DuPont invents nanofibre battery separator for electric cars

DuPont has introduced the first nanofibre-based polymeric battery separator that boosts the performance and safety of lithium ion batteries. DuPontT EnergainT battery separators can increase power 15 to 30 per cent, increase battery life by up to 20 per cent and improve battery safety by providing stability at high temperatures. With more battery power, drivers can travel further on a single charge and accelerate more quickly and safely.

For automobile and battery manufacturers, more battery power can reduce the number of batteries typically required in today's hybrid and electric vehicles.

The company has begun construction on a facility in Chesterfield County, Virginia, to manufacture products for development and commercial sale.

While the initial uses for the separator are in hybrid and electric vehicle batteries, the technology also will be targeted for batteries in renewable energy, grid applications, speciality consumer applications, including laptops, cell phones and power tools, among others. Other products made using DuPont's proprietary nanofibre technology will target a broad range of liquid filtration applications for the biopharmaceutical, microelectronics, food and beverage industries, offering superior retention, filter life and flow resistance.

Thomas G. Powell, President of DuPont Protection Technologies, said: “This launch and our investment in a new production facility are important steps in our strategy to expand DuPont's role in energy storage. What sets DuPont apart is integrated science and proven results for better, safer and more sustainable performance.”

“DuPontT EnergainT is a breakthrough platform technology. We expect to translate the improvements we've seen in automotive battery applications to deliver equal or better battery performance in specialty consumer electronics, where reliable, faster and longer lasting battery power are essential.”

DuPont estimates that, by 2015, the market for high-performance lithium ion batteries alone will total more than $7 billion annually, primarily for electric vehicle applications and some photovoltaics and grid storage.

Typical hybrid vehicles contain between 50 and 70 batteries; plug-in electric vehicles with rangeextending motors have 80 to more than 200 batteries; and fully electric vehicles carry 150 or more. Within each battery, the separator is a sheet positioned between the two electrodes. It functions as a barrier that prevents the electrodes from touching and shorting while letting lithium ions pass back and forth to allow the charge and discharge of the battery.

DuPontT EnergainT battery separators are produced into a web using a proprietary spinning process that creates continuous filaments with diameters between 200 and 1,000 nanometers. The separators exhibit stability and low shrinkage in high temperatures and are highly saturable in electyrolyte liquids. The result is more efficient operation, longer battery life and improved safety. Batteries containing EnergainT separators can be quickly recharged, deliver improved performance and reduce the number of batteries needed by up to one-third for hybrid vehicles.