Surfactant coated separator

Abstract

A battery separator including a porous membrane with a surfactant coating on at least one side thereof is described. The surfactant coating may include a non-ionic surfactant in a low amount, a blend of a non-ionic surfactant and an ionic surfactant, or the surfactant coating may contain only a compound having the following structures: where n is an integer from 0 to 10, m is an integer from 0 to 10, n and m are the same or different, q is an integer from 0 to 10, r is an integer from 0 to 10, s is an integer from 0 to 10, and q, r, and s are the same or different, R1 is H, a C1 to C10 linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated alkyl group, a C1 to C10 fatty alcohol, a C1 to C10 alcohol, or an aromatic group, and R2 is H, a C1 to C10 linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated alkyl group, a C1 to C10 linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated fatty alcohol, a C1 to C10 linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated alcohol, or an aromatic group, n and m are the same or different, R1 and R2 are the same or different, R3 is hydrogen or methyl or a C1 to C5 alkyl group, R4 is hydrogen or methyl or a C1 to C5 alkyl group R3 and R4 are the same or different, and X is a negatively charged groups such as SO3—, COO—, PO4-2, and the like; and also a positively charged counterion. When the separator described herein is used in a battery, the battery may exhibit improved properties such as reduced grid corrosion, a lower black residue rating, longer discharge life, lower water loss, improved charge acceptance, longer life, etc.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.