A binder composition that exhibits sufficient adhesion and that achieves the excellent dispersibility of a conductive additive is provided. The binder composition according to an embodiment of the present invention is a binder composition including a vinylidene fluoride copolymer composition containing vinylidene fluoride and a monomer having an acidic functional group; and a ratio (Mn2/Mn1) of a number average molecular weight of the vinylidene fluoride copolymer composition after being adsorbed onto alumina (Mn2) to a number average molecular weight of the vinylidene fluoride copolymer composition before being adsorbed onto alumina (Mn1) being less than 1.

The invention relates to novel linear, semi-crystalline, functional fluoropolymers that have been obtained by copolymerizing a fluorinated vinylic monomer and a hydrophilic monomer chosen from vinyl alkyl acids, vinyl phosphonates, functional acrylamides, carbonates, vinyl ethers, alkoxy compounds, and double hydrophilic group monomers.

The invention relates to novel linear, semi-crystalline, functional fluoropolymers that have been obtained by copolymerizing a fluorinated vinylic monomer and a hydrophilic monomer chosen from vinyl alkyl acids, vinyl phosphonates, functional acrylamides, carbonates, vinyl ethers, alkoxy compounds, and double hydrophilic group monomers.

The present invention pertains to a membrane for an electrochemical device, to a process for manufacturing said membrane and to use of said membrane in a process for manufacturing an electrochemical device.

As a novel vinylidene fluoride polymer and its use, provided are a binder composition, an electrode mixture, an electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including the vinylidene fluoride containing the vinylidene fluoride polymer. The vinylidene fluoride polymer includes a first structural unit derived from vinylidene fluoride and a second structural unit derived from a monomer other than vinylidene fluoride. The monomer to be the second structural unit is a primary amine, a secondary amine, or a tertiary amine having at least one of a hydroxyl group and a carboxyl group, and the content of the second structural unit is from 0.05 to 20 mol % when the total of structural units derived from all the monomers constituting the vinylidene fluoride polymer is 100 mol %.

As a novel vinylidene fluoride polymer and its use, provided are a binder composition, an electrode mixture, an electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including the vinylidene fluoride containing the vinylidene fluoride polymer. The vinylidene fluoride polymer includes a first structural unit derived from vinylidene fluoride and a second structural unit derived from a monomer other than vinylidene fluoride. The monomer to be the second structural unit is a primary amine, a secondary amine, or a tertiary amine having at least one of a hydroxyl group and a carboxyl group, and the content of the second structural unit is from 0.05 to 20 mol % when the total of structural units derived from all the monomers constituting the vinylidene fluoride polymer is 100 mol %.

The present invention is to provide a binder composition of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, which contains a vinylidene fluoride polymer and is capable of further enhancing adhesive strength of the electrode mixture layer to a surface of a current collector. The above objective can be achieved by a binder composition of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, the binder composition comprising a vinylidene fluoride copolymer for a binder of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, the vinylidene fluoride copolymer containing: a first constituent unit derived from vinylidene fluoride, and a second constituent unit containing an isocyanate group or having a structure that produces an isocyanate group when heated at 200 C. for 1 hour. This binder composition can be used in a mixture for producing an electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, an electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery.

A bonding agent includes: structural units represented by Formula I, Formula II, Formula III, and Formula IV: ##STR00001## where each of R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, and R.sub.4 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, and C.sub.1-8 straight-chain or branched alkyl groups substituted or not substituted by a substituting group, each of R.sub.5, R.sub.6, and R.sub.7 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, and C.sub.1-6 straight-chain or branched alkyl groups substituted or not substituted by a substituting group, R.sub.8 is selected from C.sub.1-15 alkyl groups substituted or not substituted by a substituting group, each of R.sub.9, R.sub.10, and R.sub.11 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, and C.sub.1-6 straight-chain or branched alkyl groups substituted or not substituted by a substituting group.

The invention pertains to a process for manufacturing a polymer electrolyte separator based on a fluoropolymer hybrid organic/inorganic composite, said process comprising: (i) providing a mixture of: at least one fluoropolymer comprising recurring units derived from at least one (meth)acrylic monomer [monomer (MA)] of formula (I): wherein each of R1, R2, R3, equal or different from each other, is independently a hydrogen atom or a C.sub.1-C.sub.3 hydrocarbon group, and R.sub.OH is a C.sub.1-C.sub.5 hydrocarbon moiety comprising at least one hydroxyl group [polymer (F)]; at least one metal compound [compound (M)] of formula: X.sub.4-mAY.sub.m wherein m is an integer from 1 to 4, A is a metal selected from the group consisting of Si, Ti and Zr, Y is a hydrolysable group, X is a hydrocarbon group, optionally comprising one or more functional groups; and at least one electrolyte (E); and at least one liquid plasticizer (S); (ii) reacting at least a fraction of hydroxyl groups of the ROH groups of said monomer (MA) of said polymer (F) with at least a fraction of said compound (M), so as to obtain a grafted polymer comprising pendant Y.sub.m-1AX.sub.4-m groups, with m, Y, A and X having same meaning as above detailed; (iii) hydrolyzing and/or polycondensing compound (M) and/or pendant Y.sub.m-1AX.sub.4-m groups, as above detailed to yield a liquid mixture comprising fluoropolymer hybrid organic/inorganic composite comprising inorganic domains and incorporating solvent (S) and electrolyte (E); and (iv) casting a film from the liquid mixture obtained in (iii); (v) drying the film obtained in (iv) for obtaining the polymer electrolyte separator. ##STR00001##

The invention pertains to a fluoroelastomer composition [composition (C)] comprising: at least one fluoroelastomer [fluoroelastomer (A)]; at least one basic compound [base (B)]; at least one pyridinium-type salt [salt (P)] having at least two groups in ortho or para position to the quaternized nitrogen bearing a reactive hydrogen atom.