Battery separator for Li-Ion and/or Li-Ion polymer battery

• US 6,562,511 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2000
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NGK Spark PLUG Company Limited
• Original Assignee: NGK Spark PLUG Company Limited, NTK Powerdex, Inc.
• Inventors: Daroux, Mark L., Barlow, Geoffrey, Xing, Xuekun, Shokoohi, Frough K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalafut, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANTHONY, JULIAN
• Application Number:
  US09/730,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20020102455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 429/129, 429/142, 429/144, 296/233
• US Class Current: 429/144
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/443 Particulate material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/446 Composite material consisting of a mixture of organic and inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/449 having a layered structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/457 comprising three or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49112 including laminating of indefinite length material

Abstract

A separator for a Li-ion polymer battery comprised of a plurality of separator layers that are laminated together. The plurality of separator layers including a first layer formed of a first separator material, and a second layer formed of a second separator material, wherein the second layer is compositionally and structurally different from the first layer.

Claims

1. A Li-ion and/or Li-ion polymer cell, comprised of:

a cathode section;

an anode section; and

a multi-layered separator disposed between said anode section and said cathode section, said separator including two outer separator layers and an intermediate separator layer disposed between said outer separator layers, each of said separator layers being comprised of a polymer, a filler and a plasticizer with said polymer, filler and plasticizer being the same for each of said separator layers, but with a weight percentage composition of said polymer, filler and plasticizer for said intermediate separator layer being different from a weight percentage composition of said outer separator layers, wherein said outer separator layers have a porosity different from said intermediate separate layer.

2. A Li-ion and/or Li-ion polymer cell as defined in claim 1, wherein said polymer is polyvinylidene fluoride, said filler is silica and said plasticizer is dibutyl phthalate.

3. A method of forming a Li-ion or Li-ion polymer battery having a multi-layered separator, comprising the steps of:

a) forming an anode section and a cathode section, said anode section having an anode layer adhered to an anode current collector layer and said cathode section having a cathode layer applied to a cathode current collector;

b) laminating a first separator layer formed of a first separator material to said anode layer of said anode section and laminating a second separator layer formed of a second separator material to said cathode layer of said cathode section, said second separator material being the same as said first separator material;

c) laminating said anode section to said cathode section wherein said first separator layer and said second separator layer are disposed between said anode section and said cathode section and a third separator layer is disposed between said first separator layer and said second separator layer, each of said first, second and third separator layers being comprised of a polymer, a filler and a plasticizer with said polymer, filler and plasticizer being the same for each of said first, second and third separator layer, but with said third separator layer having a weight percentage composition different from a weight percentage composition of said first and second separator layers, wherein said first and second separator layers have a porosity different from said third separator layer.

4. A multi-layered separator for a Li-ion polymer battery, comprised of:

two, outer separator layers and an intermediate separator layer disposed between said outer separator layers, each of said separator layers being comprised of a polymer, a filler and a plasticizer with said polymer, filler and plasticizer being the same for each of said separator layers, but with a weight percentage composition of said polymer, filler and plasticizer for said intermediate separator layer being different from a weight composition of said outer separator layers, wherein said outer separator layers have a porosity different from said intermediate separator layer.

5. A multi-layered separator as defined in claim 4, wherein said outer separator layers are more adhesive than said intermediate separator layer.

6. A multi-layered separator as defined in claim 4, wherein said polymer is polyvinylidene fluoride, said filler is silica and said plasticizer is dibutyl phthalate.

7. A multi-layered separator as defined in claim 4, wherein said outer separator layers are formed from the following:

about 33.4% by weight polyvinylidene fluoride,

about 44.4% by weight dibutyl phthalate and

about 22.2% by weight silica powder, and

said intermediate separator layer is comprised of the following;

about 30% by weight polyvinylidene fluoride,

about 35% by weight dibutyl phthalate and

about 35% by weight silica powder.

8. A multi-layered separator for a Li-ion polymer battery as defined in claim 4, wherein said polymer is polyvinylidene fluoride, said filler is silica and said plasticizer is dibutyl phthalate.