Ductile polymer binders and battery components using the same

A composition comprising:

• a. an ethylene oxide-containing copolymer including:
• i. a first monomer of ethylene oxide;
• and
• ii. at least one additional monomer selected from an alkylene-oxide that is different from the first monomer of ethylene oxide, an alkyl glycidyl ether, an allyl glycidyl ether, or a combination thereof;
• and
• b. a metal salt;
• wherein the ethylene oxide-containing copolymer has a weight average molecular weight less than about 200,000 g/mole,
• the ethylene oxide-containing copolymer a random copolymer having polydispersity index, Mw/Mn, less than about 3,
• the ethylene oxide-containing copolymer has a molar fraction of the first monomer of ethylene oxide, XEO, greater than 0.88 to about 0.995, and,
• the ethylene oxide-containing copolymer has a peak melting temperature, Tp, in units of ° C., for a selected XEO in the range of 0.88 to about 0.995, which is below a maximum value of Tpmax, at the selected XEO, which is calculated using the equation Tpmax=(60−150(1−XEO));
• wherein the ethylene oxide-containing copolymer has a blockiness index greater than about 0.75.

A process for polymerizing an ethylene oxide-containing copolymer comprising contacting a first monomer of ethylene oxide and at least one additional monomer with a catalyst in the presence of a hydrocarbon diluent;

• at a reaction temperature less than the melting temperature of the copolymer for reacting the monomers to polymerize the copolymer;
• wherein the at least one additional monomer is an alkylene-oxide that is different from the first monomer of ethylene oxide, an alkyl glycidyl ether, an allyl glycidyl ether, or a combination thereof;
• wherein
• the ethylene oxide-containing copolymer has a weight average molecular weight less than about 200,000 g/mole, the ethylene oxide-containing copolymer is a random copolymer having a polydispersity index, Mw/Mn, less than 1.3, the ethylene oxide-containing copolymer has a molar fraction of the first monomer of ethylene oxide, XEO, from about 0.80 to about 0.995, and the ethylene oxide-containing copolymer has a peak melting temperature, Tp, in units of ° C., for a selected XEO in the range of about 0.80 to about 0.995, which is below a maximum value of Tpmax, at the selected XEO, which is calculated using the equation Tpmax=(60−280(1−XEO)).