Laminable, dimensionally-stable microporous webs

1. A battery separator comprising:

a free-standing unitary multi-layer structure with first and second major surfaces, the structure comprising:

a microporous polymer web characterized by a melting point and having two major surfaces; and

an inorganic material including one or more of nano- or micro-particles deposited from an aqueous dispersion as a first porous layer on one or both of the major surfaces of the microporous polymer web, the first porous layer providing high-temperature dimensional stability above the melting point of the microporous polymer web even as fluid permeability of the unitary multi-layer structure is decreased at elevated temperature

wherein the nanoparticles include individual particles or multi-particle aggregates with a mean size less than or equal to 100 nanometers, and microparticles include individual particles, multi-particle aggregates, or multi-aggregate agglomerates with a mean size of 100 nanometers to 1 micrometer; and

wherein the first porous layer provides the high-temperature dimensional stability because one of the first porous layer exhibits a coating ratio of greater than about 1.4 and the inorganic material comprises 100% microparticles, the first porous layer exhibits a coating ratio of greater than about 1.3 and the inorganic material comprises 20% nanoparticles, the first porous layer exhibits a coating ratio of greater than about 0.9 and the inorganic material comprises 40% nanoparticles, the first porous layer exhibits a coating ratio of greater than about 0.7 and the inorganic material comprises 60% nanoparticles, the first porous layer exhibits a coating ratio of greater than about 0.6 and the inorganic material comprises 80% nanoparticles, or the first porous layer exhibits a coating ratio of greater than about 0.5 and the inorganic material comprises 100% nanoparticles, wherein the coating ratio is a weight-to-weight basis of the first porous layer to the microporous polyolefin web.

2. The battery separator of claim 1 , in which the inorganic material comprises an inorganic oxide, carbonate, hydroxide, or mixtures thereof.

3. The battery separator of claim 2 , in which the inorganic material comprises alumina, silica, zirconia, titania, mica, boehmite, magnesium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, or mixtures thereof.

4. The battery separator of claim 3 , in which the first porous layer further comprises an organic hydrogen bonding component.

5. The battery separator of claim 4 , in which the first porous layer further comprises a cross-linking agent reacted with the organic hydrogen bonding component.

6. The battery separator of claim 4 , in which the organic hydrogen bonding component comprises about 5 wt % or less of the first porous layer.

7. The battery separator of claim 1 , in which the inorganic material comprises particles with a sufficient ratio of nanoparticles to microparticles to minimize water content at or above a threshold coating ratio that minimizes thickness of the first porous layer.

8. The battery separator of claim 1 , in which the microporous polymer web exhibits in-plane high temperature dimensional stability at 180° C.

9. The battery separator of claim 1 , further comprising a second porous layer including a gel-forming polymer material with passageways formed on at least a portion of the first porous layer.

10. The battery separator of claim 9 , in which the second porous layer comprises polyvinylidene fluoride, poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) copolymers, poly(vinylidene fluoride-acrylic acid) copolymers, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyacrylamide, or mixtures thereof.

11. The battery separator of claim 9 , in which the second porous layer is formed from drying a suspension comprising polymer solids.

12. The battery separator of claim 9 , wherein the second porous layer is microporous.

13. The battery separator of claim 1 , in which the microporous polymer web comprises a polyolefin.

14. A battery comprising:

a secondary cell having at least two electrodes contained in a package filled with electrolyte and separated by the battery separator of claim 1 .

15. The battery of claim 14 , in which the second porous layer has a peel strength of at least 3 N/m.

16. An electric motor vehicle power train, comprising:

a battery pack providing direct current power to an inverter to produce alternating current power, the battery pack including multiple electrically connected secondary cells, each of the multiple secondary cells having multiple electrodes contained in a package filled with electrolyte and separated by the battery separator of claim 1 ;

speed reduction gears operatively connected to a set of vehicle wheels;

and

an electric motor operatively connected to the speed reduction gears and responding to the alternating current power produced by the inverter to impart motive force to the speed reduction gears and thereby turn the set of vehicle wheels.

17. A battery separator comprising:

a free-standing unitary multi-layer structure with first and second major surfaces, the structure comprising a microporous polymer web characterized by a melting point and having two major surfaces, an inorganic material including one or more of nano- or micro-particles deposited from an aqueous dispersion as a first porous layer on both of the major surfaces of the microporous polymer web;

wherein the nanoparticles include individual particles or multi-particle aggregates with a mean size less than or equal to 100 nanometers, and microparticles include individual particles, multi-particle aggregates, or multi-aggregate agglomerates with a mean size of 100 nanometers to 1 micrometer; and

wherein the first porous layer provides high-temperature dimensional stability because one of the first porous layer exhibits a coating ratio of greater than about 1.4 and the inorganic material comprises 100% microparticles, the first porous layer exhibits a coating ratio of greater than about 1.3 and the inorganic material comprises 20% nanoparticles, the first porous layer exhibits a coating ratio of greater than about 0.9 and the inorganic material comprises 40% nanoparticles, the first porous layer exhibits a coating ratio of greater than about 0.7 and the inorganic material comprises 60% nanoparticles, the first porous layer exhibits a coating ratio of greater than about 0.6 and the inorganic material comprises 80% nanoparticles, or the first porous layer exhibits a coating ratio of greater than about 0.5 and the inorganic material comprises 100% nanoparticles, wherein the coating ratio is a weight-to-weight basis of the first porous layer to the microporous polyolefin web.

18. The battery separator of claim 17 , in which the polymer web exhibits in-plane high temperature dimensional stability 180° C.

19. The battery separator of claim 17 , in which the inorganic material comprises particles with a sufficient ratio of nanoparticles to microparticles to minimize water content at or above a threshold coating ratio that minimizes thickness of the first porous layer.

20. A battery separator comprising:

a free-standing unitary multi-layer structure with first and second major surfaces, the structure comprising a microporous polymer web characterized by a melting point and having two major surfaces, an inorganic material including one or more of nano- or micro-particles deposited from an aqueous dispersion as a first porous layer on both of the major surfaces of the microporous polymer web, the first porous layer providing high-temperature dimensional stability above the melting point of the microporous polymer web even as fluid permeability of the unitary multi-layer structure is decreased at elevated temperature; and

wherein the nanoparticles include individual particles or multi-particle aggregates with a mean size less than or equal to 100 nanometers, and microparticles include individual particles, multi-particle aggregates, or multi-aggregate agglomerates with a mean size of 100 nanometers to 1 micrometer; and

wherein the first porous layer provides the high-temperature dimensional stability because one of the first porous layer exhibits a coating ratio of greater than about 1.4 and the inorganic material comprises 100% microparticles, the first porous layer exhibits a coating ratio of greater than about 1.3 and the inorganic material comprises 20% nanoparticles, the first porous layer exhibits a coating ratio of greater than about 0.9 and the inorganic material comprises 40% nanoparticles, the first porous layer exhibits a coating ratio of greater than about 0.7 and the inorganic material comprises 60% nanoparticles, the first porous layer exhibits a coating ratio of greater than about 0.6 and the inorganic material comprises 80% nanoparticles, or the first porous layer exhibits a coating ratio of greater than about 0.5 and the inorganic material comprises 100% nanoparticles, wherein the coating ratio is a weight-to-weight basis of the first porous layer to the microporous polyolefin web.