A rechargeable zinc metal battery cell includes a zinc metal anode, a cathode, a porous separator between them, and an electrolyte composition absorbed by the porous separator and in contact with both anode and cathode. The electrolyte composition includes (i) an aqueous solution of zinc chloride at a concentration greater than 15 molal, and (ii) dimethyl carbonate present at a mass ratio between 0.1:1.0 and 1.0:1.0 with respect to water in the aqueous solution. In some examples: the anode includes zinc metal foil stacked on titanium metal foil; the cathode includes vanadium(V) phosphate; the porous separator includes glass fibers and is less than 200 μm thick; or the electrolyte composition includes (i) an aqueous solution of 30 molal zinc chloride, 5 molal lithium chloride, and 10 molal trimethyl ammonium chloride, and (ii) dimethyl carbonate present at a mass ratio of 1.0:1.0 with respect to water in the aqueous solution.

Improved battery separators, base films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of making and/or using such separators, films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of enhancing battery or cell charge rates, charge capacity, and/or discharge rates, and/or methods of improving batteries, systems including such batteries, vehicles including such batteries and/or systems, and/or the like; biaxially oriented porous membranes, composites including biaxially oriented porous membranes, biaxially oriented microporous membranes, biaxially oriented macroporous membranes, battery separators with improved charge capacities and the related methods and methods of manufacture, methods of use, and the like; flat sheet membranes, liquid retention media; dry process separators; biaxially stretched separators; dry process biaxially stretched separators having a thickness range between about 5 μm and 50 μm, preferably between about 10 μm and 25 μm, having improved strength, high porosity, and unexpectedly and/or surprisingly high charge capacity, such as, for example, high 10 C rate charge capacity; separators or membranes with high charge capacity and high porosity, excellent charge rate and/or charge capacity performance in a rechargeable and/or secondary lithium battery, such as a lithium ion battery, for high power and/or high energy applications, cells, devices, systems, and/or vehicles, and/or the like; single or multiple ply or layer separators, monolayer separators, trilayer separators, composite separators, laminated separators, co-extruded separators, coated separators, 1 C or higher separators, at least 1 C separators, batteries, cells, systems, devices, vehicles, and/or the like; improved microporous battery separators for secondary lithium batteries, improved microporous battery separators with enhanced or high charge (C) rates, discharge (C) rates, and/or enhanced or high charge capacities in or for secondary lithium batteries, and/or related methods of manufacture, use, and/or the like, and/or combinations thereof are disclosed or provided.

Improved battery separators, base films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of making and/or using such separators, films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of enhancing battery or cell charge rates, charge capacity, and/or discharge rates, and/or methods of improving batteries, systems including such batteries, vehicles including such batteries and/or systems, and/or the like; biaxially oriented porous membranes, composites including biaxially oriented porous membranes, biaxially oriented microporous membranes, biaxially oriented macroporous membranes, battery separators with improved charge capacities and the related methods and methods of manufacture, methods of use, and the like; flat sheet membranes, liquid retention media; dry process separators; biaxially stretched separators; dry process biaxially stretched separators having a thickness range between about 5 μm and 50 μm, preferably between about 10 μm and 25 μm, having improved strength, high porosity, and unexpectedly and/or surprisingly high charge capacity, such as, for example, high 10 C rate charge capacity; separators or membranes with high charge capacity and high porosity, excellent charge rate and/or charge capacity performance in a rechargeable and/or secondary lithium battery, such as a lithium ion battery, for high power and/or high energy applications, cells, devices, systems, and/or vehicles, and/or the like; single or multiple ply or layer separators, monolayer separators, trilayer separators, composite separators, laminated separators, co-extruded separators, coated separators, 1 C or higher separators, at least 1 C separators, batteries, cells, systems, devices, vehicles, and/or the like; improved microporous battery separators for secondary lithium batteries, improved microporous battery separators with enhanced or high charge (C) rates, discharge (C) rates, and/or enhanced or high charge capacities in or for secondary lithium batteries, and/or related methods of manufacture, use, and/or the like, and/or combinations thereof are disclosed or provided.

A separator which includes: a porous polymer substrate having a plurality of pores; a separator base including a porous coating layer formed on at least one surface of the porous polymer substrate; and an adhesive layer formed on at least one surface of the separator base, said adhesive layer comprising a plurality of second inorganic particles and adhesive resin particles, wherein the weight ratio of the second inorganic particles to the adhesive resin particles is 5:95-60:40, and the diameter of the adhesive resin particles is 1.1-3.5 times the diameter of the second inorganic particles. An electrochemical device including the separator is also disclosed. The separator shows improved adhesion between an electrode and the separator, maintains the pores of the adhesive layer even after a process of electrode lamination, and improves the resistance of an electrochemical device.

Representative embodiments provide a liquid or gel separator utilized to separate and space apart first and second conductors or electrodes of an energy storage device, such as a battery or a supercapacitor. A representative liquid or gel separator comprises a plurality of particles, typically having a size (in any dimension) between about 0.5 to about 50 microns; a first, ionic liquid electrolyte; and a polymer. In another representative embodiment, the plurality of particles comprise diatoms, diatomaceous frustules, and/or diatomaceous fragments or remains. Another representative embodiment further comprises a second electrolyte different from the first electrolyte; the plurality of particles are comprised of silicate glass; the first and second electrolytes comprise zinc tetrafluoroborate salt in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidalzolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquid; and the polymer comprises polyvinyl alcohol (“PVA”) or polyvinylidene fluoride (“PVFD”). Additional components, such as additional electrolytes and solvents, may also be included.

Representative embodiments provide a liquid or gel separator utilized to separate and space apart first and second conductors or electrodes of an energy storage device, such as a battery or a supercapacitor. A representative liquid or gel separator comprises a plurality of particles, typically having a size (in any dimension) between about 0.5 to about 50 microns; a first, ionic liquid electrolyte; and a polymer. In another representative embodiment, the plurality of particles comprise diatoms, diatomaceous frustules, and/or diatomaceous fragments or remains. Another representative embodiment further comprises a second electrolyte different from the first electrolyte; the plurality of particles are comprised of silicate glass; the first and second electrolytes comprise zinc tetrafluoroborate salt in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidalzolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquid; and the polymer comprises polyvinyl alcohol (“PVA”) or polyvinylidene fluoride (“PVFD”). Additional components, such as additional electrolytes and solvents, may also be included.

Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a functionalized separator having a zwitterionic coating thereon. The method includes preparing a porous separator; coating a linker on a surface of the porous separator; and chemically reacting zwitterions with the linker such the zwitterions are grafted to the linker on the surface of the separator. The zwitterions grafted to the linker acts as a monolayer to functionalize the surface of the separator. The functionalized separator may disallow elution of polysulfide compound in a lithium-sulfur battery. Further, the functionalized separator may increase ion conductivity of electrolyte of the lithium-sulfur battery and thus ensure high output characteristics.

A zinc-air battery cell assembly comprising: a layer of anode material; one or more layers of cathode material; a separator directly between and engaging both the layer of anode material and the layer of cathode material that acts as both an electronic insulator and an ion conductive path between the layer of anode material and the layer of cathode material; and a diffusion member directly engaging the layer of cathode material.

A zinc-air battery cell assembly comprising: a layer of anode material; one or more layers of cathode material; a separator directly between and engaging both the layer of anode material and the layer of cathode material that acts as both an electronic insulator and an ion conductive path between the layer of anode material and the layer of cathode material; and a diffusion member directly engaging the layer of cathode material.

A method for manufacturing a crosslinked polyolefin separator and a separator are provided. The method includes putting a polyolefin and a polyolefin elastomer into an extruder first, and putting an alkoxy silane containing a carbon-carbon double bond functional group, an initiator and a crosslinking catalyst to form the separator. The crosslinked polyolefin separator has high meltdown temperature and low shutdown temperature.