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 separator including a porous base and a coating layer on at least one surface of the porous base, the coating layer including (a) a carbon nanotube including an oxygen functional group and (b) a lithium ion conducting polymer, and a lithium-sulfur battery including the same. Such a separator may be capable of resolving problems caused by lithium polysulfide occurring in a lithium-sulfur battery.

A separator including a porous base and a coating layer on at least one surface of the porous base, the coating layer including (a) a carbon nanotube including an oxygen functional group and (b) a lithium ion conducting polymer, and a lithium-sulfur battery including the same. Such a separator may be capable of resolving problems caused by lithium polysulfide occurring in a lithium-sulfur battery.

Provided is a technique relating to a slurry for a non-aqueous secondary battery that can stably be applied onto a battery member surface even in a situation in which an inkjet method is adopted. A method of producing the slurry for a non-aqueous secondary battery includes a degassing step of reducing the dissolved carbon dioxide gas concentration of a mixture containing a particulate polymer (A) and water.

A negative electrode comprises a negative electrode collector, a first negative electrode mixture layer, and a second negative electrode mixture layer the ratio of the void fraction (S2) among the graphite particles in the second negative electrode mixture layer to the void fraction (S1) among the graphite particles in the first negative electrode mixture layer, namely S2/S1 is from 1.1 to 2.0: and the ratio of the packing density (D2) of the second negative electrode mixture layer to the packing density (D1) of the first negative electrode mixture layer, namely D2/D1 is from 0.9 to 1.1. A separator has a first surface that is in contact with a positive electrode and a second surface that is in contact with the negative electrode; and the contact angle of the first surface with ethylene carbonate is smaller than the contact angle of the second surface with ethylene carbonate.

A negative electrode comprises a negative electrode collector, a first negative electrode mixture layer, and a second negative electrode mixture layer the ratio of the void fraction (S2) among the graphite particles in the second negative electrode mixture layer to the void fraction (S1) among the graphite particles in the first negative electrode mixture layer, namely S2/S1 is from 1.1 to 2.0: and the ratio of the packing density (D2) of the second negative electrode mixture layer to the packing density (D1) of the first negative electrode mixture layer, namely D2/D1 is from 0.9 to 1.1. A separator has a first surface that is in contact with a positive electrode and a second surface that is in contact with the negative electrode; and the contact angle of the first surface with ethylene carbonate is smaller than the contact angle of the second surface with ethylene carbonate.

Provided is a composition for a non-aqueous secondary battery functional layer with which it is possible to form a functional layer that has excellent heat shrinkage resistance and can cause a non-aqueous secondary battery to display excellent cycle characteristics. The composition for a non-aqueous secondary battery functional layer contains organic particles and a solvent. The organic particles include a polyfunctional ethylenically unsaturated monomer unit in a proportion of not less than 55 mass % and not more than 90 mass %, and have a volume-average particle diameter of not less than 50 nm and not more than 370 nm.

Provided is a composition for a non-aqueous secondary battery functional layer with which it is possible to form a functional layer that has excellent heat shrinkage resistance and can cause a non-aqueous secondary battery to display excellent cycle characteristics. The composition for a non-aqueous secondary battery functional layer contains organic particles and a solvent. The organic particles include a polyfunctional ethylenically unsaturated monomer unit in a proportion of not less than 55 mass % and not more than 90 mass %, and have a volume-average particle diameter of not less than 50 nm and not more than 370 nm.

A one-step molded lithium ion battery separator and preparation method and application thereof are provided. The battery separator comprises a support layer and a filler layer. The support layer comprises at least two of superfine main fiber, thermoplastic bonded fiber and first nanofiber, and the filler layer comprises at least one of inorganic fillers and third nanofiber. The lithium ion battery separator has a thickness of 19-31 μm, a maximum pore diameter of no more than 1 μm, and a heat shrinkage rate of less than 3% after treatment at 300° C. for 1 hour, and the separator still has a certain strength at a high temperature, ensuring stability and isolation of the rigid structure of the filler layer at a high temperature, satisfying requirements of the separator in terms of heat resistance, pore size and strength, having excellent comprehensive performance.

A one-step molded lithium ion battery separator and preparation method and application thereof are provided. The battery separator comprises a support layer and a filler layer. The support layer comprises at least two of superfine main fiber, thermoplastic bonded fiber and first nanofiber, and the filler layer comprises at least one of inorganic fillers and third nanofiber. The lithium ion battery separator has a thickness of 19-31 μm, a maximum pore diameter of no more than 1 μm, and a heat shrinkage rate of less than 3% after treatment at 300° C. for 1 hour, and the separator still has a certain strength at a high temperature, ensuring stability and isolation of the rigid structure of the filler layer at a high temperature, satisfying requirements of the separator in terms of heat resistance, pore size and strength, having excellent comprehensive performance.