Battery separator membrane and battery employing same
A battery comprises an ion-conducting polymeric composition comprising a copolymer of styrene and vinylbenzyl-R s , where R s is a positively charged cyclic amine group. The ion-conducting polymeric composition can be in the form of a membrane. The ion-conducting polymeric composition can comprise a terpolymer of styrene, vinylbenzyl-R s and vinylbenzyl-R x , in which R s is a positively charged cyclic amine group, R x is at least one constituent selected from the group consisting of Cl, OH, and a reaction product between an OH or a Cl and a species other than a cyclic amine or a simple amine, the total weight of the vinylbenzyl-R x groups is greater than 1% of the total weight of the membrane, and the total weight of the vinylbenzyl-R s groups is 15% or more of the total weight of the membrane.
1. A battery comprising a separator membrane, the separator membrane comprising an ion-conducting polymeric composition comprising a copolymer of styrene and vinylbenzyl-R s , wherein R s is a positively charged cyclic amine group.
2. The battery of claim 1 , wherein said ion-conducting polymeric composition comprises a terpolymer of styrene, vinylbenzyl-R s and vinylbenzyl-R x , wherein:
R s is a positively charged cyclic amine group,
R x is at least one constituent selected from the group consisting of Cl, OH and a reaction product between an OH or a Cl and an inorganic species or an organic species other than an amine,
the total weight of the vinylbenzyl-R x groups is greater than 1% of the total weight of the terpolymer, and
wherein the total weight of the vinylbenzyl-R s groups is 15% or more of the total weight of the terpolymer.
3. The battery of claim 1 , wherein R s is selected from the group consisting of imidazoliums, pyridiniums, pyrazoliums, pyrrolidiniums, pyrroliums, pyrimidiums, piperidiniums, indoliums, and triaziniums.
4. The battery of claim 3 , wherein R s is an imidazolium.
5. The battery of claim 4 , wherein said imidazolium is tetramethylimidazolium.
6. The battery of claim 3 , wherein R s is a pyridinium.
7. The battery of claim 6 , wherein said pyridinium is an alkylpyridinium.
8. The battery of claim 7 , wherein said pyridinium is pentamethylpyridinium.
9. The battery of claim 1 , wherein said copolymer has a molecular weight between 1000 and 10,000,000 atomic units (A.U.).
10. The battery of claim 9 , wherein said copolymer has a molecular weight between 10,000 and 1,000,000 A.U.
11. The battery of claim 10 , wherein said copolymer has a molecular weight between 25,000 and 250,000 A.U.
12. The battery of claim 1 , wherein said ion-conducting polymeric composition comprises at least a portion of said separator membrane.
13. The battery of claim 12 , wherein said battery separator membrane has a thickness between 10 and 300 micrometers.
14. The battery of claim 1 , wherein said ion-conducting polymeric composition further comprises at least one constituent selected from the group consisting of:
a linear or substituted polyolefin;
a polymer comprising uncharged cyclic amine groups;
a polymer comprising at least one of a phenylene group and a phenyl group;
a polyamide; and
the reaction product of a constituent having two carbon-carbon double bonds.
15. The battery of claim 14 , wherein:
said polyolefin comprises at least one of polyethylene, polypropylene and polytetrafluoroethylene;
said polymer comprising uncharged cyclic amine groups is polybenzimidazole;
said polymer comprising at least one of a phenylene group and a phenyl group is polyphenylene oxide;
said constituent having two carbon-carbon double bonds is at least one of divinyl benzene and butadiene; and
said polyamide constituent is nylon 6 or nylon 66.
16. The battery of claim 1 , further comprising an electrode comprising at least one d-block element.
17. The battery of claim 16 , wherein said d-block element is selected from the group consisting of V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn.
18. The battery of claim 17 , wherein said d-block element is bonded to organic ligands.
19. The battery of claim 1 , wherein said copolymer is crosslinked.
20. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the separator membrane comprises a porous polymer with an average pore size between 0.5 and 3 nm.
21. The battery of claim 1 , wherein said separator membrane further comprises a clay.
22. The battery of claim 1 , wherein said separator membrane further comprises a zeolite.
23. The battery of claim 1 , wherein said separator membrane further comprises a metal oxide.
24. The battery of claim 1 , wherein said separator membrane further comprises a nano-filtration or ultrafiltration membrane.
25. The battery of claim 1 , wherein said separator membrane further comprises alternate layers of:
(a) organic molecules or polymers comprises anionic groups; and
(b) organic molecules or polymers comprises cationic groups.
26. The battery of claim 1 , wherein said separator membrane further comprises molecules or polymers capable of chelating metal ions.
27. The battery of claim 1 , wherein said separator membrane further comprises molecules or polymers having carboxylate ligands.
28. The battery of claim 1 , wherein said separator membrane further comprises a cation exchange ionomer.
29. The battery of claim 28 , wherein said cation exchange ionomer comprises perfluorosulfonic acid.
30. The battery of claim 1 , wherein said separator membrane further comprises a reverse osmosis membrane.