Li-ion batteries: news, progress, history and background

Disclosed is a separator. The separator includes a planar non-woven fabric substrate having a plurality of pores, and a porous coating layer formed on at least one surface of the non-woven fabric substrate. The porous coating layer is composed of a mixture of filler particles and a binder polymer. The filler particles include conductive positive temperature coefficient (PTC) particles composed of a mixture of conductive particles and a low melting point resin having a melting point lower than that of the non-woven fabric substrate. Due to the presence of the conductive PTC particles, the porous coating layer can be imparted with a shutdown function against thermal runaway. In addition, the porous coating layer exhibits appropriate electrical conductivity. Therefore, the separator is suitable for use in a high-capacity electrochemical device. Inventors: Pil-Kyu Park, Jong-Hun Kim, Soon-Ho Ahn, Je-Young Kim Original Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD. Application number: 13/173,902; Publication...

There are disclosed electrolytes comprising solutions of lithium salts with large anions in polar aprotic solvents with a particular concentration of background salts. The concentration of the background salts is selected to be equal or close to the concentration of a saturated solution of these salts in the aprotic solvents used. The electrolytes disclosed can be used in chemical sources of electric energy such as secondary (rechargeable) cells and batteries comprising sulphur-based positive active materials. The use of such electrolytes increases cycling efficiency and cycle life of the cells and batteries. Inventors: Vladimir KOLOSNITSYN, Elena KARASEVA  Application number: 13/153,157 Publication number: US 2011/0236766 A1 Filing date: Jun 3, 2011 Fig. 1 Charge/discharge capacity fade of standard Li-S cell Fig. 9 Charge/discharge capacity fade of Li-S cell with a saturated electrolyte solution as 1.7M of LiClO4 in methylpropylsulfone @ 0.25C ch/dch Fast...

Disclosed are a non-aqueous electrolyte solution for a lithium secondary battery and a lithium secondary battery comprising the same. The non-aqueous electrolyte solution for a lithium secondary battery may include difluorotoluene having a lowest oxidation potential among components of the non-aqueous electrolyte solution. The lithium secondary battery may have improvement in basic performance including high rate charge/discharge characteristics, cycle life characteristics, and the like, and may remarkably reduce swelling caused by decomposition of an electrolyte solution under high voltage conditions such as overcharge. Inventors: Jong-Ho Jeon, Yong-Gon Lee, Seung-Woo Chu, Shul-Kee Kim, Hyun-Yeong Lee, Jae-Deok Jeon Application number: 13/164,107 Publication number: US 2011/0244339 A1 Filing date: Jun 20, 2011 Related articles Fluoride shuttle increases storage capacity: Researchers develop new concept for rechargeable batteries (sciencedaily.com) Fluoride shuttle ...

New patent application from LG Chem : Provided is an electrochemical device comprising multi-stacked unit cells of full cells or bicells and a separation film disposed therebetween, whereby the separation film and separators are alternately stacked between electrode layers with an opposite polarity. Herein, as the separation film is formed of a material having a higher thermal shrinkage rate than that of the separator, the thermal stability of the device can be secured by stable induction of shutdown via thermal behavior of the separation film, without causing short-circuiting due to thermal shrinkage of the separator even when a temperature of a battery suddenly rises by internal or external factors. Application number: 13/107,122  Publication number: US 2011/0217586 A1 Filing date: May 13, 2011  Inventors: Je Young KIM, Pil Kyu PARK, Soonho AHN Original Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.   O riginal separator placement New separator placement Also some Claims sug...