CELGARD, LLC

Equipment or methods are provided for addressing the failure mode that thermal runaway cell emits flammable smoke, igniting the flammable smoke causes an EDV fire and providing new or proprietary solutions, components, materials or chemicals, to achieve the following: non-flammable smoke can be generated during cell thermal runaway resulting in smoke only, cell reaction strength is reduced by dropping Tmax for the reaction, and/or thermal-propagation can be prevented, whereby many EDV and ESS fires may be prevented and safe EDVs and ESSs may be possible. Novel or improved batteries, anodes, separators, solutions on li ion battery fires, and/or fire suppression systems, chemicals, etc.; in addition, exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are directed to novel or improved lithium ion batteries, cells, electrodes, separators, and/or similar batteries incorporating the same, and/or related methods of manufacturing and/or of using the same, and/or combinations thereof; improvements or solutions as shown and/or described herein. Equipment or methods are provided for addressing the failure mode that Thermal runaway cell emits flammable smoke Igniting the flammable smoke causes an EDV fire and providing new or proprietary solutions, components, materials or chemicals, to achieve the following: Non-flammable smoke can be generated during cell thermal runaway resulting in smoke only. Cell reaction strength is reduced by dropping Tmax for the reaction, and/or thermal-propagation can be prevented, whereby many EDV and ESS fires may be prevented and safe EDVs and ESSs may be possible.

In one aspect, microporous membranes are described herein demonstrating composite architectures and properties suitable for electronic and/or optical applications. In some embodiments, a composite membrane described herein includes a microporous polymeric matrix or substrate having an interconnected pore structure and an index of refraction and an electrically conductive coating deposited over one or more surfaces of the microporous polymeric matrix. In other embodiments, the pores are filled and the membranes are substantially transparent.

New and/or improved coatings, layers or treatments for porous substrates, including battery separators or separator membranes, and/or coated or treated porous substrates, including coated battery separators, and/or batteries or cells including such coatings or coated separators, and/or related methods including methods of manufacture and/or of use thereof are disclosed. Also, new or improved coatings for porous substrates, including battery separators, which comprise at least a matrix material or a polymeric binder, and heat-resistant particles with additional additives, materials or components, and/or to new or improved coated or treated porous substrates, including battery separators, where the coating comprises at least a matrix material or a polymeric binder, and heat-resistant particles with additional additives, materials or components are disclosed. Further, new or improved coatings for porous substrates, including battery separators, and new and/or improved coated porous substrates, including battery separators, new or improved coatings for porous substrates, including battery separators, which comprise at least (i) a matrix material or a polymeric binder, (ii) heat-resistant particles, and (iii) at least one component selected from the group consisting of a cross-linker, a low-temperature shutdown agent, an adhesion agent, and a thickener, and new and/or improved coated porous substrates, including battery separators, where the coating comprises at least (i) a matrix material or a polymeric binder, (ii) heat-resistant particles, and (iii) at least one component selected from the group consisting of a cross-linker, a low-temperature shutdown agent, an adhesion agent, a thickener, a friction-reducing agent, and a high-temperature shutdown agent are disclosed.

2 . A composite for forming an improved semi-solid state electrolyte. The composite has a layer formed including lithium metaphosphate (LiPO 3 ). The layer may include a mixture of LiPO 3 and PEO. The composite may be wet with liquid electrolyte to form the semi-solid state electrolyte. When used in a semi-solid state battery, the semi-solid state electrolyte provides beneficial results, including improved cycle life and less lithium dendrite growth. Another composite for forming an improved semi-solid state electrolyte has a layer formed including LiTaO 3 and LiNbO 3 . Yet another composite has a single layer formed to include a mixture of a polyethylene oxide and a lithium-containing salt, including a lithium salt including niobium, tantalum, or mixtures thereof. Such composites may be wet with liquid electrolyte to form the semi-solid state electrolyte. When used in a semi-solid state battery, the semi-solid state electrolyte provides beneficial results, including improved cycle life and less lithium dendrite growth.

A novel or improved base film for impregnation, impregnated base film, product incorporating the impregnated base film, and/or related methods as shown, claimed or described herein.

Described herein is a multilayer microporous film or membrane that may exhibit improved properties, including improved dielectric break down and strength, compared to prior monolayer or tri-layer microporous membranes of the same thickness. The preferred multilayer microporous membrane comprises microlayers and one or more lamination interfaces or barriers. Also disclosed is a battery separator or battery comprising one or more of the multilayer microporous films or membranes. The inventive battery and battery separator is preferably safer and more robust than batteries and battery separators using prior monolayer and tri-layer microporous membranes. Also, described herein is a method for making the multilayer microporous separators, membranes or films described herein.

Novel or improved microporous single or multilayer battery separator membranes, separators, batteries including such membranes or separators, methods of making such membranes, separators, and/or batteries, and/or methods of using such membranes, separators and/or batteries are provided. In accordance with at least certain embodiments, a multilayer dry process polyethylene/polypropylene/polyethylene microporous separator which is manufactured using the inventive process which includes machine direction stretching followed by transverse direction stretching and a subsequent calendering step as a means to reduce the thickness of the multilayer microporous membrane, to reduce the percent porosity of the multilayer microporous membrane in a controlled manner and/or to improve transverse direction tensile strength. In a very particular embodiment, the inventive process produces a thin multilayer microporous membrane that is easily coated with polymeric-ceramic coatings, has excellent mechanical strength properties due to its polypropylene layer or layers and a thermal shutdown function due to its polyethylene layer or layers. The ratio of the thickness of the polypropylene and polyethylene layers in the inventive multilayer microporous membrane can be tailored to balance mechanical strength and thermal shutdown properties.

A heat-resistant sticky coating for use on a membrane or lithium ion battery separator is disclosed. The coating has at least improved dry adhesion to an electrode for a lithium ion battery. The coating includes heat-resistant particles with a water-soluble sticky polymer on their surface. The water-soluble sticky polymer may be a polyethylene oxide (PEO). The coating may also include particles of water-insoluble sticky polymer. The water-insoluble sticky polymer may be a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) homopolymer, copolymer, or terpolymer. The water-insoluble sticky polymer may be in the same layer of the coating as the heat-resistant particles with the water-soluble sticky polymer on their surface, or it may be in a different layer. A method for forming the heat-resistant sticky coating is also disclosed.

Described herein, are battery separators, comprising the following: a microporous polymeric film; and an optional coating layer on at least one side of the microporous polymeric film, wherein at least one of the microporous polymeric film and the optional coating comprises an additive. The additive is selected from the group consisting of a lubricating agent, a plasticizing agent, a nucleating agent, a shrinkage reducing agent, a surfactant, an SEI improving agent, a cathode protection agent, a flame retardant additive, LiPF 6 salt stabilizer, an overcharge protector, an aluminum corrosion inhibitor, a lithium deposition agent or improver, or a solvation enhancer, an aluminum corrosion inhibitor, a wetting agent, and a viscosity improver. Also, described herein are batteries, including lithium-ion batteries, comprising one or more of the described separators. Methods for making the battery separators are also described.

A dry-process microporous membrane for filtration, wherein at least one layer of the membrane has an average pore size less than 0.035 microns, preferably between about 0.010 microns to about 0.020 microns, and a thickness less than 14 microns. The membrane may be used in an ultra-filtration or nano-filtration process. The membrane exhibits high dimensional stability.