X-ray sensitive battery separators and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9453805-B2
Application number	US-68941810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2010
Priority date	Jan 19, 2010
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

The instant application relates to an X-ray sensitive battery separator for a secondary lithium battery and a method for detecting the position of a separator in a secondary lithium battery. The X-ray sensitive battery separator includes a microporous membrane having an X-ray detectable element therein, thereon, or added thereto. The X-ray detectable element constitutes less than 20% by weight of the microporous membrane or separator. The method for detecting the position of a separator in a battery, cell, stack, jellyroll, can, or the like includes the following steps: (1) providing a battery, cell, stack, jellyroll, or the like including an X-ray sensitive battery separator; (2) subjecting the battery, cell, stack, jellyroll, or the like to X-ray radiation; and (3) thereby detecting the position of said separator in said battery, cell, stack, jellyroll, or the like.

First claim

We claim:

1. A X-ray sensitive battery separator for a secondary lithium battery comprising:
a microporous polymer membrane having a X-ray detectable element at least one of dispersed therein, coated thereon, or added thereto, and said X-ray detectable element comprising at least 2 and no more than 20 weight % of the membrane or separator.

2. The X-ray sensitive battery separator of claim 1 wherein said X-ray detectable element comprising between 2-10 weight % of the membrane.

3. The X-ray sensitive battery separator of claim 1 wherein said X-ray detectable element comprising between 2-5 weight % of the membrane.

4. The X-ray sensitive battery separator of claim 1 wherein said X-ray detectable element comprising about 4 weight % of the membrane.

5. The X-ray sensitive battery separator of claim 1 wherein the X-ray detectable element being selected from the group consisting of metal, metal oxide, metal phosphate, metal carbonate, X-ray fluorescent material, metal salt, metal sulfate, or mixtures thereof, and any of the foregoing metals being selected from the group consisting of Zn, Ti, Mn, Ba, Ni, W, Hg, Si, Cs, Sr, Ca, Rb, Ta, Zr, Al, Pb, Sn, Sb, Cu, Fe, and mixtures thereof.

6. The X-ray sensitive battery separator of claim 1 wherein the X-ray detectable element being barium sulfate.

7. A secondary lithium battery for X-ray inspection comprising:
a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a X-ray sensitive separator located between the electrodes, and a can housing the electrodes and separator, the X-ray sensitive separator comprising a microporous polymer membrane having a X-ray detectable element dispersed therein, the X-ray detectable element comprising at least 2 and no greater than 20 weight % of the membrane.

8. The secondary lithium battery of claim 7 wherein said X-ray detectable element comprising between 2-10 weight % of the membrane.

9. The secondary lithium battery of claim 7 wherein said X-ray detectable element comprising between 2-5 weight % of the membrane.

10. The secondary lithium battery of claim 7 wherein said X-ray detectable element comprising about 4 weight % of the membrane.

11. The secondary lithium battery of claim 7 wherein the X-ray detectable element being selected from the group consisting of metal, metal oxide, metal phosphate, metal carbonate, X-ray fluorescent material, metal salt, metal sulfate, or mixtures thereof, and any of the foregoing metals being selected from the group consisting of Zn, Ti, Mn, Ba, Ni, W, Hg, Si, Cs, Sr, Ca, Rb, Ta, Zr, Al, Pb, Sn, Sb, Cu, Fe, and mixtures thereof.

12. The secondary lithium battery of claim 11 wherein the X-ray detectable element being barium sulfate.

13. The X-ray sensitive battery separator of claim 1 wherein said microporous polymer membrane has said X-ray detectable element coated thereon.

14. The X-ray sensitive battery separator of claim 13 wherein said X-ray detectable element coating is coated on at least one side of said microporous polymer membrane.

Assignees

• Li Xuefa
• Wensley C Glen
• Zhang Zhengming
• Celgard Llc

Inventors

• Li Xuefa
• Wensley C Glen
• Zhang Zhengming

Classifications

• H01M50/457

  comprising three or more layers · CPC title

• H01M50/491

  Porosity · CPC title

• H01M10/4235 Primary

  Safety or regulating additives or arrangements in electrodes, separators or electrolyte (H01M10/4242 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N23/083 Primary

  the radiation being X-rays · CPC title

• H01M50/431

  Inorganic material · CPC title