Celgard Inc.

Gerald P Rumierz

Karl F Humiston

Xiaomin Zhang

Ronnie E Smith

Charles E Haire

Tyrone S Fields

Michael A Braswell

Ronald A Proctor

Dickie J Brewer

Improved battery separators, base films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of making and/or using such separators, films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of enhancing battery or cell charge rates, charge capacity, and/or discharge rates, and/or methods of improving batteries, systems including such batteries, vehicles including such batteries and/or systems, and/or the like; biaxially oriented porous membranes, composites including biaxially oriented porous membranes, biaxially oriented microporous membranes, biaxially oriented macroporous membranes, battery separators with improved charge capacities and the related methods and methods of manufacture, methods of use, and the like; flat sheet membranes, liquid retention media; dry process separators; biaxially stretched separators; dry process biaxially stretched separators having a thickness range between about 5 μm and 50 μm, preferably between about 10 μm and 25 μm, having improved strength, high porosity, and unexpectedly and/or surprisingly high charge capacity, such as, for example, high 10C rate charge capacity; separators or membranes with high charge capacity and high porosity, excellent charge rate and/or charge capacity performance in a rechargeable and/or secondary lithium battery, such as a lithium ion battery, for high power and/or high energy applications, cells, devices, systems, and/or vehicles, and/or the like; single or multiple ply or layer separators, monolayer separators, trilayer separators, composite separators, laminated separators, co-extruded separators, coated separators, 1 C or higher separators, at least 1 C separators, batteries, cells, systems, devices, vehicles, and/or the like; improved microporous battery separators for secondary lithium batteries, improved microporous battery separators with enhanced or high charge (C) rates, discharge (C) rates, and/or enhanced or high charge capacities in or for secondary lithium batteries, and/or related methods of manufacture, use, and/or the like, and/or combinations thereof are disclosed or provided.

Separators, batteries, systems, vehicles, and related methods

The present invention is directed to novel, improved, modified or treated microporous membranes for use in textile related applications and which are preferably composed of two or more dissimilar porous membrane or material layers laminated together using heat, compression and/or adhesives. The preferred inventive laminated composite microporous membrane is modified using a technique or treatment such as microcreping to introduce permanent small, regularly spaced, crepes, profiles, compactions, pleats, or wrinkles into the laminated composite microporous membrane for the purpose of improving mechanical strength, elasticity and/or resiliency. In addition, the inventive microcreped microporous laminated membrane more preferably has significantly improved 'hand' or softness, has ‘next-to-the-skin’ softness, and/or is quiet without crinkling noises during movement, which may be desired performance properties or characteristics of or in textile garments, materials or applications.

Porous membranes, materials, composites, laminates, textiles and related methods

Improved battery separators, base films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of making and/or using such separators, films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of enhancing battery or cell charge rates, charge capacity, and/or discharge rates, and/or methods of improving batteries, systems including such batteries, vehicles including such batteries and/or systems, and/or the like; biaxially oriented porous membranes, composites including biaxially oriented porous membranes, biaxially oriented microporous membranes, biaxially oriented macroporous membranes, battery separators with improved charge capacities and the related methods and methods of manufacture, methods of use, and the like; flat sheet membranes, liquid retention media; dry process separators; biaxially stretched separators; dry process biaxially stretched separators having a thickness range between about 5 &#x3bc;m and 50 &#x3bc;m, preferably between about 10 &#x3bc;m and 25 &#x3bc;m, having improved strength, high porosity, and unexpectedly and/or surprisingly high charge capacity, such as, for example, high 10 C rate charge capacity; separators or membranes with high charge capacity and high porosity, excellent charge rate and/or charge capacity performance in a rechargeable and/or secondary lithium battery, such as a lithium ion battery, for high power and/or high energy applications, cells, devices, systems, and/or vehicles, and/or the like; single or multiple ply or layer separators, monolayer separators, trilayer separators, composite separators, laminated separators, co-extruded separators, coated separators, 1 C or higher separators, at least 1 C separators, batteries, cells, systems, devices, vehicles, and/or the like; improved microporous battery separators for secondary lithium batteries, improved microporous battery separators with enhanced or high charge (C) rates, discharge (C) rates, and/or enhanced or high charge capacities in or for secondary lithium batteries, and/or related methods of manufacture, use, and/or the like, and/or combinations thereof are disclosed or provided.

Improved battery separators, base films or membranes and/or a method of making or using such separators, base films or membranes are provided. The preferred inventive separators, base films or membranes are made by a dry-stretch process and have improved strength, high porosity, high charge capacity and high porosity to provide excellent charge rate and/or charge capacity performance in a rechargeable battery.

The present invention is directed to novel, improved, modified or treated microporous membranes for use in textile related applications and which are preferably composed of two or more dissimilar porous membrane or material layers laminated together using heat, compression and/or adhesives. The preferred inventive laminated composite microporous membrane is modified using a technique or treatment such as microcreping to introduce permanent small, regularly spaced, crepes, profiles, compactions, pleats, or wrinkles into the laminated composite microporous membrane for the purpose of improving mechanical strength, elasticity and/or resiliency. In addition, the inventive microcreped microporous laminated membrane more preferably has significantly improved 'hand' or softness, has 'next-to-the-skin' softness, and/or is quiet without crinkling noises during movement, which may be desired performance properties or characteristics of or in textile garments, materials or applications.

Growing community of inventors

Fort Mill, SC, United States of America

Gerald P Rumierz