Lead acid battery separators, batteries, and related methods

Abstract

Disclosed herein are improved separators for lead acid batteries. The separators may include a porous membrane, a rubber, and at least one performance enhancing additive, positive and/or negative ribs, and/or lowered acid leachable total organic carbon.

1 - 95 . (canceled) 
     
     
         96 . A battery separator comprising:
 a porous membrane, wherein the separator comprises sodium in an amount lower than or equal to 0.060 g/m 2 .   
     
     
         97 . The battery separator of  claim 96 , wherein sodium is present in an amount of 0.020 g/m 2  to 0.060 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         98 . The battery separator of  claim 96 , wherein the porous membrane is a filled porous membrane; wherein the porous membrane is a filled porous membrane filled with silica; wherein the porous membrane comprises ribs, and the ribs are one or more selected from the following group: solid ribs, discrete broken ribs, continuous ribs, discontinuous ribs, discontinuous peaks, discontinuous protrusions, angled ribs, diagonal ribs, linear ribs, ribs that are longitudinally extending substantially in a machine direction of said porous membrane, ribs that are laterally extending substantially in a cross-machine direction of said porous membrane, ribs that are transversely extending substantially in said cross-machine direction of the separator, discrete teeth, toothed ribs, serrations, serrated ribs, battlements, battlemented ribs, curved ribs, continuous sinusoidal ribs, discontinuous sinusoidal ribs, S-shaped ribs, continuous zig-zag-sawtooth-like ribs, broken discontinuous zig-zag-sawtooth-like ribs, grooves, channels, textured areas, embossments, dimples, columns, mini columns, porous, non-porous, cross ribs, mini ribs, cross-mini ribs, and combinations thereof; wherein the porous membrane comprises vertically extending ribs on one side thereof and horizontally extending ribs on the other side thereof; or wherein the porous membrane comprises 1 to 50% rubber and/or latex. 
     
     
         99 . A composite comprising:
 a battery separator; and   a conductive layer on one or both sides of the battery separator.   
     
     
         100 . The composite of  claim 99 , wherein the conductive layer is on one side of the separator; wherein the conductive layer is on both sides of the separator; wherein the conductive layer is disposed upon the battery separator by means including the following: adhesives, hot melting, or painting; wherein the conductive layer may comprise lead, gold, antimony, arsenic, zinc, barium, beryllium, lithium, magnesium, nickel, aluminum, silver, tin, and combination alloys thereof, or carbon fibers, graphite, carbon nanotubes, Buckminsterfullerene (or bucky-balls), or combinations thereof; wherein the conductive layer may take any of the following forms: a strip, a screen, a foil, a thread, a wire, or a coating; or wherein the battery separator may be any of the following: a sleeve, a wrap, an envelope, a hybrid envelope, an S-weave separator, or a separator with side folds. 
     
     
         101 . A lead acid battery, operating in a partial state of charge, comprising:
 a positive electrode, a negative electrode adjacent to said positive electrode;   a separator according to  claim 96 , wherein at least a portion of said separator is disposed between said positive electrode and said negative electrode;   an electrolyte substantially submerging at least a portion of said positive electrode, at least a portion of said negative electrode, and at least a portion of said separator.   
     
     
         102 . The lead acid battery of  claim 101 , operating at a depth of discharge between approximately 50% and approximately 99%, or operating at a depth of discharge between approximately 1% and approximately 50%. 
     
     
         103 . The lead acid battery of  claim 101 , further comprising a mat adjacent to at least one of said positive electrode, said negative electrode, and said separator, wherein:
 the mat optionally comprises one of the following group consisting of: glass fibers, synthetic fibers, silica, at least one performance enhancing additive, latex, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, and combinations thereof; or   wherein said mat optionally comprises one of the following group consisting of: nonwoven, woven, mesh, fleece, net, and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         104 . The lead acid battery of  claim 101 , wherein said battery operates in one of the following group consisting of: while in motion, while stationary, in an energy storage system application; in a renewable energy storage system application; in an uninterruptible power supply application; in an energy reserve system application, in a backup power application, in a cycling applications, and combinations thereof; or wherein said battery is selected from the group consisting of: a flat-plate battery, a flooded lead acid battery, an enhanced flooded lead acid battery (“EFB”), a deep-cycle battery, a gel battery, an absorptive glass mat (“AGM”) battery, a tubular battery, an inverter battery, a vehicle battery, a starting-lighting-ignition (“SLI”) vehicle battery, an idling-start-stop (“ISS”) vehicle battery, an automobile battery, a truck battery, a motorcycle battery, an all-terrain vehicle battery, a forklift battery, a golf cart battery, a hybrid-electric vehicle battery, an electric vehicle battery, a water vessel battery, an e-trike battery, an e-rickshaw battery, and an e-bike battery. 
     
     
         105 . A lead acid battery, operating in a partial state of charge, comprising:
 a positive electrode, a negative electrode adjacent to said positive electrode;   a composite according to  claim 99 , wherein at least a portion of said composite is disposed between said positive electrode and said negative electrode;   
       an electrolyte substantially submerging at least a portion of said positive electrode, at least a portion of said negative electrode, and at least a portion of said separator. 
     
     
         106 . The lead acid battery of  claim 105 , wherein said battery operates in one of the following group consisting of: while in motion, while stationary, in an energy storage system application; in a renewable energy storage system application; in an uninterruptible power supply application; in an energy reserve system application, in a backup power application, in a cycling applications, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         107 . The lead acid battery of  claim 105 , wherein said battery is selected from the group consisting of: a flat-plate battery, a flooded lead acid battery, an enhanced flooded lead acid battery (“EFB”), a deep-cycle battery, a gel battery, an absorptive glass mat (“AGM”) battery, a tubular battery, an inverter battery, a vehicle battery, a starting-lighting-ignition (“SLI”) vehicle battery, an idling-start-stop (“ISS”) vehicle battery, an automobile battery, a truck battery, a motorcycle battery, an all-terrain vehicle battery, a forklift battery, a golf cart battery, a hybrid-electric vehicle battery, an electric vehicle battery, a water vessel battery, an e-trike battery, an e-rickshaw battery, and an e-bike battery. 
     
     
         108 . A lead acid battery, operating in a partial state of charge, comprising:
 a positive electrode, a negative electrode adjacent to said positive electrode;   a separator according to  claim 99 , wherein at least a portion of said separator is disposed between said positive electrode and said negative electrode;   an electrolyte substantially submerging at least a portion of said positive electrode, at least a portion of said negative electrode, and at least a portion of said separator.   
     
     
         109 . A lead acid battery, operating in a partial state of charge, comprising:
 a positive electrode, a negative electrode adjacent to said positive electrode;   a composite according to  claim 100 , wherein at least a portion of said composite is disposed between said positive electrode and said negative electrode;   an electrolyte substantially submerging at least a portion of said positive electrode, at least a portion of said negative electrode, and at least a portion of said separator.