High performance, temperature resistant, printable separator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016365557-A1
Application number	US-201514734729-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 9, 2015
Priority date	Jun 9, 2015
Publication date	Dec 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrochemical separator film includes a polymer, and particles of a first inorganic material having a first particle size suspended in the polymer. An electrochemical cell structure, includes at least one electrode on a substrate, and a separator film residing on top of the electrode, wherein the separator film comprises a polymer, and particles of a first inorganic material having a first particle size suspended in the polymer. A method of manufacturing a separator film, includes combining a polymer with a solvent for the polymer to form a polymer solution, mixing particles of a first inorganic material with the polymer, the particles having a first particle size to produce a separator mixture, depositing the separator mixture onto a substrate, and drying the separator mixture until the solvent and non-solvent are no longer present forming the separator film.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrochemical separator film, comprising:
a polymer; and particles of a first inorganic material having a first particle size suspended in the polymer.

2 . The electrochemical separator film of claim 1 further comprising particles of a second inorganic material having a second particle size suspended in the polymer, wherein the second particle size is larger than the first particle size

3 . The electrochemical separator film of claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).

4 . The electrochemical separator film of claim 1 , wherein the first inorganic material comprises a weight ratio of polymer to particles of 1.75:1.

5 . The electrochemical separator film of claim 1 , wherein the first inorganic material has an overall particle volume of less than 15%.

6 . The electrochemical separator film of claim 1 , wherein the first inorganic material comprises hydrophobic silica particles.

7 . The electrochemical separator film of claim 5 , wherein the silica particles comprise fumed silica particles of nanometer-sized silicon dioxide particles.

8 . The electrochemical separator film of claim 1 , wherein the second inorganic material comprises micrometer sized particles.

9 . The electrochemical separator film of claim 1 , wherein the first inorganic material and the second inorganic material have a ratio of 80:20 by weight.

10 . The electrochemical separator film of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical separator comprises a battery separator.

11 . An electrochemical cell structure, comprising:
at least one electrode on a substrate; and a separator film residing on top of the electrode, wherein the separator film comprises:
a polymer; and
particles of a first inorganic material having a first particle size suspended in the polymer.

12 . The electrochemical cell structure of claim 11 , further comprising a second electrode residing on top of the separator film along an opposite side of the separator film from the first electrode, wherein one electrode is a cathode and the other electrode is an anode.

13 . The electrochemical structure of claim 11 , wherein the separator film further comprises particles of a second inorganic material having a second particle size suspended in the polymer, wherein the second particle size is larger than the first particle size.

14 . A method of manufacturing a separator film, comprising:
combining a polymer with a solvent for the polymer to form a polymer solution; mixing particles of a first inorganic material with the polymer, the particles having a first particle size to produce a separator mixture; depositing the separator mixture onto a substrate; and drying the separator mixture until the solvent and non-solvent are no longer present forming the separator film.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising mixing particles of a second inorganic material into the separator mixture, the particles of the second inorganic material having a second particle size.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein combining a polymer with the solvent includes combining a non-solvent for the polymer with the polymer and the solvent.

17 . The method claim 14 , wherein mixing particles of the first inorganic material with the polymer includes mixing a non-solvent for the polymer with the particles of the first inorganic material.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the solvent comprises N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP).

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the non-solvent diethyl adipate (DEA).

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first inorganic material comprises hydrophobic silica particles.

21 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the hydrophobic silica particles comprise fumed silica particles with a hydrophobic surface coating.

22 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the second inorganic material comprises silica particles having the second particle size, where the second particle size is larger than the first particle size.

23 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising simultaneously depositing at least one electrode material adjacent to and in contact with the separator film.

24 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the solvent has a boiling point of at least 100° C.

Assignees

• Palo Alto Res Ct Inc

Inventors

• Rao Ranjeet
• Bae Chang-Jun
• Solberg Scott E

Classifications

• H01M50/403 Primary

  Manufacturing processes of separators, membranes or diaphragms · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

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

• H01M2/166 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M2/145

  Electricity · mapped topic