An Integrated Li-ion Battery Manufacturing Process for Improved Safety and Decreased Battery Cost

Commercial separators for Li-ion battery applications consist of microporous membranes that prevent contact between electrodes and enable free ion flow in the cell. Major drawbacks of these separators include their complex manufacturing process which adds cost to the battery and insufficient protection against thermal runaway reactions at elevated temperatures. This project addresses these limitations by developing a more cost-effective manufacturing process that yields separators with substantially improved thermal stability at extreme cell temperatures. To demonstrate the use of these separator in Li-ion batteries, Giner also proposes a new type of hybrid cell that takes advantage of high-energy and high-power capabilities of batteries and capacitors in a single device by combining a symmetric capacitor and a rechargeable battery in one unit cell. Preliminary data is shown on some materials that have already been successfully fabricated and tested.