IP Library Granted Patent US 7,700,182
Granted Patent B2
US 7,700,182 · App. 11/383,260 · Granted Apr 20, 2010

Microporous polyolefin membrane, its production method, and battery separator

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,700,182
App. No.
11/383,260
Granted
Apr 20, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

A microporous polyolefin membrane comprising a polyethylene resin, and polypropylene having a weight-average molecular weight of 6×10 5 or more and a heat of fusion of 90 J/g or more (measured by a differential scanning calorimeter), a fraction having a molecular weight of 1.8×10 6 or more being 10% or more by mass of the polypropylene.

Claims (18)

1. A microporous polyolefin membrane comprising at least one polyethylene, and 20 to 80 wt. % of at least one polypropylene having a weight-average molecular weight of 6×10 5 or more and a heat of fusion of 90 J/g or more, a fraction of said polypropylene having a molecular weight of 1.8×10 6 or more being 10% or more by mass of the polypropylene.

2. A battery separator formed by a microporous polyolefin membrane comprising at least one polyethylene, and 20 to 80 wt. % of at least one polypropylene having a weight-average molecular weight of 6×10 5 or more and a heat of fusion of 90 J/g or more, a fraction of said polypropylene having a molecular weight of 1.8×10 6 or more being 10% or more by mass of the polypropylene.

3. The microporous polyolefin membrane of claim 1 , wherein said a polypropylene has a weight-average molecular weight of about 8×10 5 or more.

4. The microporous polyolefin membrane of claim 1 , wherein said fraction of said polypropylene having a molecular weight of 1.8×10 6 or more is at least 15% or more by mass.

5. The microporous polyolefin membrane of claim 1 , wherein said polypropylene has a heat of fusion of 95 J/g or more.

6. The microporous polyolefin membrane of claim 1 , wherein said polypropylene comprises 20 to 80% by mass of the combined masses of the polyethylene and polypropylene.

7. The microporous polyolefin membrane of claim 1 , wherein said at least one polyethylene resin is ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, a polyethylene other than the ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, or a mixture of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene and polyethylene other than the ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene.

8. The microporous polyolefin membrane of claim 7 , wherein said ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene preferably has a weight-average molecular weight of about 5×10 5 or more.

9. The microporous polyolefin membrane of claim 8 , wherein said ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene has a weight-average molecular weight of about 1×10 6 to about 15×10 6 .

10. The microporous polyolefin membrane of claim 9 , wherein said ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene has a weight-average molecular weight of about 1×10 6 to about 5×10 6 .

11. The microporous polyolefin membrane of claim 7 , wherein said ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene comprises an ethylene homopolymer, or an ethylene·α-olefin copolymer containing an amount of an α-olefin other than ethylene.

12. The microporous polyolefin membrane of claim 1 , wherein said at least one polyethylene resin has a weight-average molecular weight of 2×10 5 or more, and Mw/Mn of 5-300.

13. The microporous polyolefin membrane of claim 7 , wherein said polyethylene composition comprises (a) polyethylene having a weight-average molecular weight of 5×10 5 or more, and (b) at least one selected from the group consisting of polyethylene having a weight-average molecular weight of 1×10 4 or more and less than 5×10 5 , polybutene-1 having a weight-average molecular weight of 1×10 4 to 4×10 6 , a polyethylene wax having a weight-average molecular weight of 1×10 3 to 1×10 4 , and an ethylene·α-olefin copolymer having a weight-average molecular weight of 1×10 4 to 4×10 6 .

14. The microporous polyolefin membrane of claim 13 , wherein said polyethylene composition comprises polyethylene having a weight-average molecular weight of 5×10 5 or more, and polyethylene having a weight-average molecular weight of 1×10 4 or more and less than 5×10 5 .

15. The microporous polyolefin membrane of claim 14 , wherein said polyethylene having a weight-average molecular weight of 1×10 4 or more and less than 5×10 5 is high-density polyethylene, medium-density polyethylene, branched low-density polyethylene,or linear low-density polyethylene.

16. The microporous polyolefin membrane of claim 15 , wherein said polyethylene composition comprises polyethylene having a weight-average molecular weight of 5×10 5 or more, and high-density polyethylene having a weight-average molecular weight of 1×10 4 or more and less than 5×10 5 .

17. The microporous polyolefin membrane of claim 1 , wherein the microporous polyolefin membrane has a porosity of 25-80%, an air permeability of 20-2,000 seconds/100 cc, a prick resistance of 2,000 mN/20 μm or more, and a meltdown temperature of 170° C. or more.

18. The microporous polyolefin membrane of claim 1 , wherein the microporous polyolefin membrane has a porosity of 25-80%, an air permeability of 20-2,000 seconds/100 cc, a prick resistance of 2,000 mN/20 μm or more, and a meltdown temperature of 170 to 190° C.

Assignments (7)
MERGER Recorded Sep 15, 2017
From: TORAY BATTERY SEPARATOR FILM CO., LTD.
To: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 043968/0447 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE NAME OF ASSIGNEE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 029093 FRAME 0799. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Nov 5, 2012
From: TORAY TONEN SPECIALTY SEPARATOR GODO KAISHA
To: TORAY BATTERY SEPARATOR FILM CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 029244/0438 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CORRECT THE ADDRESS OF THE ASSIGNEE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 029068 FRAME 0551. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Oct 8, 2012
From: TORAY TONEN SPECIALTY SEPARATOR GODO KAISHA
To: TORAY BATTERY SEPARATOR FILM GODO KAISHA
Reel/Frame 029093/0799 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 3, 2012
From: TORAY TONEN SPECIALTY SEPARATOR GODO KAISHA
To: TORAY BATTERY SEPARATOR FILM CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 029068/0551 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 28, 2011
From: TONEN CHEMICAL CORPORATION
To: TORAY TONEN SPECIALTY SEPARATOR GODO KAISHA
Reel/Frame 026194/0184 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 6, 2007
From: OZAKI, HIROYUKI; KIMISHIMA, KOTARO; KONO, KOICHI; BRANT, PATRICK; LIN, ZERONG; BRINEN, JEFFREY LAWRENCE
To: TONEN CHEMICAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 018971/0603 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 31, 2006
From: OZAKI, HIROYUKI; KIMISHIMA, KOTARO; KONO, KOICHI; BRANT, PATRICK
To: TONEN CHEMICAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 018036/0591 →