Conductive mat for battery electrode plate reinforcement and methods of use therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11018333-B2
Application number	US-201815886975-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2018
Priority date	Oct 3, 2013
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a plate or electrode for a lead-acid battery includes a grid of lead alloy material, a paste of active material applied to the grid of lead alloy material, and a nonwoven fiber mat disposed at least partially within the paste of active material. The nonwoven fiber mat includes a plurality of fibers, a binder material that couples the plurality of fibers together, and a conductive material disposed at least partially within the nonwoven fiber mat so as to contact the paste of active material. In some embodiments, the nonwoven fiber mat may have an electrical resistant of less than about 100,000 ohms per square to enable electron flow on a surface of the nonwoven fiber mat.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a plate of a lead-acid battery, the method comprising:
providing a grid of lead alloy material;
applying a paste of active material to the grid of lead alloy material to form a battery plate or electrode; and
applying a nonwoven fiber mat to a surface of the paste of the active material such that the nonwoven fiber mat is disposed at least partially within the paste of active material, wherein the nonwoven fiber mat comprises:
a plurality of fibers;
a binder material that couples the plurality of fibers together; and
a conductive material disposed throughout the nonwoven fiber mat so as to contact the paste of active material, the nonwoven fiber mat having an electrical resistant of less than about 100,000 ohms per square to enable electron flow on a surface of the nonwoven fiber mat.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a second nonwoven fiber mat to an opposite surface of the paste of active material so that the grid of lead alloy material is disposed between two nonwoven fiber mats.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven fiber mat has a thickness of 0.009 inches or less and a tensile strength of at least 30 lbs/3 inch.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers comprises first fibers having fiber diameters between about 6 μm and about 11 μm and second fibers having fiber diameters between about 10 μm and about 20 μm.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven fiber mat is disposed within the paste of active material between about 0.001 inches and about 0.020 inches.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the binder includes the conductive material.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conductive material comprises a plurality of conductive fibers that are entangled with fibers of the nonwoven fiber mat.

8. A method of manufacturing a lead-acid battery comprising:
providing a positive electrode;
providing a negative electrode;
positioning a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode to electrically insulate the positive and negative electrodes, the separator including a microporous polymer film and a nonwoven fiber mat that reinforces the separator; and
positioning an additional fiber mat adjacent either the positive electrode or the negative electrode to reinforce the positive or negative electrode, wherein the additional fiber mat comprises:
a plurality of entangled fibers;
a binder material that couples the plurality of entangled fibers together; and
a conductive material disposed throughout the additional fiber mat so as to contact the positive or the negative electrode, wherein the additional fiber mat has an electrical resistance of less than about 100,000 ohms per square so as to enable electron flow on the surface of the additional fiber mat.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the additional fiber mat has an electrical resistant of less than about 50,000 ohms per square.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the separator also includes a conductive material disposed on at least one surface of the nonwoven fiber mat or throughout the nonwoven fiber mat such that the nonwoven fiber mat comprises an electrical resistant of less than about 100,000 ohms per square to enable electron flow on the surface of the nonwoven fiber mat.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the conductive material comprises a plurality of conductive fibers that are entangled with fibers of the additional fiber mat.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the binder material includes the plurality of conductive fibers.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of fibers of the additional fiber mat comprise glass fibers.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the additional fiber mat comprises a first fiber mat that is positioned on a first side of the positive electrode or the negative electrode, and wherein the lead-acid battery further comprises a second fiber mat that is positioned on a second side of the positive electrode or the negative electrode opposite the first side, wherein the second fiber mat comprises a conductive material disposed on at least one surface of the second fiber mat or throughout the second fiber mat such that the second fiber mat has an electrical resistant of less than about 100,000 ohms per square to enable electron flow on the surface of the second fiber mat.

Assignees

• Johns Manville

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H01M50/414

  Synthetic resins, e.g. thermoplastics or thermosetting resins · CPC title

• H01M50/437

  Glass · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• H01M4/20

  of pasted electrodes · CPC title

• H01M10/12

  Construction or manufacture · CPC title