Battery separator

• US 8,288,034 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2011
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Duracell U.S. Operations, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Gillette Company (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Davis, Stuart M., Boulton, Jonathan M., Eylem, Cahit, Mao, Ou
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruddock, Ula C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EGGERDING, ALIX ECHELMEYER
• Application Number:
  US13/270,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20120034508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 429/144
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/417 Polyolefins
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/429 Natural polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/434 Ceramics
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/44 Fibrous material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/451 comprising layers of only organic material and layers containing inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/457 comprising three or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/489 Separators, membranes, diaphragms or spacing elements inside the cells, characterised by their physical properties, e.g. swelling degree, hydrophilicity or shut down properties
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/16 with organic electrolyte H01M6/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery includes a separator with a trapping layer that traps dissolved metal ions.

Claims

1. A battery, comprising:

a cathode;

an anode;

an electrolyte; and

a separator comprising a first layer comprising metal particles capable of reducing a metal cation component of an ion generated from a cathode active material and dissolved in the electrolyte.

2. The battery of claim 1, wherein the metal particles are bismuth, tin, zinc, or indium.

3. The battery of claim 1, wherein the first layer has a thickness of from about one micron to about 500 microns.

4. The battery of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the first layer is from about 30 percent to about 70 percent of a thickness of the separator.

5. The battery of claim 1, wherein the battery further comprises a second layer that is adjacent to the first layer.

6. The battery of claim 5, wherein the second layer comprises a non-woven material.

7. The battery of claim 5, wherein the second layer comprises cellophane or grafted polyethylene.

8. The battery of claim 5, wherein the first layer is separated from the second layer by at least one other layer.

9. The battery of claim 5, wherein the separator further comprises a third layer.

10. The battery of claim 9, wherein the first layer is disposed between the second layer and the third layer.

11. The battery of claim 9, wherein the second layer comprises cellophane or grafted polyethylene.

12. The battery of claim 9, wherein the second layer comprises a non-woven material and the third layer comprises cellophane or grafted polyethylene.

13. The battery of claim 9, wherein the second layer is adjacent to the anode.

14. The battery of claim 1, wherein the metal particles have a reduction potential that is positive to the reduction potential of hydrogen.

15. The battery of claim 1, wherein the cathode includes a cathode active material including a copper material.

16. The battery of claim 15, wherein the cathode active material includes a copper oxide or a copper hydroxide.

17. The battery of claim 15, wherein the anode includes zinc and the electrolyte includes potassium hydroxide and the dissolved ion in Cu(OH)₄²⁻

.

18. The battery of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte is an alkaline electrolyte.