Described herein is a multilayer microporous film or membrane that may exhibit improved properties, including improved dielectric break down and strength, compared to prior monolayer or tri-layer microporous membranes of the same thickness. The preferred multilayer microporous membrane comprises microlayers and one or more lamination barriers. Also disclosed is a battery separator or battery comprising one or more of the multilayer microporous films or membranes. The inventive battery and battery separator is preferably safer and more robust than batteries and battery separators using prior monolayer and tri-layer microporous membranes. Also, described herein is a method for making the multilayer microporous separators, membranes or films described herein.

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 microporous membrane wipe and a method of using such microporous membrane wipe are disclosed. The microporous membrane wipe may be uniaxially or biaxially oriented microporous membrane. The uniaxially or biaxially oriented microporous membrane may be made from one or more block and/or impact copolymers of polyethylene and/or polypropylene. A method of using such a microporous membrane wipe for skin oil blotting is also disclosed. Further disclosed is a method of using such a microporous membrane wipe for cleaning a surface for the removal of fingerprints, smudges and the like, where such surfaces may include, for example, eyeglasses, electronics, cell phones, displays, optical devices, camera lenses, microscope lenses and other precision optics, and/or the like.

A dialyzer housing manufacturing system includes a molding device configured to mold a dialyzer housing, and a tool coupled to a robotic arm and configured to retrieve the dialyzer housing from the molding device after the dialyzer housing is molded. The tool includes a frame, a first suction cup connected to a first portion of the frame, and a second suction cup connected to a second portion of the frame, the second suction cup being oriented about 70 degrees to about 110 degrees relative to the first suction cup.

This disclosure provides a fluorine-containing mixture and a fluorine-containing super-oleophobic microporous membrane using the fluorine-containing mixture as a raw material, as well as preparation methods and applications for the fluorine-containing mixture and the fluorine-containing super-oleophobic microporous membrane. The fluorine-containing mixture of the present disclosure comprises, by weight percentage, the following components: Component A: 50%˜90%; Component B: 3%˜25%; Component C: 0%˜35%; Component D: 0%˜3%; wherein Component A comprises high molecular weight polytetrafluoroethylene homopolymer or copolymer dispersion resin; Component B comprises one or more fluorine-containing alkyl acrylate monomers; Component C comprises one or more fluorine-free acrylates; Component D comprises high temperature free radical initiator. There's no need to add inflammable or explosive lubricating oil, making the process highly safe; and the obtained fluorine-containing super-oleophobic microporous membrane has high waterproof, air-permeable, oil-resistant and washable performance, in line with the needs of a new generation of waterproof and air-permeable protective clothing.

Provided is a porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane in which an absolute value of a difference in lightness between one principal surface and the other principal surface is 1.0 or more, where the lightness is lightness L* of CIE 1976 (L*, a*, b*) color space specified in JIS Z8781-4: 2013. The porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane may be colored black or gray. The porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane provided can have properties with a reduced coloring-induced deterioration.

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.

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composite articles that have a macro textured surface. The composite articles include at least two different PTFE membranes in a layered or stacked configuration. The composite article has a macro textured surface characterized by a plurality of strands raised from the surface of the PTFE membrane. The strands may be formed of either interconnected nodes of PTFE or of at least one nodal mass of PTFE and have a length equal to or greater than about 1.5 mm. The macro textured surface provides a topography to the first PTFE membrane. The composite articles have a bubble point from about 3.0 psi to about 200 psi, a thickness from about 0.01 to about 3.0 mm, and a bulk density from about 0.01 g/cm.sup.3 to about 1.0 g/cm.sup.3.

A piece of substrate material is formed under heat and pressure by a roller against a cavity or platen into a shaped substrate sheet having one or more depressions. Two substrate sheets are bonded together to form a substrate wherein the one or more depressions form one or more interior channels. The substrate is coated with a dope in a casting device having a guide portion corresponding to the shape of the substrate sheets and quenched to form a filtering membrane.

A crosslinked polyolefin separator having a ratio (A/B) of storage modulus G′ (A) to loss modulus G″ (B) of 2 or more, at a range of the frequency of the crosslinked polyolefin separator of 1 rad/s or less, in the frequency-loss/storage modulus curve. The crosslinked polyolefin separator is controlled to have a high ratio of storage modulus to loss modulus, and thus maintains its elasticity even at high temperature. Therefore, it is possible to provide a separator having improved safety.