive electrode 80. In fig. 4, the entire surface area of the negative and positive electrodes is in contact with the flat battery separator.

In some embodiments, a battery separator comprising a nonwoven web comprising a plurality of inorganic particles may have desirable structural properties.

In some embodiments, one or more layers of the battery separator (e.g., the nonwoven web and/or the entire battery separator) can have a basis weight (basis weight) of about 25g/m²To about 500g/m². For example, in some embodiments, one or more layers of the battery separator (e.g., the nonwoven web and/or the entire battery separator) can have a basis weight of greater than or equal to about 25g/m²Greater than or equal to about 40g/m²Greater than or equal to about 60g/m²Greater than or equal to about 80g/m²Greater than or equal to about 100g/m²Greater than or equal to about 150g/m²Greater than or equal to about 200g/m²Greater than or equal to about 250g/m²Greater than or equal to about 300g/m²Greater than or equal to about 350g/m²Or greater than or equal to about 400g/m². In some cases, the basis weight of one or more layers of the battery separator (e.g., the nonwoven web and/or the entire battery separator) can be less than or equal to about 500g/m²Less than or equal to about 430g/m²Less than or equal to about 400g/m²Less than or equal to about 350g/m²Less than or equal to about 300g/m²Less than or equal to about 250g/m²Less than or equal to about 200g/m²Less than or equal to about 150g/m²Less than or equal to about 100g/m²Less than or equal to about 75g/m²Or less than or equal to about 50g/m². Combinations of the above-described ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 25 g/m)²And less than or equal to about 500g/m²Greater than or equal to about 80g/m²And less than or equal to about 430g/m²). Other ranges are also possible. As determined herein, the basis weight of the nonwoven web and/or battery separator was measured according to BCIS-03A, 9 months 2009, method 3.

In some embodiments, the specific surface area of one or more layers of the battery separator (e.g., the nonwoven web and/or the entire battery separator) may be about 1m²G to about 100m²(ii) in terms of/g. For example, in some embodiments, the specific surface area of one or more layers of the battery separator (e.g., the nonwoven web and/or the entire battery separator) may beGreater than or equal to about 1m²A/g of greater than or equal to about 2m²A/g of greater than or equal to about 5m²A/g of greater than or equal to about 10m²A/g of greater than or equal to about 20m²A/g of greater than or equal to about 50m²A/g, or greater than or equal to about 75m²(ii) in terms of/g. In certain embodiments, the specific surface area of one or more layers of the battery separator (e.g., the nonwoven web and/or the entire battery separator) can be less than or equal to about 100m²A/g, less than or equal to about 75m²A/g of less than or equal to about 50m²A/g of less than or equal to about 20m²A/g of less than or equal to about 10m²A,/g, of less than or equal to about 5m²A,/g, or less than or equal to about 2m²(ii) in terms of/g. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 1 m)²A number of grams of less than or equal to about 100m²A/g of greater than or equal to about 5m²A number of grams of less than or equal to about 75m²In terms of/g). Other ranges are also possible. As determined herein, the specific surface area of the nonwoven web and/or battery separator was measured according to BCIS-03A, 9 months 2009, method 8.

Thickness as referred to herein was determined according to BCIS 03-a, 9 months 2009, method 10 using 10kPa pressure. One or more layers of the battery separator (e.g., the nonwoven web and/or the entire battery separator) may have a thickness of about 0.05mm to about 5 mm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the nonwoven web and/or battery separator may be greater than or equal to about 0.05mm, greater than or equal to about 0.1mm, greater than or equal to about 0.2mm, greater than or equal to about 0.3mm, greater than or equal to about 0.5mm, greater than or equal to about 0.8mm, greater than or equal to about 1mm, greater than or equal to about 1.2mm, greater than or equal to about 1.5mm, greater than or equal to about 1.8mm, greater than or equal to about 2mm, greater than or equal to about 2.5mm, greater than or equal to about 3mm, greater than or equal to about 3.5mm, greater than or equal to about 4mm, or greater than or equal to about 4.5 mm. In certain embodiments, one or more layers of the battery separator (e.g., the nonwoven web and/or the entire battery separator) can have a thickness of less than or equal to about 5mm, less than or equal to about 4.5mm, less than or equal to about 4mm, less than or equal to about 3.5mm, less than or equal to about 3mm, less than or equal to about 2.5mm, less than or equal to about 2.0mm, less than or equal to about 1.8mm, less than or equal to about 1.5mm, less than or equal to about 1.2mm, less than or equal to about 1mm, less than or equal to about 0.8mm, less than or equal to about 0.6mm, less than or equal to about 0.4mm, or less than or equal to about 0.2 mm. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than about 0.05mm and less than or equal to about 5mm, greater than about 0.1mm and less than or equal to about 4 mm). Other ranges are also possible.

The thickness of one or more layers of the battery separators described herein (e.g., the nonwoven web and/or the entire battery separator) can vary, for example, from about 0.05mm to about 30 mm. In some embodiments, the nonwoven web and/or battery separator may have a thickness of greater than or equal to about 0.05mm, greater than or equal to about 0.1mm, greater than or equal to about 0.5mm, greater than or equal to about 1mm, greater than or equal to about 2mm, greater than or equal to about 3mm, greater than or equal to about 5mm, greater than or equal to about 8mm, greater than or equal to about 10mm, greater than or equal to about 12mm, greater than or equal to about 15mm, greater than or equal to about 20mm, or greater than or equal to about 25 mm. In certain embodiments, one or more layers of the battery separator (e.g., the nonwoven web and/or the entire battery separator) can have a thickness of less than or equal to about 30mm, less than or equal to about 28mm, less than or equal to about 25mm, less than or equal to about 20mm, less than or equal to about 18mm, less than or equal to about 15mm, less than or equal to about 12mm, less than or equal to about 10mm, less than or equal to about 8mm, less than or equal to about 6mm, less than or equal to about 3mm, less than or equal to about 2mm, less than or equal to about 1mm, or less than or equal to about 0.5 mm. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than about 0.05mm and less than or equal to about 30mm, greater than about 0.5mm and less than or equal to about 3 mm). Total thickness as referred to herein was determined according to BCIS 03-a, 9 months 2009, method 10 using 10kPa pressure.

In some embodiments, the nonwoven web and/or battery separator described herein can have a density of, for example, about 100g/m²From/mm to about 250g/m²And/mm. For example, in some embodiments, the density of one or more layers of the battery separator (e.g., the nonwoven web and/or the entire battery separator) may be less than or equal toLess than or equal to about 250g/m²Mm, less than or equal to about 225g/m²Mm, less than or equal to about 200g/m²Mm, less than or equal to about 175g/m²Mm, less than or equal to about 150g/m²Mm, or less than or equal to about 125g/m²And/mm. In some cases, the density of one or more layers of the battery separator (e.g., the nonwoven web and/or the entire battery separator) can be greater than or equal to about 100g/m²Mm, greater than or equal to about 150g/m²Mm, or greater than or equal to about 200g/m²And/mm. Combinations of the above-described ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 100 g/m)²A/mm and less than or equal to about 250g/m²A/mm, greater than or equal to about 125g/m²A/mm and less than or equal to about 200g/m²In mm). Other ranges are also possible. As determined herein, the density of one or more layers of the battery separator (e.g., the nonwoven web and/or the entire battery separator) is measured by dividing the basis weight of the nonwoven web (and/or the battery separator) determined according to BCIS-03A, 9 months 2009, method 3 by the thickness of the nonwoven web (and/or the battery separator) determined according to BCIS 03-a, 9 months 2009, method 10 at 10 kPa.

One or more layers of the battery separator (e.g., the nonwoven web and/or the entire battery separator) may have a suitable maximum pore size. As described herein, the maximum pore size of the web can affect the acid fill time and/or acid stratification distance. In some embodiments, the nonwoven web and/or battery separator can have a maximum pore size of less than or equal to about 25 microns, less than or equal to about 20 microns, less than or equal to about 18 microns, less than or equal to about 16 microns, less than or equal to about 14 microns, less than or equal to about 12 microns, or less than or equal to about 10 microns. In other embodiments, the maximum pore size can be greater than or equal to about 8 microns, greater than or equal to about 10 microns, greater than or equal to about 12 microns, greater than or equal to about 14 microns, or greater than or equal to about 16 microns. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 8 microns and less than or equal to about 18 microns, greater than or equal to about 10 microns and less than or equal to about 16 microns). Other values and ranges of maximum pore size are also possible. As determined herein, the maximum pore size was measured using liquid porosity method according to standard BCIS-03A, 9 months 2009, method 6.

One or more layers of the battery separator (e.g., the nonwoven web and/or the entire battery separator) can exhibit a suitable median pore size, e.g., a suitable median pore size for ion conduction. In some embodiments, the median pore size of the nonwoven web and/or battery separator can be less than or equal to about 7 microns, less than or equal to about 6.5 microns, less than or equal to about 6 microns, less than or equal to about 5.5 microns, less than or equal to about 5 microns, less than or equal to about 4.5 microns, less than or equal to about 4 microns, less than or equal to about 3.5 microns, or less than or equal to about 3 microns. In other embodiments, the median pore diameter may be greater than or equal to about 2.5 microns, greater than or equal to about 3 microns, greater than or equal to about 3.5 microns, greater than or equal to about 4 microns, greater than or equal to about 5 microns, or greater than or equal to about 6 microns. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 2.5 microns and less than or equal to about 4.5 microns, greater than or equal to about 3 microns and less than or equal to about 4 microns). Other values and ranges of median pore diameter are also possible. As determined herein, median pore size was measured according to standard BCIS-03A, 9 months 2009, method 6.

In some embodiments, battery separators including nonwoven webs described herein comprise a plurality of inorganic particles (e.g., silica) and have a combination of maximum and median pore sizes within a particular range. In one set of embodiments, the battery separator and/or the nonwoven web has a maximum pore size of about 8 microns to about 18 microns (e.g., a maximum pore size of about 10 microns to about 16 microns) and a median pore size of about 2.5 microns to about 4.5 microns (e.g., a median pore size of about 3 microns to about 4 microns), although other ranges (e.g., those described above) are also possible. The battery separator and/or nonwoven web may exhibit a relatively fast acid fill time and/or a relatively low acid stratification distance (e.g., as compared to battery separators and/or nonwoven webs having different maximum and/or median pore sizes, and/or battery separators and/or nonwoven webs that are substantially free of inorganic particles, all other factors being equal). The acid fill time of the battery separator and/or the nonwoven web can be, for example, less than or equal to about 200 seconds, and/or the acid stratification distance can be, for example, less than or equal to about 5 cm.

In some embodiments, the nonwoven webs and/or battery separators described herein can have desirable mechanical strength properties. For example, the dry tensile strength of one or more layers of the battery separator (e.g., the nonwoven web and/or the entire battery separator) in the machine direction can be greater than or equal to about 0.2lbs/in, greater than or equal to about 0.5lbs/in, greater than or equal to about 1 lbs/in, greater than or equal to about 2lbs/in, greater than or equal to about 5lbs/in, greater than or equal to about 10lbs/in, greater than or equal to about 12lbs/in, or greater than or equal to about 15 lbs/in. In some cases, the dry tensile strength in the machine direction may be less than or equal to about 20lbs/in, less than or equal to about 15lbs/in, less than or equal to about 12lbs/in, less than or equal to about 10lbs/in, less than or equal to about 5lbs/in, less than or equal to about 2lbs/in, less than or equal to about 1 lbs/in, or less than or equal to about 0.5 lbs/in. Combinations of the above-described ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 0.5lbs/in and less than or equal to about 20lbs/in, greater than or equal to about 1 lbs/in and less than or equal to about 15 lbs/in). Dry tensile strength in the machine direction can be determined using standard BCIS 03B, revised 3 months 2010, method 4.

In some embodiments, the puncture strength (or puncture resistance) of the battery separator and/or nonwoven webs described herein can be greater than or equal to about 1N, greater than or equal to about 1.5N, greater than or equal to about 2N, greater than or equal to about 3N, greater than or equal to about 5N, greater than or equal to about 8N, greater than or equal to about 10N, greater than or equal to about 12N, or greater than or equal to about 15N. In some cases, the puncture strength (or puncture resistance) may be less than or equal to about 20N, less than or equal to about 18N, less than or equal to about 15N, less than or equal to about 12N, less than or equal to about 10N, less than or equal to about 8N, less than or equal to about 5N, or less than or equal to about 3N. Combinations of the above-described ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 1N and less than or equal to about 20N, greater than or equal to about 5N and less than or equal to about 15N). Puncture strength can be determined using the schedule BCIS 03B, revised 3 months 2010, method 9.

In some embodiments, the battery separator and/or nonwoven web described herein can have a pressure loss of less than or equal to about 30%, less than or equal to about 25%, or less than or equal to about 20%. In certain embodiments, the battery separator and/or nonwoven web described herein can have a pressure loss of greater than or equal to about 15%, greater than or equal to about 20%, or greater than or equal to about 25%. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to about 15% and less than or equal to about 30%, greater than or equal to about 15% and less than or equal to about 25%). Other ranges are also possible. The pressure loss can be determined as follows: a 10cm x 10cm sample of nonwoven web/separator is placed in a plastic bag (e.g., 12cm x 12cm) and an initial pressure of 30kPa is applied to the (dry) nonwoven web/separator sample for 5 minutes (e.g., by placing the plastic bag between computer-operated plates and applying an external force (e.g., 30kPa) to the nonwoven web/separator sample with the plates). The instrument was calibrated to take into account the thickness of the bag. About 20mL of electrolyte (specific gravity of 1.28 g/cm) was added to the bag³Sulfuric acid solution) while maintaining the distance between the plates. The application of 30kPa pressure to the sample was stopped and the pressure exerted by the plates on the sample after 1 hour was measured (e.g., by a load cell located behind one plate) while maintaining the distance between the plates. The test is carried out at ambient pressure and a temperature of about 15 ℃ to 25 ℃. The percent pressure loss (i.e., pressure loss) was calculated as 100% x (pressure recorded after 30-1 hours in kPa)/30.

In some embodiments, the nonwoven webs and/or battery separators described herein may have a tendency to lose thickness under cycles of compressive pressure (e.g., compression at 10kPa to 50 kPa). Percent thickness loss is a general measure of the elasticity of a nonwoven web and/or battery separator, and relates to the ability of the nonwoven web and/or battery separator to recover to its original thickness (or volume) after the applied pressure is removed. Generally, the lower the percent thickness loss, the greater the elasticity of the nonwoven web and/or the battery separator. In some embodiments, the performance of a battery may be affected by the elasticity of the nonwoven web/separator, wherein the greater the elasticity (e.g., the lower the percent thickness loss) of the nonwoven web and/or battery separator, the better the performance of a battery comprising the nonwoven web/separator.

In some embodiments, the nonwoven web and/or battery separator described herein has a percent thickness loss of less than or equal to about 30%, less than or equal to about 26.7%, less than or equal to about 23.4%, less than or equal to about 20.1%, less than or equal to about 16.8%, or less than or equal to about 13.5% under a pressure of 10 kPa. In some embodiments, the nonwoven web and/or battery separator has a percent thickness loss of greater than or equal to about 1%, greater than or equal to about 5%, greater than or equal to about 10%, greater than or equal to about 13.5%, greater than or equal to about 16.8%, greater than or equal to about 20.1%, greater than or equal to about 23.4%, or greater than or equal to about 26.7% under a pressure of 10 kPa. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., less than or equal to about 30% and greater than or equal to about 10%, less than or equal to about 16.8%, and greater than or equal to about 10%). Other ranges are also possible.

In some embodiments, the nonwoven web and/or battery separator described herein has a percent thickness loss of less than or equal to about 15%, less than or equal to about 10%, less than or equal to about 7.8%, less than or equal to about 6.1%, less than or equal to about 4.5%, or less than or equal to about 2.8% under a pressure of 50 kPa. In some embodiments, the percent thickness loss of the nonwoven and/or battery separator under 50kPa pressure is greater than or equal to about 1.2%, greater than or equal to about 2.8%, greater than or equal to about 4.5%, greater than or equal to about 6.1%, or greater than or equal to about 10%. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., less than or equal to about 7.8% and greater than or equal to about 1.2%, and less than or equal to about 6.1%). Other ranges are also possible.

As used herein, the percent thickness loss of the nonwoven web/separator is determined as follows: placing a 10cm x 10cm sample nonwoven web/separator into a plastic bag (e.g., 12cm x 12cm), adding an acid electrolyte (specific gravity of 1.28g @) to the bagcm³Sulfuric acid) such that the nonwoven web/separator is completely saturated (e.g., 15mL to 30 mL). The instrument was calibrated to take into account the thickness of the bag. The plastic bag was compressed by the compression tester to about 10kPa and then cycled between about 10kPa and about 50kPa for 20 cycles (with each cycle being 180 seconds). The percent change in thickness at a particular pressure (e.g., 10kPa or 50kPa) is calculated as follows: the difference between the thickness of the nonwoven web/separator at the 20 th cycle at a specified pressure (e.g., 10kPa or 50kPa) and the thickness of the nonwoven web/separator at the 1 st cycle at a specified pressure (e.g., 10kPa or 50kPa) was taken, divided by the thickness of the nonwoven web/separator at the 1 st cycle at a specified pressure (e.g., 10kPa or 50kPa), and multiplied by 100%. The test is carried out at ambient pressure and a temperature of about 15 ℃ to 25 ℃.

It should be understood that while some of the parameters and features described above are described with respect to a nonwoven web, the same parameters and features (including values and ranges for these parameters and features) may also be applicable to battery separators comprising the nonwoven web.

As noted above, the separators described herein can be used in batteries (e.g., lead acid batteries). The battery may include a negative plate, a positive plate, and a battery separator (e.g., including a nonwoven web as described herein) disposed between the negative and positive plates.

It is to be understood that other components of the battery not explicitly discussed herein may be conventional battery components. The positive and negative plates may be formed from conventional lead acid battery plate materials. For example, in a container formatted battery, the plates may include a grid comprising a conductive material that may include, but is not limited to, lead alloys, graphite, carbon foam, titanium, ceramics (e.g., lead alloy, graphite, carbon foam, titanium, carbon foam) Laminates and composites. The gate electrode is typically pasted with an active material. Pasted grids are typically converted into positive and negative battery plates by a process called "forming". Shaping comprises passing current through alternating positive and negative electrodesAn assembly of plates and separators between adjacent plates while the assembly is in a suitable electrolyte (e.g., to convert the pasted oxides to active material).

As a specific example, the positive electrode plate may include lead dioxide as an active material, and the negative electrode plate may include lead as an active material. The plates may also include one or more reinforcing materials, such as chopped organic fibers (e.g., average length of 0.125 inches or more), chopped glass fibers, metal sulfates (e.g., nickel sulfate, copper sulfate), red lead (e.g., containing Pb)₃O₄Lead monoxide, paraffin oil and/or swelling agent (expander). In some embodiments, the expansion agent comprises barium sulfate, carbon black, and lignosulfonate as the major components. The components of the expansion agent may or may not be premixed. Bulking agents are commercially available from, for example, Hammond Lead Products (Hammond, IN) and Atomized Products Group, Inc (Garland, TX).

An example of a commercially available swelling agent isBulking agents (Atomized Products Group, Inc.). In certain embodiments, the expander, metal sulfate, and/or paraffin are present in the positive plate and not in the negative plate. In some embodiments, the positive and/or negative plates comprise a fibrous material or other glass composition.

The battery may be assembled using any desired technique. For example, the separator may be cut into pieces and may be placed between two electrode plates, or the separator may be wound around the electrode plates (e.g., positive electrode plates, negative electrode plates). The positive and negative plates and separator are then assembled in a can using conventional lead acid battery assembly methods. In some embodiments, the battery separator may be used as a leaf separator, a wrap separator, and/or in a wound configuration. In certain embodiments, the spacer is compressed after assembly in the housing, i.e., the thickness of the spacer is reduced after placement in the housing. An electrolyte (e.g., sulfuric acid) is then disposed in the housing. It is to be understood that the shape (e.g., flat) of the battery separator described herein is non-limiting and that the battery separator described herein can have any suitable shape.

In some embodiments, the electrolyte used with the battery separators described herein is sulfuric acid. In some embodiments, the specific gravity of the sulfuric acid is 1.21g/cm³To 1.32g/em³(e.g., 1.28 g/cm)³To 1.31g/cm³). In certain embodiments, the specific gravity of the sulfuric acid is 1.26g/cm³. In certain embodiments, the specific gravity of the sulfuric acid is about 1.3g/cm³. Although primarily described herein with respect to sulfuric acid-based electrolytes, it is to be understood that the electrolytes may comprise other compositions.

In some embodiments, the battery separator (including the nonwoven web described herein) can be used in a lead acid battery, including a valve regulated battery (e.g., an absorbent glass mat battery). In valve-regulated lead acid (VRLA) batteries, for example, the internal environment is controlled by a valve for venting gases (e.g., hydrogen, oxygen) from the battery as pressure builds. The valve is a pressure relief valve that opens only when the internal cell pressure reaches a threshold value. The valve prevents any gas from escaping when the internal pressure in the cell is below the threshold. Formed of O₂Can diffuse from the positive electrode to the negative electrode and react with H₂Recombine to form water. The ability of oxygen and hydrogen to recombine in a battery controls many aspects of battery performance and safety. Pure oxygen and pure hydrogen are explosive gases, and therefore recombination is important to avoid explosive cells. Recombination of low levels of oxygen and hydrogen also negatively impacts the charge acceptance of the battery. The battery separators described herein can promote the recombination of oxygen and/or hydrogen and thus increase the efficiency and performance of the battery.

In some embodiments, two or more layers of the web may be formed separately and combined by any suitable method, such as lamination, finishing, or by using an adhesive. The two or more layers may be formed using different processes or the same process. For example, each layer may be independently formed by a wet-laid process, a non-wet-laid process, or any other suitable process.

In some embodiments, two or more layers may be formed by the same process. In some cases, two or more layers may be formed simultaneously.

The different layers may be adhered together by any suitable method. For example, the layers may be adhered and/or melt bonded to each other on either side by an adhesive. Lamination and calendering processes may also be used. In some embodiments, additional layers may be formed from any type of fiber or blend of fibers by an added headbox or coater and suitably adhered to another layer.

In some embodiments, one or more layers in a battery separator may be designed to be independent of another layer. That is, components (e.g., fibers) from one layer are substantially immiscible (e.g., are not miscible at all) with components (e.g., fibers) from another layer. For example, with respect to fig. 1, in one set of embodiments, the fibers from nonwoven web 6 are not substantially intermingled with the fibers of optional layer 7. The separate layers may be joined by any suitable process, including for example lamination, thermal point bonding, calendering, ultrasonication, or by adhesives, as described in more detail below. However, it is understood that certain embodiments may include one or more layers that are not independent of each other.

The battery separator can include any suitable number of layers, for example, at least 2, at least 3, at least 4, at least 5, at least 6, at least 7 layers. In some embodiments, the battery separator may comprise up to 10 layers.

The nonwoven webs described herein may be made using a suitable process, such as a wet-laid process. Generally, a wet-laid process includes mixing one or more types of fibers together; for example, one type of glass fiber may be mixed with another type of glass fiber and/or a different type of fiber (e.g., synthetic fiber) to provide a fiber slurry. The slurry may be, for example, a water-based slurry. In certain embodiments, the fibers are stored in various storage tanks, optionally separately or in combination, prior to being mixed together.

For example, the first fibers may be mixed and pulped together in one vessel and the second fibers may be mixed and pulped in a separate vessel. Subsequently, the first fibers and the second fibers may be combined together into a single fiber mixture. Suitable fibers may be treated by a pulper before and/or after being mixed together. In some embodiments, the combination of fibers is processed through a pulper and/or a holding tank before being mixed together. It will be appreciated that other components (e.g., inorganic particles) may also be introduced into the mixture. Further, it is understood that other combinations of fiber types may be used in the fiber mixture, such as the fiber types described herein.

In certain embodiments, two or more layers are formed by a wet-laid process. For example, a first dispersion (e.g., pulp) comprising fibers in a solvent (e.g., an aqueous solvent such as water) can be applied to a wire belt in a papermaking machine (e.g., a fourdrinier papermaking machine or a circular papermaking machine or a vacuum cylinder machine) to form a first layer supported by the wire belt. A second dispersion (e.g., another pulp) comprising fibers in a solvent (e.g., an aqueous solvent such as water) is applied to the first layer at the same time as or after the first layer is deposited on the web. A vacuum is continuously applied to the first fiber dispersion and the second fiber dispersion during the above process to remove the solvent from the fibers, thereby producing an article comprising a first layer and a second layer. The article so formed is then dried and, if desired, further processed by using known methods to form a multi-layer nonwoven web. It is to be understood that in some embodiments, the battery separator may be a single layer nonwoven web (e.g., formed by a wet-laid process) without an additional layer attached.

Any suitable method for making the fiber slurry may be used. In some embodiments, additional additives are added to the slurry to facilitate processing. The temperature may also be adjusted to a suitable range, for example, 33 ° F to 100 ° F (e.g., 50 ° F to 85 ° F). In some cases, the temperature of the slurry is maintained. In some cases, the temperature is not actively adjusted.

In some embodiments, the wet-laid process uses equipment similar to conventional papermaking processes, for example, a hydropulper, a former or headbox, a dryer, and optionally a converter. In some cases, the nonwoven web may also be made with a laboratory handsheet mold. As discussed above, the slurry may be prepared in one or more pulpers. After the slurry is properly mixed in the pulper, the slurry may be pumped into a headbox, where the slurry may or may not be combined with other slurries. Other additives may or may not be added. The slurry may also be diluted with additional water such that the final concentration of fibers is within a suitable range, for example, about 0.1 wt% to 0.5 wt%.

In some embodiments in which the inorganic particles are included in the fibrous web, the inorganic particles can be added to the fiber slurry in any suitable amount. Additional components (e.g., one or more retention aids) may also be added to the slurry. The inorganic particles and/or additional components may be added to the fiber slurry at any stage prior to the fiber slurry entering the headbox.

In some cases, the pH of the fiber slurry may be adjusted as desired. For example, the fibers of the slurry may be dispersed under acidic or neutral conditions.

Prior to conveying the slurry to the headbox, the slurry may optionally be passed through a centrifugal cleaner and/or a pressure screen to remove unfiberized material. The slurry may or may not be passed through additional equipment such as a refiner or deflaker to further enhance the dispersion of the fibers. For example, a deflaker may be used to smooth out or remove lumps or protrusions that may occur at any point during the formation of the fiber slurry. The fibers can then be collected onto a screen or wire at a suitable rate using any suitable equipment (e.g., a fourdrinier, a rotoformer, a cylinder/cylinder, or an inclined wire fourdrinier).

During or after formation of the nonwoven web, the nonwoven web may be further processed according to a variety of known techniques. Optionally, additional layers may be formed and/or added to the nonwoven web using processes such as lamination, co-pleating, or finishing. For example, in some cases, two layers are formed into a composite article by a wet-laid process, and then the composite article is combined with a third layer by any suitable process (e.g., lamination, co-pleating, or sequencing). It will be appreciated that the nonwoven web or composite article formed by the processes described herein may be suitably adjusted not only based on the composition of the individual fibrous layers, but also according to the impact of using a plurality of fibrous layers having different properties in suitable combinations to form a nonwoven web having the properties described herein.

Examples

The following examples are intended to illustrate certain embodiments of the invention, but are not to be construed as limiting and do not exemplify the full scope of the invention.

Example 1

The following examples illustrate the effect of average fiber diameter and pore size (e.g., maximum pore size, median pore size, and minimum pore size) on acid stratification distance and acid fill time of a battery separator. The separators tested were each a single layer nonwoven web having the fiber diameters and basis weights shown in table 1. The separator does not contain inorganic particles (e.g., silica).

Table 1: average glass fiber diameter and basis weight of the separators A to E

	Average fiber diameter (micrometers)	Basis weight (gsm)
			Spacer A	2.48	200
Spacer B	2.78	200
			Spacer C	2.09	220
Spacer D	1.61	200
			Spacer E	1.50	200

The spacer is formed as follows: a wet separator sheet is formed with a typical papermaking process by dispersing glass fibers and other components in water to form a wet stock and transferring it to a headbox. The wet sheet is then passed through a series of heated rollers to dry the water, forming a dry separator. All separators had a basis weight in the range of 200gsm to 220 gsm.

Fig. 5 plots the maximum pore size, median pore size, and minimum pore size of the separator. The separators D and E generally have smaller pore sizes due to the finer glass fibers forming the structure. In particular, the maximum pore size present in the structure of spacers D and E is less than 10 microns. The remaining separators (a to C) were formed with glass fibers having an average diameter of greater than 2 microns, and the maximum and median pore diameters were greater than those of separators D and E. In particular, the largest pore size present in these separators a to C is greater than 10 microns.

The acid stratification distance and the acid fill time for each spacer were measured and plotted in fig. 6. Test devices for measuring acid fill time and acid stratification distance are shown in fig. 3A and 3B, respectively. The data shows that separators A, B and C having a maximum pore size of 12 to 20 microns, a median pore size of 4 to 6.5 microns, and an average fiber diameter greater than or equal to about 2 microns exhibit faster acid fill times but greater acid stratification distances than separators having maximum pore sizes, median pore sizes, and/or average fiber diameters outside of these ranges (separator D, E). This example illustrates that the separator can achieve relatively fast acid fill times by controlling the pore size (e.g., maximum pore size and/or median pore size) of the separator, but the separator can have a relatively large acid stratification distance.

Example 2

The following examples illustrate that the incorporation of inorganic particles into a separator can result in a reduction in acid stratification distance and acid fill time for separators comprising different fiber diameters.

Fig. 7 plots the maximum pore size, median pore size, and minimum pore size for a variety of separators comprising: a separator B, a separator B having two types of silica particles with different specific surface areas, a separator C having silica particles, a separator D, and a separator E. Spacers B, C and D were prepared as described in example 1. The specific surface areas and average glass fiber diameters of these separators are shown in table 2. A separator incorporating silica particles was prepared in a similar manner to that described in example 1, except that the silica particles were added to the glass dispersion during the papermaking process.

Table 2: average glass fiber diameter, basis weight, specific surface area and weight of inorganic particles of the separator%

It can be seen that the incorporation of silica in the spacers B and C generally significantly increases the specific surface area of the spacers. As shown in fig. 7, the median pore diameters of the silica-containing separators B and C tend to be smaller than those of the silica-free separators B and C, respectively. Further, the pores of the spacer B with silica and the spacer C with silica are larger than the spacers D and E; in particular, the largest pores present in these silicon dioxide filled spacers are much larger than those in spacers D and E.

Fig. 8 plots the acid stratification distance and the acid fill time for the separator shown in fig. 7. Test devices for measuring acid fill time and acid stratification distance are shown in fig. 3A and 3B, respectively. It can be seen that the acid stratification distance of the silica-containing spacer B and the silica-containing spacer C is significantly reduced compared to all other spacers. In fact, the acid stratification distance of the separator B (2) with silica decreased 3 to 6 times compared to the separator B without silica; for spacer C with silica, the acid delamination distance decreased by a factor of 2 compared to spacer C without silica.

As described above, although filling silicon dioxide into the spacers B and C significantly reduces the acid stratification distance as described above, the presence of silicon dioxide in the spacers only slightly increases the acid filling time, as compared to the spacers B and C without silicon dioxide. Spacers B and C with silicon dioxide have comparable or reduced acid stratification distance and faster acid fill time compared to spacers D and E.

In summary, a separator comprising glass fibers having an average fiber diameter greater than 2 microns and comprising silica particles has a reduced acid stratification distance and a relatively low (faster) acid fill time as compared to a separator without silica particles and/or a separator having a smaller average fiber size (and/or a smaller maximum and median pore size).

The invention also provides the following technical scheme:

note 1. a battery separator, comprising:

a nonwoven web comprising:

a plurality of glass fibers having an average diameter of greater than or equal to about 1.5 micrometers, wherein the glass fibers are present in an amount of greater than or equal to about 50 weight percent of the nonwoven web; and

a plurality of inorganic particles, wherein the inorganic particles,

wherein the nonwoven web has a maximum pore size of at least about 8 microns and less than or equal to about 25 microns, and

wherein the nonwoven web has a median pore diameter of at least about 2.5 microns and less than or equal to about 6 microns.

Note 2. a battery separator, comprising:

a nonwoven web comprising:

a plurality of glass fibers having an average diameter of greater than or equal to about 1.5 micrometers, wherein the glass fibers are present in an amount of greater than or equal to about 50 weight percent of the nonwoven web;

a plurality of inorganic particles;

wherein the nonwoven web has an acid stratification distance of less than or equal to about 5 cm; and

wherein the nonwoven web has an acid fill time of less than or equal to about 200 seconds.

Appendix 3. the battery separator of any of the foregoing appendices, wherein the inorganic particles are present in an amount greater than or equal to about 3 wt% and less than or equal to about 30 wt% of the nonwoven web.

Note 4. the battery separator according to any of the foregoing notes, wherein the plurality of inorganic particles comprise silica.

Note 5. the battery separator according to any of the foregoing notes, wherein the plurality of inorganic particles comprise precipitated silica.

Note 6. the battery separator according to any of the foregoing notes, wherein an average specific surface area of the plurality of inorganic particles is greater than or equal to about 100m²A ratio of/g to less than or equal to about 850m²/g。

Reference numeral 7, the battery separator according to any of the foregoing reference numerals, wherein the plurality of inorganic particles have an average particle diameter of greater than or equal to about 0.01 micrometers and less than or equal to about 20 micrometers.

Appendix 8. the battery separator of any of the previous appendices, wherein the plurality of glass fibers have an average diameter greater than or equal to about 2 microns.

Appendix 9. the battery separator of any of the foregoing appendices, wherein the glass fibers are present in an amount greater than or equal to about 50 wt% and less than or equal to about 97 wt% of the nonwoven web.

Reference numeral 10, the battery separator according to any of the preceding reference numerals, wherein the nonwoven web further comprises a plurality of synthetic fibers, wherein the synthetic fibers are present in the nonwoven web in an amount of greater than or equal to about 0 wt% and less than or equal to about 20 wt%.

Reference numeral 11. the battery separator according to any of the foregoing reference numerals, wherein the plurality of synthetic fibers includes bicomponent fibers.

Appendix 12. the battery separator according to any of the foregoing appendices, wherein the non-woven web has an acid delamination distance of less than or equal to about 5 cm.

Appendix 13. the battery separator according to any of the preceding appendices, wherein the non-woven web has an acid absorption of at least 7g acid/g non-woven web and less than or equal to 10g acid/g non-woven web.

Appendix 14. the battery separator according to any of the foregoing appendices, wherein the non-woven web has an acid filling time of less than or equal to about 150 seconds.

Appendix 15. the battery separator according to any of the foregoing appendices, wherein the nonwoven web has a thickness of at least about 0.05mm and less than or equal to about 5 mm.

Appendix 16. the battery separator of any of the previous appendices, wherein the nonwoven web has an apparent density of at least about 100gsm/mm and less than or equal to about 250 gsm/mm.

Appendix 17. the battery separator according to any one of the preceding appendices, wherein the nonwoven web has an overall specific surface area of at least about 1m²A number of grams of less than or equal to about 100m²/g。

Appendix 18. the battery separator according to any of the foregoing appendices, wherein the nonwoven web has a tensile strength in a machine direction of the nonwoven web of greater than or equal to about 0.2lbs/in and less than or equal to about 20 lbs/in.

Reference numeral 19, the battery separator according to any of the preceding reference numerals, wherein the non-woven web has a puncture strength of at least about 1N and less than or equal to about 20N.

Appendix 20. the battery separator according to any of the foregoing appendices, wherein the nonwoven web is held at a pressure of at least about 15% and less than or equal to about 30%.

Appendix 21. the battery separator according to any one of the previous appendices, wherein the nonwoven web has a thickness loss percentage of less than or equal to 30% at 10 kPa.

Appendix 22. the battery separator according to any of the foregoing appendices, wherein the nonwoven web has a thickness loss percentage of less than or equal to 7.8% at 50 kPa.

Appendix 23. the battery separator according to any of the foregoing appendices, wherein the plurality of particles have an acid weight loss of less than 20%.

Appendix 24. the battery separator of any of the foregoing appendices, wherein the nonwoven web has a maximum pore size of at least about 8 microns and less than or equal to about 18 microns.

Appendix 25. the battery separator of any of the foregoing appendices, wherein the nonwoven web has a median pore diameter of at least about 2.5 microns and less than or equal to about 4.5 microns.

Reference numeral 26 a lead-acid battery including the battery separator according to any one of the foregoing reference numerals.