• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 2011

We develop a new nonwoven composite separator for a safer lithium-ion battery, which is based on coating of silica ($SiO_2$) colloidal particles/styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) binder to a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) nonwoven support. The $SiO_2$ particles are interconnected by the SBR binder and closely packed in the nonwoven composite separator, which thus allows for the development of unusual porous structure, i.e. highly-connected interstitial voids formed between the $SiO_2$ particles. The PET nonwoven serves as a mechanical support that contributes to suppressing thermal shrinkage of the nonwoven composite separator. The $SiO_2$/SBR content in the nonwoven composite separators plays an important role in determining their separator properties. Porous structure, air permeability, and electrolyte wettability of the nonwoven composite separators, in comparison to a commercialized polyethylene (PE) separator, are elucidated as a function of the $SiO_2$/SBR content. Based on this understanding of the nonwoven composite separators, the effect of $SiO_2$/SBR content on the electrochemical performances such as self-discharge, discharge capacity, and discharge C-rate capability of cells assembled with the nonwoven composite separators is investigated.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.550-555
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• 2013

A hydrogel electrolyte consisting of potassium poly(acrylate) (PAAK) (3 wt%) in 6 M KOH aqueous solution is coated on poly(acrylonitrile) nonwoven separator to examine high-rate characteristics of activated carbon supercapacitor adopting the separator. The hydrogel is homogeneously coated on the surface pores of the nonwoven separator. The electrolyte uptake of the PAAK hydrogel maintains for 24 days higher than 230% and the coated separator shows slightly lower ionic conductivity ($2.9{\times}10^{-2}Scm^{-1}$) than that ($3.6{\times}10^{-2}Scm^{-1}$) of using 6 M KOH only. The activated carbon supercapacitor adopting the coated separator shows a specific capacitance higher than $27Fg^{-1}$ at $1000mVs^{-1}$ and a retention ratio higher than 97% after the 1000th cycle. This is due to strong interfacial contact of coated hydrogel electrolyte between the activated carbon electrode and the nonwoven separator.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.26-33
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• 2015

In this study, cell performance and thermal stability of lithium-ion cells with a polyimide (PI) separator are investigated. In comparison to conventional polyethylene (PE) separator, the PI separator exhibits distinct advantage in microporous structure, leading to superior reliability of the cell. The cells with PI separator exhibit good cell performances as same as the cells with PE separator, but their reliability was superior to the cell with PE separator. Especially in the hot-box test at 150 and 180℃, PI separator showed a contraction percentage close to 0% at 150℃, while the PE separator showed a contraction percentage greater than 10% in both width and length. Therefore, the PI separator can be the promising candidate for separators of the next generation of lithium-ion battery.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.10a
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• pp.1.1-1.1
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• 2011

Electrospinning has known to be very effective tool for production of versatile one-dimensional (1D) nanostructured materials such as nanofibers, nanorod, and nanotubes and for easily assembly to two-, three-dimensional(2D, 3D) nanostructures such as thin film, membrane, and nonwoven web, etc. We have studied on the electrospinning technology for novel energy storage and conversion materials such as advanced separator, dye sensitized solar cell, supercapacitor, etc. High heat-resistive nanofibrous membrane as a new separator for future lithium ion polymer battery was prepared by electrospinning of PVdF based composite solution. The novel nanofibrous composite nonwovens have tensile strength of above 50 MPa and modulus of above 1.3 GPa. The internal structure of the electrospun composite nanofiber with a diameter of few hundreds nanometer were composed of core-shell nanostructure. And also electrospun $TiO_2$ nanorod/nanosphere based dye-sensitized solar cells with high efficiency are successfully prepared. Some battery performance will be introduced.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.49-54
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• 2017

We develop a ceramic composite separator prepared by coating $ZrO_2$ nanoparticles with a poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP) copolymer on a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) mechanical support prepared by electrospinning technique to improve thermal properties. The gurley number of the ceramic composite separator shows much lower value than that of a PE separator even though it possesses the polymeric coating layer with ceramic nanoparticles. In addition, the proposed sample shows higher electrolyte uptake than PE separator, leading to enhancing the ionic conductivity of the proposed sample and, by extension, the rate discharge properties of lithium ion batteries. Thermal stability of the ceramic composite separator is dramatically improved without any degradation in electrochemical performance compared to the performance of conventional PE separators.

• Journal of Ceramic Processing Research
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• v.13 no.spc2
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• pp.308-311
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• 2012

A wide range of possible hazards existing in thermal batteries are mainly caused by thermal runaway, which results in overheating or explosion in extreme case. Battery separators ensure the separation between two electrodes and the retention of ion-conductive electrolytes. Thermal runaways in thermal batteries can be significantly reduced by the adoption of these separators. The high operating temperature and the violent reactivity in thermal batteries, however, have limited the introduction of conventional separators. As a substitute for separators, MgO powders have been mostly used as a binder to hold molten salt electrolyte. During recent decades the fabrication technology of ceramic fiber, which has excellent mechanical strength and chemical stability, has undergone significant improvement. In this study we adopted wet-laid nonwoven paper making method instead of the electrospinning method which is costly and troublesome to produce in volume. Polymeric precursor can readily be coated on the surface of wet-laid ceramic paper, and be formed into ceramic film after heat treatment. The mechanical strength and the thermo-chemical stability as well as the wetting behaviors of ceramic separators with various molten salts were investigated to be applicable to thermal batteries. Due to their excellent chemical, mechanical, and electrical properties, wet-laid nonwoven separators made from ceramic fibers have revealed positive possibility as new separators for thermal batteries which operate at high temperature with no conspicuous sign of a short circuit and corrosion.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.467-472
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• 2017

Alkaline electrolytes consisting of 6 M KOH and polymer (PEO, PVA, and PAAK) are coated on PAN nonwoven fabrics as a separator, and the electrochemical properties of the activated carbon supercapacitor adopting them are investigated in terms of redox behavior, specific capacitance, and interfacial impedance. Although the interaction between polymer and KOH are comparatively inactive in PEO and PVA, PAAK (3 wt.%)-KOH forms a hydrogel phase by active interactions between $COO^-K^+$ in side-chain of PAAK and $K^+OH^-$ from alkaline electrolyte solution, improving ionic conduction of electrolytes and the electrochemical properties of the supercapacitor. As a result, the activated supercapacitor adopting the PAAK-KOH shows the superior specific capacitance of $46.8Fg^{-1}$ at $100mVs^{-1}$.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.337-350
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• 2016

Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries (LIBs) have garnered increasing attention with the rapid advancements in portable electronics, electric vehicles, and grid-scale energy storage systems which are expected to drastically change our future lives. This review describes a separator membrane, one of the key components in LIBs, in terms of porous structure and physicochemical properties, and its recent development trends are followed. The separator membrane is a kind of porous membrane that is positioned between a cathode and an anode. Its major functions involve electrical isolation between the electrodes while serving as an ionic transport channel that is filled with liquid electrolyte. The separator membranes are not directly involved in redox reactions of LIBs, however, their aforementioned roles significantly affect performance and safety of LIBs. A variety of research approaches have been recently conducted in separator membranes in order to further reinforce battery safeties and also widen chemical functionalities. This review starts with introduction to commercial polyolefin separators that are currently most widely used in LIBs. Based on this understanding, modified polyolefin separators, nonwoven separators, ceramic composite separators, and chemically active separators will be described, with special attention to their relationship with future research directions of advanced LIBs.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.60-68
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• 2004

The core-shell polyolefin nonwovon fabric (PNF), wherein the PNF comprises at least about 60% of polyethylene having a melting temperature at ${\sim}132^{\circ}C$ and no more than about 40% of second polypropylene having a lower melting temperature at ${\sim}162^{\circ}C$. The sulfonic acid group for battery separators were prepared by radiation-induced grafting of styrene onto PNF and by the subsequent sulfonation of polystyrene graft chains. The sulfonated PNF was characterized by XPS, SEM, DSC, TGA and porosimeter. The electrochemical properties such as electrolyte retension, electrical resistance, and transport number of the $K^+ions$ were evaluated after sulfonation. It was found that the electrolyte retension increased, whereas the electrical resistance decreased with increasing sulfonic acid content. The transport number of $K^+$ in PNF with sulfonic acid of 0.22 ~ 3.60 mmol/g was to be 0.90 ~ 0.93.