Novel or improved microporous single or multilayer battery separator membranes, separators, batteries including such membranes or separators, methods of making such membranes, separators, and/or batteries, and/or methods of using such membranes, separators and/or batteries are provided. In accordance with at least certain embodiments, a multilayer dry process polyethylene/polypropylene/polyethylene microporous separator which is manufactured using the inventive process which includes machine direction stretching followed by transverse direction stretching and a subsequent calendering step as a means to reduce the thickness of the multilayer microporous membrane, to reduce the percent porosity of the multilayer microporous membrane in a controlled manner and/or to improve transverse direction tensile strength. In a very particular embodiment, the inventive process produces a thin multilayer microporous membrane that is easily coated with polymeric-ceramic coatings, has excellent mechanical strength properties due to its polypropylene layer or layers and a thermal shutdown function due to its polyethylene layer or layers. The ratio of the thickness of the polypropylene and polyethylene layers in the inventive multilayer microporous membrane can be tailored to balance mechanical strength and thermal shutdown properties.

Novel or improved microporous single or multilayer battery separator membranes, separators, batteries including such membranes or separators, methods of making such membranes, separators, and/or batteries, and/or methods of using such membranes, separators and/or batteries are provided. In accordance with at least certain embodiments, a multilayer dry process polyethylene/polypropylene/polyethylene microporous separator which is manufactured using the inventive process which includes machine direction stretching followed by transverse direction stretching and a subsequent calendering step as a means to reduce the thickness of the multilayer microporous membrane, to reduce the percent porosity of the multilayer microporous membrane in a controlled manner and/or to improve transverse direction tensile strength. In a very particular embodiment, the inventive process produces a thin multilayer microporous membrane that is easily coated with polymeric-ceramic coatings, has excellent mechanical strength properties due to its polypropylene layer or layers and a thermal shutdown function due to its polyethylene layer or layers. The ratio of the thickness of the polypropylene and polyethylene layers in the inventive multilayer microporous membrane can be tailored to balance mechanical strength and thermal shutdown properties.

A method of manufacturing a secondary battery including an electrode body element fabricating step in which a first electrode body element including a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate, and a second electrode body element including a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate are fabricated, a tab-connecting step in which a first positive electrode tab group of the first electrode body element and a second positive electrode tab group of the second electrode body element are connected to a second positive electrode collector, and a first negative electrode tab group of the first electrode body element and a second negative electrode tab group of the second electrode body element are connected to a second negative electrode collector, and an electrode body fabricating step in which, after the tab-connecting step, the first electrode body element and the second electrode body element are unified.

A secondary battery is provided including an electrode wound body housed in a battery can, with the electrode wound body having a structure including a band-shaped positive electrode and a band-shaped negative electrode laminated and wound with a separator interposed therebetween, where the positive electrode includes a positive electrode active material layer on both sides of a band-shaped positive electrode foil, the negative electrode includes a negative electrode active material layer on both sides of a band-shaped negative electrode foil, the electrode wound body includes a positive electrode tab at a central part of the positive electrode, includes a negative electrode tab on a winding end side of the negative electrode, and includes a foil tab in a flat plate shape on a winding start side of either one or both of the positive electrode and the negative electrode.

A liquid state battery includes a housing, a separator, a first slurry, a first current collector, a second slurry, a second current collector, a first tab, and a second tab having a different polarity than the first tab. The housing encloses a receiving space. The separator is disposed in the receiving space and divides the receiving space into a first chamber and a second chamber. The first slurry and the first current collector are disposed in the first chamber. The second slurry and the second current collector are disposed in the second chamber. The first tab is electrically connected to the first current collector and extending outside the housing. The second tab is electrically connected to the second current collector and extending outside the housing. This application further provides an electronic device containing such liquid state battery.

A liquid state battery includes a housing, a separator, a first slurry, a first current collector, a second slurry, a second current collector, a first tab, and a second tab having a different polarity than the first tab. The housing encloses a receiving space. The separator is disposed in the receiving space and divides the receiving space into a first chamber and a second chamber. The first slurry and the first current collector are disposed in the first chamber. The second slurry and the second current collector are disposed in the second chamber. The first tab is electrically connected to the first current collector and extending outside the housing. The second tab is electrically connected to the second current collector and extending outside the housing. This application further provides an electronic device containing such liquid state battery.

A method for producing a microporous material comprising the steps of: providing an ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE); providing a filler; providing a processing plasticizer; adding the filler to the UHMWPE in a mixture being in the range of from about 1:9 to about 15:1 filler to UHMWPE by weight; adding the processing plasticizer to the mixture; extruding the mixture to form a sheet from the mixture; calendering the sheet; extracting the processing plasticizer from the sheet to produce a matrix comprising UHMWPE and the filler distributed throughout the matrix; stretching the microporous material in at least one direction to a stretch ratio of at least about 1.5 to produce a stretched microporous matrix; and subsequently calendering the stretched microporous matrix to produce a microporous material which exhibits improved physical and dimensional stability properties over the stretched microporous matrix.

A method for producing a microporous material comprising the steps of: providing an ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE); providing a filler; providing a processing plasticizer; adding the filler to the UHMWPE in a mixture being in the range of from about 1:9 to about 15:1 filler to UHMWPE by weight; adding the processing plasticizer to the mixture; extruding the mixture to form a sheet from the mixture; calendering the sheet; extracting the processing plasticizer from the sheet to produce a matrix comprising UHMWPE and the filler distributed throughout the matrix; stretching the microporous material in at least one direction to a stretch ratio of at least about 1.5 to produce a stretched microporous matrix; and subsequently calendering the stretched microporous matrix to produce a microporous material which exhibits improved physical and dimensional stability properties over the stretched microporous matrix.

To provide a storage battery including a carbon-based material. To provide a graphene compound film having desired ion conductivity and mechanical strength while preventing direct contact between electrodes in a storage battery. To achieve long-term reliability. A lithium-ion storage battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an exterior body, and a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. In the lithium-ion storage battery, one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode is wrapped in a first film, and the positive electrode, the negative electrode, and the separator are stored in the exterior body. The first film may include a first region in which the first film includes a first functional group. The first film may further include a second region in which the first film includes a second functional group different from the first functional group. The first film may be a graphene compound film.

To provide a storage battery including a carbon-based material. To provide a graphene compound film having desired ion conductivity and mechanical strength while preventing direct contact between electrodes in a storage battery. To achieve long-term reliability. A lithium-ion storage battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an exterior body, and a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. In the lithium-ion storage battery, one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode is wrapped in a first film, and the positive electrode, the negative electrode, and the separator are stored in the exterior body. The first film may include a first region in which the first film includes a first functional group. The first film may further include a second region in which the first film includes a second functional group different from the first functional group. The first film may be a graphene compound film.