Edward R. Kafchinski

Development of polyethylene tetrafluoroethylene microporous film for advanced batteries

Lithium batteries have been recognized as advanced high-performance and high-power sources because they provide light weight, high energy density and high voltage. The quality of these type of batteries is determined by the efficiency of electron transfer in an electrolyte as well as the microporous structure of the membrane separator. In this report, we describe the development of a superior ETFE (polyethylene tetrafluoroethylene) microporous polymeric membrane suitable for use as the separator for lithium/Cu (II) rechargeable batteries and lithium/thionyl chloride primary batteries. The requirements for a microporous membrane to be employed in these lithium batteries are discussed. We report the membrane fabrication and membrane performance in both primary and secondary batteries.