Claims
- 1. A laminate for use in a flexible battery housing comprising:
(a) a barrier polymer sheet that is substantially inert to electrolytes, the sheet having a perimeter; and (b) a heat-sealable sealant polymer frame disposed around the perimeter of the barrier polymer sheet.
- 2. The laminate of claim 1 wherein the sealant polymer has a lower melting point than the barrier polymer.
- 3. The laminate of claim 1 wherein the barrier polymer is a crystalline polymer and the sealant polymer is an amorphous polymer.
- 4. The laminate of claim 1 wherein the barrier polymer is a polyester and the sealant polymer is a polyolefin.
- 5. The laminate of claim 1 wherein the barrier polymer is polyethylene terephthalate and the sealant polymer is a polyethylene.
- 6. The laminate of claim 1 wherein the sealant polymer has a melting point of less than about 180° C.
- 7. The laminate of claim 1, further comprising at least one layer of metal foil attached to a portion of the laminate.
- 8. A film comprising a plurality of the laminates of claim 1.
- 9. A flexible housing for a battery comprising:
a) a pouch comprised of a barrier polymer that is substantially inert to electrolytes, the pouch having a perimeter; and b) a frame of heat-sealable sealant polymer, the frame sealing at least a portion of the perimeter of the pouch to form a flexible housing.
- 10. The flexible housing of claim 9 wherein the barrier polymer is a crystalline polymer and the sealant polymer is an amorphous polymer.
- 11. The flexible housing of claim 9 wherein the barrier polymer is a polyester and the sealant polymer is a polyolefin.
- 12. The flexible housing of claim 9 wherein the barrier polymer is polyethylene terephthalate and the sealant polymer is a polyethylene.
- 13. The flexible housing of claim 9 wherein the sealant polymer frame can be heat-sealed at a temperature of less than about 220° C.
- 14. The flexible housing of claim 9, further comprising at least one layer of metal foil attached to an external surface of the housing.
- 15. A battery comprising at least one battery cell sealed in the flexible housing of claim 9.
- 16. A battery comprising at least one battery cell sealed in a flexible bag, the bag comprising a layer of barrier polymer that is substantially inert to electrolytes in contact with a layer of heat-sealable sealant polymer, the bag having an inside surface defining an internal cavity, the inside surface comprised of the layer of sealant polymer.
- 17. The battery of claim 16, wherein the barrier polymer is a crystalline polymer and the sealant polymer is an amorphous polymer.
- 18. The battery of claim 16, wherein the barrier polymer is a polyester and the sealant polymer is a polyolefin.
- 19. The battery of claim 16 wherein the barrier polymer is polyethylene terephthalate and the sealant polymer is a polyethylene.
- 20. The battery of claim 16 wherein the barrier polymer is a polyester and the sealant polymer is a copolyester.
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/272,395, filed Mar. 1, 2001, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
GOVERNMENT INTERESTS
[0002] This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. W-31-109-ENG-38 awarded by the Department of Energy (DOE) and The University of Chicago representing Argonne National Laboratory. The Government has certain rights in this invention.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60272395 |
Mar 2001 |
US |