Battery Separator Developments

2018 - 2019
JULY, 2019
Overview
• Introduction to the battery applications
• Lead Acid Battery manufacturing process
• Ahlstrom-Munksjo innovation from Fabriano
• Battery separator product portfolio in Fabriano
Lead Acid battery application and type
• Battery separator technology aligned with
Automotive
Ahlstrom-Munksjo capabilities
- 60% of the LAB market in value 80%
• Initial platform: Ahlstrom-Munksjo (AM)
in volume
Fabriano
- 400M batteries/year globally
- Includes passenger cars, commercial,
HEV and EV Battery types

- Standard Flooded Batteries: SFB

Motive and deepcycle
Used for start, ignition and lighting – basic
- 15% of the LAB market in value 10% functions
in volume
- Forklifts, golf carts, railroad, mining
- Enhanced Flooded Batteries: EFB
Accept more cycle than SFB
(ebike)
- Valve Regulated Lead Acid: VRLA (also called
AGM as Absorbed Glass Mat)
Higher cyclability, less maintenance
Stationary
- 25% of the LAB market in value
10% in volume
- Telecommunication, data centers,
back-up, uninterruptible power
supply (UPS)
 Battery manufacturing steps 1/3
1- Grid manufacture
- Lead base material for electrode
- Function: support active electrode material and
collect current
2- Electrode plate manufacture
- A lead paste is coated onto the grid
- Function: release and adsorb lead charges
- The paste is cured in ovens but remains
brittle
 Most of battery manufacturers wrap the
pasted plate with a paper or a synthetic
tissue to prevent workers to be in contact with
lead and to prevent dusting of the plate during
the use of the operating life of the battery
 Battery manufacturing steps 2/3
3- Separator insert 4- Assembly

Placing the plates together

and insert then in the battery case

- During the plate assembly a separator in placed between the

positive and negative plates to prevent contact and allow
ions to displace freely

 Depending on the battery type and final usage, separator can

be either PVC, PE, Rubber films, glass reinforced films and
Absorbed Glass Mat
 Battery manufacturing steps 3/3
5- Connecting and closing 6- Filling, Formation and Test

Filling with electrolyte

Charging
Formation and deep cycle tests

Plates are connected by welding and case is closed

 Battery separator manufacturing in AM Fabriano
Microglass for AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) in AM Fabriano – main challenging points requiring innovation
- Basis weigth : 80 to 340 g/m² - challenging range to achieve good formation at different basis weight
- Specific surface area: 1.2 m²/g ; 1.4 m²/g and 1.6 m²/g – challenging raw material flexibility in stock preparation
- Product range tested on the machine between July 2018 and July 2019, see table below

7/15/21
7 Source: SuP survey 2018
Process innovation in AM Fabriano

High efficiency cleaning system, optimized for

battery separators and other microglass products
(optimization of a proprietary process)
Ai vaschini cleaners 1A e 2 Ai regolatori di
2ƒSt. consistenza
(1-2 valvole manuali)
1

By-pass

Pompa H 2O
reg. di cons.
Accettato 1B

Ingresso 1B

Valv. Reg. accettato 1A

Pompa
contropr. 2ƒSt.

vaschino di vaschino di

grammatura
alimentazione alimentazione
Valvola di Vaschino scarto contropressione
H2 O di
e H20 reg.di
1Bƒ cons Recupero

Pompa
contropr. 1B
Al vaschino

Stock preparation
Pompa
contropr. 1A Formation process
of microglass stock Acc. 3°
Acc.2°st. Accettato 1A
for an optimized
designed for wide
ING. 3° Ingr.2°st. Ingresso 1A
microglass
range of raw structure
Valvola regolazione Acc. 2ƒSt.

Vasc.

materials Pompa
Scarto
3ƒSt. Vaschino scarto
2 °S t.
(proprietary)
alim.3ƒSt.

Pompa
alimentazion
e Valvola regolazione
Acc. 1B
Alla cassa di
Pozzo formazione

FAN - PUMP Vetro

 Results of process improvements
• Grades produced in trials between July 2018 and July 2019 show improved Wicking behavior at a given BET level

• See tables below to compare with samples from competitors available in the market

Competitor Sample BET (m²/g) Wicking (mm/2 min)

Basis Thickness Acid A 1,92 +/- 0,34 44
BET B 1,84 +/- 0,53 54
Weigth @10 Kpa Wicking
1 C 1,8 +/- 0,37 53
AM Fabriano grades D 1,55 +/- 0,49 45
E 1,79 +/- 0,3 54
(g/m²) mm mm/2min m²/g F 1,26 +/- 0,21 53

BS85-0  80  0.5 60 1.2  2 40

A 1,95 +/- 0,13 45

BS140-1 130   0.8 61  1.2 3 B 1,91 +/- 0,03 55
C 1,86 +/- 0,04 53

BS 230-5 225 1.6 63 1.6 4 A 1,91 +/- 0,18 48

BS 230-6 225 1.6 65 1.4 A 50

5 B 1,56 +/- 0,19 59
B 1,81 +/- 0,09 50
BS350-1 340 2.6 57 1.6
6 A 1,9 +/- 0,31 57
Conclusions
• Process innovation in the Fabriano plant of Ahlstrom-Munksjo has focused on improvements in the
formation of battery separator, allowing to reach a range of basis weight up to 340 gsm
– Optimized cleaning process for microglass impurities
– Flexible formation for a wide range of microglass fibers with a wide range of basis weight

• The main outcome has been the possibility to produce trial grades with improved wicking
characteristics, covering the full range of BET levels targeted for the trials

• Process stability and quality level has allowed to start commercial production of selected grades
Thank you!