China masters lithium battery separator technology

Can pet separators be used for lithium-ion batteries?

Recently, the scientists from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Advanced Energy Science and Technology Guangdong Laboratory have fabricated high-temperature-resistant polyethylene terephthalate (PET) separators for lithium-ion batteries.

Why should lithium-ion battery separators have high-temperature resistance?

Developing new lithium-ion battery separators with high-temperature resistance is of great importance to enhance the safety of lithium-ion batteries. Combining heavy ion irradiation and chemical etching technologies, the scientists developed PET-based separators with high-temperature resistance.

Where are LIB separators manufactured?

Nowadays, China is the biggest manufacturing country of LIB separators in the world, and the price is very much reduced. Among the separator processing techniques, the dry process based on biaxial stretching β nucleated polypropylene (β-iPP) originated from China and has the lowest manufacturing cost.

Why is a lithium ion battery separator important?

The study was published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. The separator, as a key part of the lithium-ion batteries, plays a crucial role in ensuring battery safety as it can insulate the cathode and anode to avoid short-circuiting and it can provide transport paths for lithium ions.

How to improve the performance of dry process separator?

Our recent works aim to improve the performance of dry process separators for Lithium-Ion Batteries through the preparation of β-spherulites, casting technique optimization, improved annealing treatment, and multi-stages longitudinal stretching. In this article, we present these advancements based on a better understanding of original crystal morphology on the pore formation during stretching.

What is a β-iPP separator?

The β-iPP separator is a type of separator produced using the dry process based on biaxial stretching. This method, originated from China, has the lowest manufacturing cost. However, the separator produced by this method has a non-uniform pore size distribution, which limits its wider application.