Microporous separator composed of microspheres secured to an electrode strip

• US 5,116,701 A
• Filed: 02/22/1991
• Issued: 05/26/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eveready Battery Company Incorporated (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Eveready Battery Company Incorporated (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kalisz, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Skapars, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US07/660,184
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 429/130, 429/142, 429/143, 429/146, 429/246, 428/325
• US Class Current: 429/130
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4235 Safety or regulating additives or arrangements in electrodes, separators or electrolyte H01M10/4242 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/00 Safety devices for primary or secondary batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/10 Temperature sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/20 Pressure-sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/12 of consumable metal or alloy electrodes use of alloy compositions as active materials H01M4/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/443 Particulate material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/46 Separators, membranes or diaphragms characterised by their combination with electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electrode and separator composite composed of an electrode strip, such as a lithium strip, having a microporous separator secured to its surface in which the separator comprises a layer of insulating microspheres, such as glass microspheres measuring from 5 microns to 0.05 inch in diameter, partially embedded in the surface of the electrode strip.

Claims

1. An integral electrode and separator composite comprising an electrode strip having a microporous separator secured to its surface, said microporous separator comprising at least one layer of insulating microspheres contacting each other and partially embedded in the surface of the electrode strip and wherein said microspheres are from 5 microns to 0.05 inch in diameter and cover at least 65 percent of the area of the surface of the electrode strip defined by the microsphere layer.

2. The integral electrode and separator composite of claim 1 wherein the insulating microspheres are selected from the group consisting of glass and ceramic.

3. The integral electrode and separator composite of claim 1 wherein the diameter of the microspheres is from 5 microns to 0.05 inch.

4. The integral electrode and separator composite of claim 3 wherein the insulating microspheres are selected from the group consisting of glass and ceramic.

5. The integral electrode and separator composite of claim 1 wherein the insulating microspheres are hollow.

6. The integral electrode and separator composite of claim 5 wherein the insulating microspheres are selected from the group consisting of glass and ceramic.

7. The integral electrode and separator composite of claim 6 wherein the diameter of the insulating microspheres is from 5 microns to 0.05 inch and the wall thickness is from 0.5 to 50 microns.

8. The integral electrode and separator composite of claim 7 wherein the electrode strip is an anode material and an anode passivating agent is contained within the hollow microspheres.

9. The integral electrode and separator composite of claim 8 wherein the electrode is lithium and the passivating agent is an iron compound.

10. The integral electrode and separator composite of claim 8 wherein the electrode is lithium and the passivating agent is a zinc compound.

11. The integral electrode and separator composite of claim 1 wherein the electrode is an anode and the anode is selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium and calcium.

12. The integral electrode and separator composite of claim 11 wherein the electrode is lithium.

13. The integral electrode and separator composite of claim 11 wherein the microspheres are selected from the group consisting of glass and ceramic.

14. The integral electrode and separator composite of claim 13 wherein the diameter of the insulating microspheres is from 5 microns to 0.05 inch.

15. The integral electrode and separator composite of claim 14 wherein the microspheres are hollow.

16. The integral electrode and separator composite of claim 15 wherein the diameter of the insulating microspheres is from 5 microns to 0.05 inch and the wall thickness is from 0.5 to 50 microns.

17. The integral electrode and separator composite of claim 15 wherein the anode is lithium.

18. The integral electrode and separator composite of claim 17 wherein the insulating microspheres are glass microspheres.

19. The integral electrode and separator composite of claim 18 wherein the diameter of the insulating microspheres is from 10 to 300 microns and the wall thickness is from 0.5 to 30 microns.

20. The integral electrode and separator composite of claim 19 wherein the insulating glass microspheres are made of soda-lime-borosilicate glass.