High temperature melt integrity battery separators via spinning
View Patent ↗A method for preparing a high temperature melt integrity separator, the method comprising spinning a polymer by one or more of a mechanical spinning process and an electro-spinning process to produce fine fibers.
1. A method comprising:
dissolving a polymer in a solvent to provide a polymer solution, wherein the polymer comprises one or more of polyetherimide, poly(amic acid), aromatic polyamide, poly(amide-imide), and polyphenylene oxide; and
spinning the polymer solution into fine fibers by a shear solution spinning method, wherein the shear solution spinning method comprises injecting the polymer solution into an anti-solvent medium, and wherein flow rate and viscosity of the anti-solvent medium are configured to generate shear forces on the injected polymer solution to form fine fibers.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solvent comprises acetone, chloroform, ethanol, isopropanol, methanol, butanol, toluene, tetrahydrofuran, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, dimethyl acetate, water, benzene, styrene, ethyl benzene, benzyl alcohol, 1,4-dioxane, propanol, carbon tetrachloride, tetrachloroethylene, cyclohexane, hexane, pentane, cyclohexanone, cyclopentane, methylene chloride, a phenolic solvent, pyridine, trichloroethane, trichloroethylene, N,N-dimethyl formamide, ethylene dichloride, dimethyl sulfoxide, N,N-dimethylacetamide, a pyrrolidone-based solvent, ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, acetonitrile, N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide, butylene carbonate, 1,4-butyrolactone, diethyl carbonate, diethylether, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, 1,3-dioxolane, ethyl methyl carbonate, methyl formate, 3-methyloxazolidin-2-on, methyl propionate, 2-methyletetrahydrofurane, sulpholane, anisole, isophorone, xylene, carbon disulfide, chlorobenzene, dichlorobenzene, sulfuric acid, or dichloroethane, or a combination thereof.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anti-solvent medium comprises water, ethylene glycol, glycerol, acetone, chloroform, ethanol, isopropanol, methanol, butanol, toluene, tetrahydrofuran, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, dimethyl acetate, water, benzene, styrene, ethyl benzene, benzyl alcohol, 1,4-dioxane, propanol, carbon tetrachloride, tetrachloroethylene, cyclohexane, hexane, pentane, cyclohexanone, cyclopentane, methylene chloride, a phenolic solvent, pyridine, trichloroethane, trichloroethylene, N,N-dimethyl formamide, ethylene dichloride, dimethyl sulfoxide, N,N-dimethylacetamide, a pyrrolidone-based solvent, ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, acetonitrile, N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide, butylene carbonate, 1,4-butyrolactone, diethyl carbonate, diethylether, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, 1,3-dioxolane, ethyl methyl carbonate, methyl formate, 3-methyloxazolidin-2-on, methyl propionate, 2-methyletetrahydrofurane, sulpholane, anisole, isophorone, xylene, carbon disulfide, chlorobenzene, or dichlorobenzene, or a combination thereof.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer solution during the shear solution spinning method has a temperature from about 23° C. to about the boiling point of the solvent.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer solution comprises about 2.5 wt % to about 35 wt % of the polymer based on the total weight of the polymer solution.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer solution has a viscosity of about 14 cP to about 290,000 cP.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising collecting the fine fibers in a solvent or an anti-solvent medium as a slurry.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising forming a fiber-based structure, wherein the forming the fiber-based structure comprises subjecting the slurry to a wet-laid non-woven fabrication process.
9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising forming a fiber-based structure, wherein the forming the fiber-based structure comprises subjecting the slurry to a dry-laid fabrication process.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a fiber-based structure by collecting the fine fibers onto a collector.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the collector comprises a woven polymer, nonwoven substrate, a porous polymer substrate, a polyethylene micro-porous substrate, a battery electrode or a capacitor electrode, or a combination thereof.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the formed fibers are used to prepare a fiber-based structure by a drying step, a dispersion step into a solvent, a dry laid process, a wet laid process, a paper-making process, a dry spraying method, a wet spraying method, a thermal treatment, a pressure treatment, or combinations thereof.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a fiber-based structure, wherein the porosity of the fiber-based structure is in the range of about 10% to about 90%.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a fiber-based structure, wherein the fiber-based structure has a thickness of about 10 μm to about 200 μm.
15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a fiber-based structure, wherein the fiber-based structure comprises fibers with an individual average diameter of about 10 nm to about 50 μm.
16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a fiber-based structure, wherein the fiber-based structure shows less than about 5% deformation at a temperature of about 150° C.
17. A method comprising:
dissolving a polymer in a solvent to provide a polymer solution, wherein the polymer comprises one or more of polyetherimide, poly(amic acid), aromatic polyamide, poly(amide-imide) and polyphenylene oxide; and
spinning the polymer solution into fine fibers by a centrifugal force spinning method, wherein the centrifugal force spinning method comprises spinning the polymer solution through a spinneret with an array of fine gauge capillaries, wherein the polymer solution exits the fine gauge capillaries in a radially outward direction under the centrifugal force to form the fine fibers.
18. The method of claim 17 , the polymer solution comprises about 2.5 wt % to about 35 wt % of the polymer based on the total weight of the polymer solution.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the polymer solution has a viscosity of about 14 cP to about 290,000 cP.
20. A method comprising:
dissolving a polymer in a solvent to provide a polymer solution, wherein the polymer comprises thermoplastic polymers having a glass transition temperature higher than about 180° C.; and
spinning the polymer solution into fine fibers by a shear solution spinning method, wherein the shear solution method comprises injecting the polymer solution into an anti-solvent medium, and wherein flow rate and viscosity of the anti-solvent medium are configured to generate shear forces on the injected polymer solution to form fine fibers.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the polymer comprises one or more of polyetherimide, poly(amic acid), aromatic polyamide, poly(amide-imide), polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyphenylsulfone, polybenzoxazole, polybenzimidazole, and polyphenylene oxide.
22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the solvent comprises acetone, chloroform, ethanol, isopropanol, methanol, butanol, toluene, tetrahydrofuran, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, dimethyl acetate, water, benzene, styrene, ethyl benzene, benzyl alcohol, 1,4-dioxane, propanol, carbon tetrachloride, tetrachloroethylene, cyclohexane, hexane, pentane, cyclohexanone, cyclopentane, methylene chloride, a phenolic solvent, pyridine, trichloroethane, trichloroethylene, N,N-dimethyl formamide, ethylene dichloride, dimethyl sulfoxide, N,N-dimethylacetamide, a pyrrolidone-based solvent, ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, acetonitrile, N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide, butylene carbonate, 1,4-butyrolactone, diethyl carbonate, diethylether, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, 1,3-dioxolane, ethyl methyl carbonate, methyl formate, 3-methyloxazolidin-2-on, methyl propionate, 2-methyletetrahydrofurane, sulpholane, anisole, isophorone, xylene, carbon disulfide, chlorobenzene, dichlorobenzene, sulfuric acid, or dichloroethane, or a combination thereof.
23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the polymer solution during the shear solution spinning method has a temperature from about 23° C. to about the boiling point of the solvent.
24. The method of claim 20 , the polymer solution comprises about 2.5 wt % to about 35 wt % of the polymer based on the total weight of the polymer solution.
25. The method of claim 20 , wherein the polymer solution has a viscosity of about 14 cP to about 290,000 cP.
26. A method comprising:
melting a polymer comprising, poly(4-methylpentene), poly(amide-imide), polyoxymethylene, polyphthalamide, polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyphenylsulfone, polyetherimide, polyketone, polyetherketone, polyetheretherketone, polyphenylene sulfide, or a copolymer or blend thereof; and
spinning the polymer melt into fine fibers by a centrifugal force spinning method, wherein the centrifugal force spinning method comprises spinning the polymer melt through a spinneret with an array of fine gauge capillaries, creating a centrifugal force, and applying heat to the polymer melt at a temperature of equal to or higher than about 450° C., wherein the centrifugal force facilitates formation of the fine fibers.
27. A method comprising:
dissolving a polymer in a solvent to provide a polymer solution, wherein the polymer comprises thermoplastic polymers having a glass transition temperature higher than about 180° C.; and
spinning the polymer solution into fine fibers by a centrifugal force spinning method, wherein the centrifugal force spinning method comprises spinning the polymer solution through a spinneret with an array of fine gauge capillaries, wherein the polymer solution exits the fine gauge capillaries in a radially outward direction under the centrifugal force to form the fine fibers.
28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the polymer comprises one or more of polyetherimide, poly(amic acid), aromatic polyamide, poly(amide-imide), polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyphenylsulfone, polybenzoxazole, polybenzimidazole, and polyphenylene oxide.
29. The method of claim 27 , wherein the solvent comprises acetone, chloroform, ethanol, isopropanol, methanol, butanol, toluene, tetrahydrofuran, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, dimethyl acetate, water, benzene, styrene, ethyl benzene, benzyl alcohol, 1,4-dioxane, propanol, carbon tetrachloride, tetrachloroethylene, cyclohexane, hexane, pentane, cyclohexanone, cyclopentane, methylene chloride, a phenolic solvent, pyridine, trichloroethane, trichloroethylene, N,N-dimethyl formamide, ethylene dichloride, dimethyl sulfoxide, N,N-dimethylacetamide, a pyrrolidone-based solvent, ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, acetonitrile, N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide, butylene carbonate, 1,4-butyrolactone, diethyl carbonate, diethylether, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, 1,3-dioxolane, ethyl methyl carbonate, methyl formate, 3-methyloxazolidin-2-on, methyl propionate, 2-methyletetrahydrofurane, sulpholane, anisole, isophorone, xylene, carbon disulfide, chlorobenzene, dichlorobenzene, sulfuric acid, or dichloroethane, or a combination thereof.
30. The method of claim 27 , wherein the polymer solution during the centrifugal force spinning method has a temperature from about 23° C. to about the boiling point of the solvent.
31. The method of claim 27 , wherein the polymer solution comprises about 2.5 wt % to about 35 wt % of the polymer based on the total weight of the polymer solution.
32. The method of claim 27 , wherein the polymer solution has a viscosity of about 14 cP to about 290,000 cP.