Battery performance of PMMA-grafted PE separators prepared by pre-irradiation grafting technique

Poly(methyl methacrylate)-grafted polyethylene (PE-g-PMMA) separators were prepared by pre-irradiation grafting technique of methyl methacrylate onto a commercial polyethylene separator. The prepared separators were characterized by using charge/discharge (C/D) cycling test, AC impedance, and thermal stability analyses. Thermal shrinkage (TS) of the PE-g-PMMA separators decreased with an increasing degree of grafting up to 70% above which it was saturated. The PE-g-PMMA separators showed a better oxidation stability on the anode up to 5V and a better cycle life performance than the original PE separator. These characteristics make the prepared separators suitable for applications in high voltage secondary lithium batteries.