Electrospun Coated Lead Acid Battery Separator
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Flooded lead acid batteries face issues with antimony migration from positive to negative electrodes, leading to shortened battery life due to the use of natural rubber separators, which oxidize and crack, causing short circuits, while polymer separators prevent short circuits but not antimony migration.
Innovation Solution
A coated separator comprising a porous, non-woven mat or electrospun polymeric fibers is used between the positive and negative plates, which can include active agents like natural rubber to prevent antimony migration and enhance mechanical properties, such as porosity and conductivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If natural rubber is used as separator, then antimony migration is prevented, but porosity and permeability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite separator where natural rubber is combined with highly porous synthetic polymers in a controlled ratio and structure. This composite approach maintains the antimony barrier properties of natural rubber while the synthetic polymer matrix provides sufficient porosity and permeability for electrolyte flow, balancing both requirements through material composition optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies a thin coating of natural rubber or rubber-containing composite on the surface of a highly porous polymer separator. This localized approach provides antimony migration prevention at the electrode interface while minimizing the impact on overall separator porosity, allowing electrolyte to permeate through the bulk polymer structure efficiently.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrospun coated component for a lead acid battery is disclosed. The electrospun coated component includes positive electrode, negative electrode, and separator. The separator may comprise a low-conducting and/or non-conductive material. A method of electrospun coating these components of a LAB is provided. Suitable compositions and conditions for electrospun coating on to LAB components are further provided in this disclosure.