Microporous polyolefin membrane and manufacturing method

1. A microporous membrane comprising from about 75 to about 99% of a polyethylene having a weight average molecular weight of from about 2.5×10 5 to about 5×10 5 and a molecular weight distribution of from about 10 to about 100, and from about 1 to about 25% polypropylene having a weight average molecular weight of from about 1×10 4 to about 4×10 6 , a heat of fusion of 80 J/g or higher, and a molecular weight distribution of from about 1 to about 100, percentages based on the mass of the membrane, wherein the membrane comprises pores characterized by a pore size distribution curve determined by mercury intrusion porosimetry, the curve representing a number of pores on a y-axis and pore size on an x-axis and having at least two peaks and contains dense domains corresponding to a main peak in a range of 0.01 μm to 0.08 μm in the pore size distribution curve and course domains corresponding to at least one sub-peak in a range of more than 0.08 μm to 1.5 μm or less in the pore size distribution curve such that the dense and coarse domains are irregularly entangled in any cross section of the membrane viewed in both longitudinal and transverse directions.

2. The microporous membrane of claim 1 , wherein the pore volume ratio of the dense domains to the coarse domains ranges from 0.5 to 49.

3. The microporous membrane of claim 1 , wherein the microporous membrane has surface roughness of 3×10 2 nm or more when measured as a maximum height difference between two points on the membrane.

4. The microporous membrane of claim 1 comprising from about 75 to about 99% of a polyethylene resin having a weight average molecular weight of from about 2.5×10 5 to about 4×10 5 and a molecular weight distribution of from about 10 to about 50, and from about 1 to about 25% polypropylene resin having a weight average molecular weight of from about 3×10 4 to about 1.5×10 6 , a heat of fusion of from about 80 to about 200 J/g, and a molecular weight distribution of from about 1.1 to about 50, percentages based on the mass of the membrane.

5. The microporous membrane of claim 1 , wherein

(a) the polyethylene is one or more of ethylene homopolymer or ethylene/α-olefin copolymer having a weight average molecular weight of from about 2.5×10 5 to about 5×10 5 and a molecular weight distribution of from about 10 to about 100; and

(b) the polypropylene is one or more of propylene homopolymer or propylene/α-olefin copolymer having a weight average molecular weight of from about 1×10 4 to about 4×10 6 and a molecular weight distribution of from about 1 to about 100.

6. The microporous membrane of claim 1 , wherein the membrane further comprises a third polymer selected from one or more of polybutene-1, polypentene-1, poly-4-methylpentene-1, polyhexene-1, polyoctene-1, polyvinyl acetate, polymethyl methacrylate, polystyrene, and ethylene/α-olefin copolymer.

7. The microporous membrane of claim 1 having an air permeability measured according to JIS P8117 ranging from about 20 to about 400 seconds/100 cm 3 , a porosity ranging from about 25 to about 80%, a pin puncture strength of about 2,000 mN or more at a membrane thickness of 20 μm, a tensile strength of about 49,000 kPa or more, a tensile elongation of 100% or more, a heat shrinkage ratio of 12% or less, a thickness variation ratio of 20% or less after heat compression, an air permeability of 700 sec/100 cm 3 or less after heat compression, and a surface roughness of 3×10 2 nm or more.

8. A battery separator comprising a microporous membrane comprising comprising from about 75 to about 99% of a polyethylene having a weight average molecular weight of from about 2.5×10 5 to about 5×10 5 and a molecular weight distribution of from about 10 to about 100, and from about 1 to about 25% polypropylene having a weight average molecular weight of from about 1×10 4 to about 4×10 6 , a heat of fusion of 80 J/g or higher, and a molecular weight distribution of from about 1 to about 100, percentages based on the mass of the membrane, wherein the membrane comprises pores characterized by a pore size distribution curve determined by mercury intrusion porosimetry, the curve representing a number of pores on a y-axis and pore size on an x-axis and having at least two peaks and containing dense domains corresponding to a main peak in a range of 0.01 μm to 0.08 μm in the pore size distribution curve and course domains corresponding to at least one sub-peak in a range of more than 0.08 μm to 1.5 μm or less in the pore size distribution curve such that the dense and coarse domains are irregularly entangled in any cross section of the membrane viewed in both longitudinal and transverse directions.

9. The battery separator of claim 8 , wherein the pore volume ratio of the dense domains to the coarse domains ranges from 0.5 to 49.

10. The battery separator of claim 8 , wherein the microporous membrane has surface roughness of from about 3×10 2 nm to about 3×10 3 nm when measured as a maximum height difference between two points on the surface of the battery separator.

11. The battery separator of claim 8 , wherein the membrane comprises from about 75 to about 99% of a polyethylene resin having a weight average molecular weight of from about 2.5×10 5 to about 4×10 5 and a molecular weight distribution of from about 10 to about 50, and from about 1 to about 25% polypropylene resin having a weight average molecular weight of from about 3×10 4 to about 1.5×10 6 , a heat of fusion of from about 80 to about 200 J/g, and a molecular weight distribution of from about 1.1 to about 50, percentages based on the mass of the membrane.