US3918995A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Battery separator and manufacturing process
Assignee: WR Grace and Co
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Filing: 1974-09-09
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Granted: 1975-11-11
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Expires: 1994-09-09
Abstract
Abstract Battery separators and the like are produced from nonwoven mats of plastic fibers which fibers contain an internal surfactant that is soluble in the molten polymer but insoluble in the cooled polymer and tends to bloom under conditions of use. A second surfactant is coated on the exterior of the fiber. After preliminary formation the nonwoven mat is heated and then compressed to increase the effectiveness of the internal surfactant in cooperation with the coated on surfactant. The fibers may be formed from polypropylene resin that is treated at unusually high temperatures prior to extrusion and the extrudate attenuated, collected on a drum and compressed to form a preferred separator with small pores and high porosity.
Inventors
- 👤 Nigel Innes Palmer
- 👤 Nathan Sugarman
- 👤 Don O'neil Grammer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 06:29
CPC Classifications
D; D04; D04H; D04H3/00; D04H3/08; D04H3/16; H; H01; H01M; H01M50/00; H01M50/40; H01M50/409; H01M50/489; H01M50/491; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
A BATTERY WITH A POSITIVE PLATE, A NEGATIVE PLATE AND A SEPARATOR FROM POLYMERIC RESIN HAVING A DEGREE OF UNDESIRABLE HYDROPHOBIA, SOLID BELOW SOLID (AT MINUS) F, EXTRUDABLE AS A HOT MELT AND RESISTANT TO DEGRADATION BY AT LEAST EITER ACIDS OR ALKALIES POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID PLATES, SAID SEPARATOR COMPRISING A NONWOVEN MAT OF FIBERS, SAID FIBERS COMPRISED OF SAID POLYMERIC RESIN AND A FIRST WETTING AGENT DISPERSED TROUGHOUT SAID RESIN, SAID COATING BEING A SECOND WETTING AGENT, OUTER SURFACES AND SAID COATING BEING A SECOND WETTING AGENT, SAID FIRST WETTING AGENT BLOOMING TO THE SURFACE OF SAID FIBER WHEN SAID FIBER IS SUBJECTED TO HEAT AND PRESSURE AND DURING USE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
116 words
A BATTERY WITH A POSITIVE PLATE, A NEGATIVE PLATE AND A SEPARATOR FROM POLYMERIC RESIN HAVING A DEGREE OF UNDESIRABLE HYDROPHOBIA, SOLID BELOW SOLID (AT MINUS) F, EXTRUDABLE AS A HOT MELT AND RESISTANT TO DEGRADATION BY AT LEAST EITER ACIDS OR ALKALIES POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID PLATES, SAID SEPARATOR COMPRISING A NONWOVEN MAT OF FIBERS, SAID FIBERS COMPRISED OF SAID POLYMERIC RESIN AND A FIRST WETTING AGENT DISPERSED TROUGHOUT SAID RESIN, SAID COATING BEING A SECOND WETTING AGENT, OUTER SURFACES AND SAID COATING BEING A SECOND WETTING AGENT, SAID FIRST WETTING AGENT BLOOMING TO THE SURFACE OF SAID FIBER WHEN SAID FIBER IS SUBJECTED TO HEAT AND PRESSURE AND DURING USE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
125 words
The battery of claim 1 wherein said mat has an ER of no more than 25 milliohms after treatment in a sulphuric acid solution having a specific gravity of 1.20 at 160*F for 1 hour and thereafter removed and washed in cold running water for 1/2 hour and then in stagnant water at 160*F for 1 hour and thereafter dried at 200*F for 1/2 hour and provides a cold start performance of at least 1 volt per cell in a Group 24, AH battery at 280 amps after 30 seconds and an ER no more than 25 milliohms after the test, and exhibits no substantial delamination after 6 months of standard use in a Group 24, AH battery or after a cold start performance test.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
77 words
The battery of claim 2 wherein said battery is a lead acid battery, said fibers having a diameter of less than 10 microns and said mat having a basis weight between 10-500 grams per square meter, a thickness of 10-20 mils, a pore size of less than 40 microns and a porosity of at least 40% and wherein said second wetting agent is selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactants and nonionic surfactants and mixtures thereof.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The battery of claim 1 wherein the first said wetting agent is relatively water insoluble and said second wetting agent is relatively water soluble.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
91 words
The battery of claim 4 wherein said first wetting agent is classified as oil soluble and water insoluble and said second wetting agent is classified as water soluble and oil insoluble and said fibers have diameters of 0.05-50 microns, a basis weight of 20-300 grams per square meter, a pore size of less than 40 microns with a porosity of at least 40% and said resin and the first said wetting agent are soluble in admixture with one another at the extrusion temperature for the resin and insoluble at room temperature.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
131 words
The battery of claim 5 wherein said resin is a polymer of propylene, the first said wetting agent is a phenol surfactant containing 1-15 moles of Ethylene Oxide present in an amount of 0.1-8% by weight based on the weight of the resin, said resin is at least partially degraded, said fibers have a diameter of 1-10 microns, said nonwoven mat being 10-20 mils thick and having a pore size of less than 20 microns and a porosity of greater than 50%, said second wetting agent is an aliphatic ethoxylated organic acid phosphate and is present on said fibers in an amount of 0.3-1.0% based on the weight of the fiber and said mat has a corrugated configuration with outer curved corrugations being substantially fused and nonporous at their outermost region.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-11-10 | 1979-05-12 | 1979-11-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-11-10 | 1983-05-12 | 1983-11-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-11-10 | 1987-05-12 | 1987-11-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |