GLASS FIBER SEPARATOR AND METHOD OF MAKING

摘要

The separator (20) comprises a mat of glass micro-fibers and a binder. The binder is an aqueous mixture of colloidal silica particles and a sulfate salt. The mat is impregnated with the binder, compressed, and dried into a rigid state that makes the separator easy to handle. The binder is formulated to release the mat from the compressed state contacted by the sulfuric acid electrolyte between the electrode plates (24, 26) of the battery. The mat expands against the electrode plates to provide the separator-to-electrode contact that is necessary for proper battery performance. The silica particles of the binder then facilitate oxygen transport between the battery electrodes (24, 26).