Separators for VRLA batteries and methods relating thereto

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10141556-B2
Application number	US-201615147391-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2016
Priority date	May 5, 2015
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

Improved battery separators, batteries, and systems, as well as methods relating thereto are disclosed herein for use in various lead acid batteries such as valve-regulated lead acid (VRLA) batteries that include one or more AGM layers. The improved battery separators described herein may provide a battery system with an advantage of a significantly decreased acid filling time and a significantly increased acid filling speed. Various improved batteries, methods and systems are described herein using such improved battery separators that increase acid filling speed and decrease acid filling time for a VRLA battery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A composite battery separator comprises at least one AGM layer and at least one microporous polyolefin separator layer, said microporous polyolefin separator layer having a first surface and a second surface, at least said first surface comprising ribs, embossments, acid filling channels, or a combination thereof, and said microporous polyolefin separator layer comprises first areas comprising smaller pores and a compressed pore structure and second areas comprising larger pores and a pore structure less compressed than the pore structure of the first areas.

2. The separator of claim 1 , wherein said microporous polyolefin separator layer comprises polyethylene and silica.

3. The separator of claim 1 , wherein said ribs are are 0.008 to 1 mm tall.

4. The separator of claim 1 , wherein said ribs are spaced 0.001 to 10 mm apart.

5. The separator of claim 1 , wherein said second surface of said microporous polyolefin separator layer also comprises ribs, embossments, acid filling channels, or a combination thereof.

6. The separator of claim 1 , wherein said second surface of said microporous polyolefin separator layer comprises negative cross ribs.

7. The separator of claim 1 , wherein the embossments are textured embossments, straight pattern embossments, wavy pattern embossments, embossments in a picture pattern, zigzag pattern embossments, or a combination thereof.

8. The separator of claim 1 comprising an AGM layer on each side of said microporous polyolefin separator layer.

9. The separator of claim 1 , wherein said AGM layer comprises glass fibers, polymeric fibers, or a combination thereof.

10. The separator of claim 1 , wherein said separator is about 10% to 40% compressible at a pressure greater than 10 kpa.

11. The separator of claim 1 further comprising a coating of a surfactant on at least one surface of said microporous polyolefin separator layer.

12. A VRLA battery comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, liquid acid electrolyte, and the composite battery separator of including at least one AGM layer and at least one microporous polyolefin separator layer, said microporous polyolefin separator layer having a first surface and a second surface, at least said first surface comprising ribs, embossments, acid filling channels, or a combination thereof, and said microporous polyolefin separator layer comprises first areas comprising smaller pores and a compressed pore structure and second areas comprising larger pores and a pore structure less compressed than the pore structure of the first areas.

13. The VRLA battery of claim 12 , wherein an AGM layer of the composite separator is placed against the positive electrode.

14. The VRLA battery of claim 12 , wherein ribs, embossments, or acid filling channels on the microporous polyolefin separator layer are placed against the negative electrode.

15. The separator of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and second surfaces of said microporous polyolefin separator layer has ribs, embossments, and acid filling channels.

16. The separator of claim 15 , wherein the other of said at least one of said first and second surfaces of said microporous polyolefin separator layer has embossments and acid filling channels.

17. A composite battery separator comprises at least one nonwoven layer and at least one microporous polymer separator layer, said microporous polymer separator layer having a first surface and a second surface, at least one of said first and second surface comprising ribs, embossments, and acid filling channels, and said microporous polymer separator layer comprises first areas comprising smaller pores and a compressed pore structure and second areas comprising larger pores and a pore structure less compressed than the pore structure of the first areas.

18. The separator of claim 17 , wherein said nonwoven layer includes glass fibers, polymeric fibers, or a combination thereof.

19. The separator of claim 17 , wherein said polymer separator layer is a polyolefin separator layer.

20. The separator of claim 19 , wherein said polyolefin separator layer comprises polyethylene and silica.

Assignees

• Daramic Llc

Inventors

• Miller Eric H
• Saffel Robert W

Classifications

• H01M50/491

  Porosity · CPC title

• H01M50/489

  Separators, membranes, diaphragms or spacing elements inside the cells, characterised by their physical properties, e.g. swelling degree, hydrophilicity or shut down properties · CPC title

• H01M50/454

  comprising a non-fibrous layer and a fibrous layer superimposed on one another · CPC title

• H01M50/437

  Glass · CPC title

• H01M50/434

  Ceramics · CPC title