Rechargeable battery cell having a separator

1. A rechargeable battery cell, comprising:

a positive insertion electrode loaded with active material;

a negative insertion electrode;

an electrolyte based on SO 2 , the electrolyte comprising a conductive salt; and

a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, wherein the separator comprises an organic polymer separator layer having a thickness, and wherein the ratio of the thickness of the organic polymer separator layer to the loading of the positive electrode with active material per unit area is less than 0.25 mm 3 /mg.

2. The battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the thickness of the organic polymer layer to the loading of the positive electrode with active material per unit area is less than 0.20 mm 3 /mg.

3. The battery cell according to claim 2 , wherein the ratio of the thickness of the organic polymer layer to the loading of the positive electrode with active material per unit area is less than 0.10 mm 3 /mg.

4. The battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the loading of the positive insertion electrode with active material is at least 30 mg/cm 2 .

5. The battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the organic polymer separator layer is no more than 0.2 mm.

6. The battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the positive electrode is at least 0.25 mm thick.

7. The battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer separator layer is made of a polyolefin, a partially to completely halogen-substituted polyolefin, a polyester, a polyamide or a polysulfone.

8. The battery cell of claim 7 , wherein the polymer separator layer is made of polypropylene.

9. The battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer separator layer has a surface energy that is at least 5 mN/m greater than the surface energy of the electrolyte.

10. The battery cell according to claim 9 , wherein the polymer separator layer contains functional molecules which influence the surface energy of the polymer separator layer.

11. The battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer separator layer is substantially devoid of fluorine compounds.

12. The battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer separator layer comprises an organic polymer membrane and the separator has an additional layer, wherein:

the additional layer has a first layer surface and a second layer surface and is: (i) formed from a polymer nonwoven consisting of polyolefin, and/or (ii) formed from a layer containing an inorganic ceramic material; and

the organic polymer membrane has a first surface and a second surface and one of the first and second surfaces of the organic polymer membrane contacts the first or second layer surface of the additional layer.

13. The battery cell according to claim 12 , wherein the separator is a composite material and the organic polymer membrane and the additional layer are permanently bonded to one another whereby their contacting surfaces are inseparably joined.

14. The battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer separator layer is an organic polymer nonwoven.

15. The battery cell according to claim 14 , wherein the organic polymer nonwoven contains a ceramic material.

16. The battery cell according to claim 15 , wherein the ceramic material is one or more of aluminum oxide, silicon oxide or titanium dioxide.

17. The battery cell according to claim 16 , wherein the organic polymer nonwoven contains a binder, wherein both the ceramic material and the binder are present as a layer on the surface and/or are incorporated into a porous layer structure of the polymer nonwoven.

18. The battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the positive insertion electrode comprises an active material with the composition:

A a M b ( X c Y d ) e Z f

where

A is an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, a metal of group 12 of the periodic table;

M is a metal or several metals selected from the group consisting of the transition metals and/or the non-transition metals and/or the metals;

(X c Y d ) e is at least one first anion;

Z is at least one second anion;

where a≥0; b>0; c>0; d≥0; e>0 and f≥0, and

where a, b, c, d, e and f are selected so that electroneutrality is obtained.

19. The battery cell according to claim 18 , wherein the M is the metal Fe and wherein (X c Y d ) e is PO 4 or P 2 O 7 and f is 0.

20. The battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the negative insertion electrode contains carbon as active material to receive ions.

21. The battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the positive electrode and/or the negative electrode has/have a diverter element with a three-dimensional porous metal structure in the form of a metal foam, wherein the porous metal structure preferably extends essentially over the entire thickness of the positive electrode and/or the negative electrode.

22. The battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte contains at least 1.5 mol SO 2 per mol conductive salt.

23. The battery cell according to claim 22 , wherein the electrolyte contains at least 2.5 mol SO 2 per mol conductive salt.

24. The battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein SO 2 content in the electrolyte is greater than 20% by weight of the weight of the electrolyte.

25. The battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte contains organic solvents in an amount less than 50% by weight of the weight of the electrolyte.

26. The battery cell according to claim 25 , wherein the electrolyte contains organic solvents in an amount less than 5% by weight of the weight of the electrolyte.

27. The battery cell according to claim 1 , wherein the surface energy of the polymer separator layer is equal to or greater than the surface energy of the electrolyte.