Mat made of glass fibers or polyolefin fibers used as a separator in a lead-acid battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11005139-B2
Application number	US-201916527223-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2019
Priority date	Apr 12, 2012
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Grant date	May 11, 2021

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatuses for enhancing electron flow within a battery, such as a lead-acid battery. In one embodiment, a battery separator may include a conductive surface or layer upon which electrons may flow. The battery separator may include a fiber mat that includes a plurality of electrically insulative fibers. The battery separator may be positioned between electrodes of the battery to electrically insulate the electrodes. The battery separator may also include a conductive material disposed on at least one surface of the fiber mat. The conductive material may contact an electrode of the battery and may have an electrical conductivity that enables electron flow on the surface of the fiber mat.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery separator comprising:
a mat including a plurality of electrically insulative fibers, the mat being configured to separate a positive electrode and a negative electrode of a battery to electrically insulate the positive and negative electrodes;
a primary binder that adheres the electrically insulative fibers together, the primary binder enabling the battery separator to be used in an aqueous electrolyte environment; and
a conductive material disposed on at least one surface of the mat to form a conductive layer on the at least one surface of the mat, wherein the conductive material contacts at least one of the positive or negative electrodes of the battery, and wherein the conductive material enables electron flow on the surface of the mat;
wherein the conductive material is a separate material from an active material of the positive electrode and an active material of the negative electrode;
wherein the conductive material is a coating applied to the plurality of electrically insulative fibers adhered together via the primary binder, the coating comprising a mixture of the conductive material and a secondary binder.

2. The battery separator of claim 1 , further comprising a microporous membrane disposed on the opposite surface of the mat.

3. The battery separator of claim 2 , further comprising:
a second mat disposed on an opposite surface of the microporous membrane such that the microporous membrane is sandwiched between the mat and the second mat; and
a second conductive material disposed on an outer surface of the second mat such that the second conductive material contacts a second electrode of the battery, the second conductive material having an electrical conductivity that enables electron flow on the surface of the second mat.

4. The battery separator of claim 1 , wherein the conductive material comprise one or more materials selected from the group consisting of:
conductive polymers;
nanocarbons;
a metal;
copper;
titanium;
vanadium;
graphite; and
graphene.

5. The battery separator of claim 1 , wherein the mat comprises a glass mat, and wherein the coating is applied to the glass mat.

6. The battery separator of claim 1 , further comprising a second mat comprising a plurality of conductive fibers, the second mat being positioned adjacent the mat.

7. A nonwoven fiber mat having a conductive surface, the nonwoven fiber mat comprising:
a plurality of entangled fibers that form the nonwoven fiber mat;
a primary binder that couples the plurality of entangled fibers; and
a layer of conductive material disposed on at least one surface of the plurality of entangled fibers, the conductive material having an electrical conductivity sufficient to provide the conductive surface of the nonwoven glass fiber mat;
wherein the conductive material is a separate material from an active material of a positive electrode and an active material of a negative electrode of a lead acid battery; and
wherein the layer of conductive material is a coating applied to the at least one surface of the plurality of entangled fibers, the coating comprising a mixture of the conductive material and a secondary binder.

8. The nonwoven fiber mat of claim 7 , further comprising a microporous membrane disposed on the opposite surface of the nonwoven fiber mat.

9. The nonwoven fiber mat of claim 8 , further comprising:
a second nonwoven fiber mat disposed on an opposite surface of the microporous membrane such that the microporous membrane is sandwiched between the nonwoven fiber mat and the second nonwoven fiber mat; and
a second conductive material disposed on an outer surface of the second nonwoven fiber mat, the second conductive material having an electrical conductivity that enables electron flow on the surface of the second nonwoven fiber mat.

10. The nonwoven fiber mat of claim 7 , wherein the conductive material comprise one or more materials selected from the group consisting of:
conductive polymers;
nanocarbons;
a metal;
copper;
titanium;
vanadium;
graphite; and
graphene.

11. The nonwoven fiber mat of claim 7 , wherein the nonwoven fiber mat comprises a glass mat, and wherein the coating is applied to the glass mat.

12. The nonwoven fiber mat of claim 7 , further comprising a second mat comprising a plurality of conductive fibers, the second mat being positioned adjacent the nonwoven fiber mat.

13. A lead-acid battery comprising:
a positive electrode;
a negative electrode; and
a fiber mat separating the positive electrode and the negative electrode so as to electrically insulate the positive and negative electrodes, the fiber mat comprising:
a plurality of fibers;
a primary binder that couples the plurality of fibers; and
a conductive material disposed on at least one surface of the fiber mat so as to contact the positive or the negative electrode, the conductive material having an electrical resistant less than about 100,000 ohms per square so as to enable electron flow on the surface of the fiber mat
wherein the conductive material is a separate material from an active material of the positive electrode and an active material of the negative electrode; and
wherein the conductive material is a coating applied to the at least one surface of the fiber mat, the coating comprising a mixture of the conductive material and a secondary binder.

14. The lead-acid battery of claim 13 , wherein the conductive material has an electrical resistant less than about 50,000 ohms per square.

15. The lead-acid battery of claim 13 , further comprising a conductive fiber mat positioned adjacent the at least one surface of the fiber mat.

16. The lead-acid battery of claim 15 , wherein the conductive fiber mat comprises a plurality of conductive polymers.

17. The lead-acid battery of claim 13 , further comprising an additional conductive material disposed on an opposite surface of the fiber mat so that both the positive and negative electrodes contact one of the respective conductive materials.

18. The battery separator of claim 1 , wherein the secondary binder is a dilute binder.

19. The nonwoven fiber mat of claim 7 , wherein the secondary binder is a dilute binder.

20. The lead-acid battery of claim 13 , wherein the secondary binder is a dilute binder.

Assignees

• Johns Manville

Inventors

• Nandi Souvik
• Guo Zhuhua
• Asrar Jawed
• Dietz Iii Albert G

Classifications

• H01M50/457

  comprising three or more layers · CPC title

• H01M50/451

  comprising layers of only organic material and layers containing inorganic material · CPC title

• H01M50/454

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

• H01M50/423

  Polyamide resins · CPC title

• H01M50/417

  Polyolefins · CPC title