Separators for electrochemical cells
AssigneeMoltech Corporation
InventorsSteven A. Carlson, Zhongyi Deng, Qicong Ying, Terje A. Skotheim
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Abstract
This invention pertains to separators for electrochemical cells which comprise a microporous pseudo-boehmite layer; electrolyte elements comprising such separators; electrical current producing cells comprising such separators; and methods of making such separators, electrolyte elements and cells.
Claims103
A separator for an electric current producing cell, wherein said separator comprises a microporous pseudo-boehmite layer having pores connected in a substantially continuous fashion through said pseudo-boehmite layer, and further wherein the layer of pseudo-boehmite, which pseudo-boehmite comprises said pores, has an average pore diameter from 1 nm to 300 nm for said pseudo-boehmite layer, wherein said separator is produced by a process comprising:
- (a) coating onto a substrate a liquid mixture comprising a boehmite sol and a binder;
- (b) drying the coating formed in step (a) to yield said microporous pseudo-boehmite layer;
- and
- (c) delaminating said pseudo-boehmite layer from said substrate, to provide a free-standing separator comprising said pseudo-boehmite layer.
A separator for an electric current producing cell, wherein said separator comprises a microporous pseudo-boehmite layer having pores connected in a substantially continuous fashion through said pseudo-boehmite layer, and further wherein the layer of pseudo-boehmite, which pseudo-boehmite comprises said pores, has an average pore diameter from 1 nm to 300 nm for said pseudo-boehmite layer, wherein said pseudo-boehmite layer is impregnated with an ionic conductive polymer, and wherein said pseudo-boehmite layer further comprises a binder.
An electrolyte element for an electric current producing cell, wherein said electrolyte element comprises:
- (a) a microporous pseudo-boehmite layer;
- and,
- (b) an organic electrolyte contained within the pores of said pseudo-boehmite layer.
A method of making a separator for an electric current producing cell, said separator comprising a microporous pseudo-boehmite layer having pores connected in a substantially continuous fashion through said pseudo-boehmite layer, wherein said method comprises the steps of:
- (a) coating onto a substrate a liquid mixture comprising a boehmite sol, wherein said substrate comprises a cathode coating layer on at least one outermost surface and the liquid mixture comprising said boehmite sol is coated onto said cathode coating layer;
- and
- (b) drying the coating formed in step (a) to yield said microporous pseudo-boehmite layer, wherein the layer of pseudo-boehmite, which pseudo-boehmite comprises said pores, has an average pore diameter from 1 nm to 300 nm for said pseudo-boehmite layer.
A method of making a separator for an electric current producing cell, said separator comprising a microporous pseudo-boehmite layer having pores connected in a substantially continuous fashion through said pseudo-boehmite layer, wherein said method comprises:
- (a) coating onto a substrate a liquid mixture comprising a boehmite sol;
- (b) drying the coating formed in step (a) to yield said microporous pseudo-boehmite layer, wherein the layer of pseudo-boehmite, which pseudo-boehmite comprises said pores, has an average pore diameter from 1 nm to 300 nm for said pseudo-boehmite layer;
- and
- (c) delaminating said pseudo-boehmite layer from said substrate, to provide a free-standing separator comprising said pseudo-boehmite layer.
A method of making a separator for an electric current producing cell, said separator comprising a microporous pseudo-boehmite layer having pores connected in a substantially continuous fashion through said pseudo-boehmite layer, wherein said method comprises:
- (a) coating onto a substrate a liquid mixture comprising a boehmite sol;
- (b) drying the coating formed in step (a) to yield said microporous pseudo-boehmite layer, wherein the layer of pseudo-boehmite, which pseudo-boehmite comprises said pores, has an average pore diameter from 1 nm to 300 nm for said pseudo-boehmite layer;
- (c) contacting the surface of said pseudo-boehmite layer with heat- or radiation-curable monomers or oligomers to thereby cause the infusion of said monomers or said oligomers into the pores of said pseudo-boehmite layer;
- and
- (d) curing said monomers or said oligomers with an energy source selected from the group consisting of:
- heat, ultraviolet light, visible light, infrared radiation, and electron beam radiation;
- thereby forming an ionic conductive polymer.
A method of making a separator for an electric current producing cell, said separator comprising a microporous pseudo-boehmite layer having pores connected in a substantially continuous fashion through said pseudo-boehmite layer, wherein said method comprises:
- (a) coating onto a substrate a liquid mixture comprising a boehmite sol and a binder, wherein said substrate comprises a cathode coating layer on at least one outermost surface and the liquid mixture comprising said boehmite sol and said binder is coated onto said cathode coating layer;
- and
- (b) drying the coating formed in step (a) to yield said microporous pseudo-boehmite layer, wherein the layer of pseudo-boehmite, which pseudo-boehmite comprises said pores, has an average pore diameter from 1 nm to 300 nm for said pseudo-boehmite layer.
A method of making a separator for an electric current producing cell, said separator comprising a microporous pseudo-boehmite layer having pores connected in a substantially continuous fashion through said pseudo-boehmite layer, wherein said method comprises:
- (a) coating onto a substrate a liquid mixture comprising a boehmite sol and a binder;
- and
- (b) drying the coating formed in step (a)to yield said microporous pseudo-boehmite layer, wherein the layer of pseudo-boehmite, which pseudo-boehmite comprises said pores, has an average pore diameter from 1 nm to 300 nm for said pseudo-boehmite layer;
- and
- (c) delaminating said pseudo-boehmite layer from said substrate, to provide a free-standing separator comprising said pseudo-boehmite layer.
A method of making a separator for an electric current producing cell, said separator comprising a microporous pseudo-boehmite layer having pores connected in a substantially continuous fashion through said pseudo-boehmite layer, wherein said method comprises:
- (a) coating onto a substrate a liquid mixture comprising a boehmite sol and a binder;
- (b) drying the coating formed in step (a) to yield said microporous pseudo-boehmite layer, wherein the layer of pseudo-boehmite, which pseudo-boehmite comprises said pores, has an average pore diameter from 1 nm to 300 nm for said pseudo-boehmite layer;
- (c) contacting the surface of said pseudo-boehmite layer with heat- or radiation-curable monomers or oligomers to thereby cause the infusion of said monomers or said oligomers into the pores of said pseudo-boehmite layer;
- and
- (d) curing said monomers or said oligomers with an energy source selected from the group consisting of:
- heat, ultraviolet light, visible light, infrared radiation, and electron beam radiation;
- thereby forming an ionic conductive polymer.
A method of making an electrolyte element for use in an electric current producing cell, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) coating onto a substrate a liquid mixture comprising a boehmite sol;
- (b) drying the coating formed in step (a) to yield a microporous pseudo-boehmite layer;
- and,
- (c) contacting the surface of said microporous pseudo-boehmite layer with an organic electrolyte, thereby causing the infusion of said electrolyte into the pores of said pseudo-boehmite layer.
An electric current producing cell comprising a cathode, an anode and an electrolyte element interposed between said cathode and said anode, wherein said electrolyte element comprises:
- (a) a microporous pseudo-boehmite layer;
- and,
- (b) an organic electrolyte contained within the pores of said microporous pseudo-boehmite layer.
An electrolyte element for an electric current producing cell, wherein said electrolyte element comprises:
- (a) a microporous pseudo-boehmite layer;
- and
- (b) an electrolyte contained with the pores of said pseudo-boehmite layer.
A method of making an electrolyte element for use in an electric current producing cell, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) coating onto a substrate a liquid mixture comprising a boehmite sol;
- (b) drying the coating formed in step (a) to yield a microporous pseudo-boehmite layer;
- and
- (c) contacting the surface of said microporous pseudo-boehmite layer with an electrolyte, thereby causing the infusion of said electrolyte into the pores of said pseudo-boehmite layer.
An electric current producing cell comprising a cathode, an anode and an electrolyte element interposed between said cathode and said anode, wherein said electrolyte element comprises:
- (a) a microporous pseudo-boehmite layer;
- and
- (b) an electrolyte contained within the pores of said microporous pseudo-boehmite layer.
A separator for an electric current producing cell, wherein said separator comprises a microporous pseudo-boehmite layer having pores connected in a substantially continuous fashion through said pseudo-boehmite layer, wherein said pseudo-boehmite layer further comprises a binder, wherein said separator is produced by a process comprising:
- (a) coating onto a substrate a liquid mixture comprising a boehmite sol and a binder, wherein said substrate comprises a cathode coating layer on at least one outermost surface and said liquid mixture comprising said boehmite sol is coated onto said cathode coating layer;
- and
- (b) drying the coating formed in step (a) to yield said microporous pseudo-boehmite layer, wherein the layer of pseudo-boehmite, which pseudo-boehmite comprises said pores, has an average pore diameter from 1 nm to 300 nm for said pseudo-boehmite layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.