Battery separator having improved wettability and methods of use therefor

摘要

According to one embodiment, a separator for a lead-acid battery includes a microporous polymer membrane and a nonwoven fiber mat that is positioned adjacent a surface of the microporous polymer membrane to reinforce the microporous polymer membrane. The fiber mat includes a plurality of glass fibers and an acid resistant binder that couples the plurality of glass fibers together to form the fiber mat. The binder includes one or more hydrophilic functional groups that are coupled with a backbone of the binder and that increase the wettability of the fiber mat by enhancing the fiber mat's ability to function or interact with water or an electrolyte of the lead-acid battery.