Karl Frederick Humiston

20130022876, Jan 24, 2013

Jul 18, 2012

13/551883

Kristoffer K. Stokes - Charlotte NC, US
Karl F. Humiston - Fort Mill SC, US

C08G 83/00
C07K 14/00
C07H 21/02
C08B 37/00
B32B 3/26
C08F 10/02
D02G 3/22
H01M 2/14
B32B 5/02
H01M 2/16
C08F 10/06
C07H 21/04

429246, 525 50, 521 50, 525 55, 530402, 536 231, 5361231, 428398, 429249, 428221, 429254, 4283155, 442 77

The present invention relates to new, improved or modified polymer materials, membranes, substrates, and the like and to new, improved or modified methods for permanently modifying the physical and/or chemical nature of surfaces of the polymer materials, membranes, or substrates for a variety of end uses or applications. For example, one improved method uses a carbene and/or nitrene modifier to chemically modify a functionalized polymer to form a chemical species which can chemically react with the surface of a polymer substrate and alter its chemical reactivity. Furthermore, this invention can be used to produce chemically modified membranes, fibers, hollow fibers, textiles, and the like.

20110223486, Sep 15, 2011

Mar 10, 2011

13/044708

Xiaomin Zhang - Charlotte NC, US
Gerald P. Rumierz - Fort Mill SC, US
Karl F. Humiston - Fort Mill SC, US
Charles E. Haire - Lancaster SC, US
Tyrone S. Fields - Charlotte NC, US
Michael A. Braswell - Charlotte NC, US
Ronald A. Proctor - York SC, US

H01M 2/18
B29D 7/01
B01D 69/02
B01D 71/06
B32B 5/18
C08F 110/00
C08F 116/06
C08G 63/00
C08G 69/00
C08G 4/00
C08J 9/00

429247, 264 461, 21050022, 428220, 4283155, 442394, 442286, 442304, 521143, 521141, 521182, 521183, 521186, 521 50

At least a selected microporous membrane is made by a dry-stretch process and has substantially round shaped pores and a ratio of machine direction tensile strength to transverse direction tensile strength in the range of 0.5 to 6.0. The method of making the foregoing microporous membrane may include the steps of: extruding a polymer into a nonporous precursor, and biaxially stretching the nonporous precursor, the biaxial stretching including a machine direction stretching and a transverse direction stretching, the transverse direction including a simultaneous controlled machine direction relax. At least selected embodiments of the invention may be directed to biaxially oriented porous membranes, composites including biaxially oriented porous membranes, biaxially oriented microporous membranes, biaxially oriented macroporous membranes, battery separators, filtration media, humidity control media, flat sheet membranes, liquid retention media, and the like, related methods, methods of manufacture, methods of use, and the like.

20230101052, Mar 30, 2023

Dec 6, 2022

18/076068

- Charlotte NC, US
Geraid P. Rumierz - Fort Mill SC, US
Karl F. Humiston - Tucson AZ, US
Charles E. Haire - Lancaster SC, US
Tyrone S. Flelds - Charlotte NC, US
Michael A. Braswell - Charlotte NC, US
Ronald A. Proctor - York SC, US
Ronnie E. Smith - Huntersville NC, US

B29C 48/00
B29C 55/00
B29C 48/08
B29C 48/21
H01M 50/417
B29C 48/18
H01M 50/457
H01M 50/494
H01M 50/406
B29C 48/92
H01M 50/491
H01M 50/423
B29C 65/00
H01M 50/426
B29C 48/10
B29K 23/00
B29C 48/88
B29L 31/34
H01M 50/403
B29C 55/14
B29C 48/32
B29D 99/00
B29L 31/00
B29C 55/16
H01M 10/0525

Improved battery separators, base films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of making and/or using such separators, films or membranes, batteries, cells, devices, systems, vehicles, and/or methods of enhancing battery or cell charge rates, charge capacity, and/or discharge rates, and/or methods of improving batteries, systems including such batteries, vehicles including such batteries and/or systems, and/or the like; biaxially oriented porous membranes, composites including biaxially oriented porous membranes, biaxially oriented microporous membranes, biaxially oriented macroporous membranes, battery separators with improved charge capacities and the related methods and methods of manufacture, methods of use, and the like; flat sheet membranes, liquid retention media; dry process separators; biaxially stretched separators; dry process biaxially stretched separators having a thickness range between about 5 μm and 50 μm, preferably between about 10 μm and 25 μm, having improved strength, high porosity, and unexpectedly and/or surprisingly high charge capacity, such as, for example, high 10 C rate charge capacity; separators or membranes with high charge capacity and high porosity, excellent charge rate and/or charge capacity performance in a rechargeable and/or secondary lithium battery, such as a lithium ion battery, for high power and/or high energy applications, cells, devices, systems, and/or vehicles, and/or the like; single or multiple ply or layer separators, monolayer separators, trilayer separators, composite separators, laminated separators, co-extruded separators, coated separators, 1 C or higher separators, at least 1 C separators, batteries, cells, systems, devices, vehicles, and/or the like; improved microporous battery separators for secondary lithium batteries, improved microporous battery separators with enhanced or high charge (C) rates, discharge (C) rates, and/or enhanced or high charge capacities in or for secondary lithium batteries, and/or related methods of manufacture, use, and/or the like, and/or combinations thereof are disclosed or provided.

20200373537, Nov 26, 2020

Aug 11, 2020

16/989900

- Charlotte NC, US
Karl F. Humiston - Fort Mill SC, US

H01M 2/16
B29C 48/08
H01M 2/18
B29C 55/16
B29C 55/00
B29C 55/06
B29C 48/00
B29C 48/21
B29C 48/92

Disclosed are embossed microporous membranes, as well as articles (e.g., battery separators, materials, textiles, composites, and laminates) comprising the embossed microporous membranes. Also provided are methods of making and/or using embossed microporous membranes.

20200157707, May 21, 2020

Jan 24, 2020

16/752210

- Charlotte NC, US
Xiaomin Zhang - Charlotte NC, US
Karl F. Humiston - Tucson AZ, US

D01F 6/46
A41D 31/102
D01F 6/30

In accordance with at least selected embodiments, the present invention is directed to novel, improved, or modified porous membranes, fibers, porous fibers, products made from such membranes, fibers or porous fibers, and/or related methods of production, use, and/or the like. In accordance with at least certain embodiments, the present invention is directed to novel, improved, or modified microporous membranes or films, fibers, microporous fibers, materials or layers made from such membranes, fibers or porous fibers, and the like for use in textile materials, garments, products, and/or textile related applications. Microporous membranes, fibers, and/or microporous fibers are made of one or more copolymers, such as block or impact copolymers, or of at least one polyolefin combined with at least one copolymer as a means of improving the hand, drape, and/or surface coefficient of friction performance properties for use in textile garments, textile materials or textile related applications.

20190211176, Jul 11, 2019

Jan 18, 2019

16/251154

- Charlotte NC, US
Karl F. Humiston - Tucson AZ, US

C08J 9/36
H01M 2/16
B32B 27/00
B32B 27/12
B32B 27/32

A functionalized microporous, mesoporous, or nanoporous membrane, material, textile, composite, laminate, or the like, and/or a method of making or using such functionalized membranes. The functionalized porous membrane may be a functionalized microporous, mesoporous, or nanoporous membrane that has a functional molecule attached, such as a functional polymer, to the surface and/or internal fibrillar structure of the membrane.

20190027725, Jan 24, 2019

Jan 27, 2017

16/070817

- Charlotte NC, US
Gerald P. Rumierz - Fort Mill SC, US
Karl F. Humiston - Tucson AZ, US
Charles E. Haire - Lancaster SC, US
Tyrone S. Fields - Charlotte NC, US
Michael A. Braswell - Charlotte NC, US
Ronald A. Proctor - York SC, US
Ronnie E. Smith - Huntersville NC, US

H01M 2/16
B29C 47/00
B29C 47/06
H01M 2/18
B29C 65/00
B29C 47/92
B29K 23/00
B29D 99/00
B29C 55/16
B29C 55/14
B29C 47/88
B29C 47/20
B29L 31/34
B29L 31/00
H01M 2/14
H01M 10/0525

Improved battery separators, base films or membranes and/or a method of making or using such separators, base films or membranes are provided. The preferred inventive separators, base films or membranes are made by a dry-stretch process and have improved strength, high porosity, high charge capacity and high porosity to provide excellent charge rate and/or charge capacity performance in a rechargeable battery.

20180358594, Dec 13, 2018

Aug 21, 2018

16/106901

- Charlotte NC, US
Karl F. Humiston - Tucson AZ, US

H01M 2/16
C08J 5/22
C08J 5/04
C08J 7/12
B32B 27/16
B32B 27/32
B32B 27/12
C08J 5/18

The present invention relates to new, improved or modified polymer materials, membranes, substrates, and the like and to new, improved or modified methods for permanently modifying the physical and/or chemical nature of surfaces of the polymer substrate for a variety of end uses or applications. For example, one improved method uses a carbene and/or nitrene modifier to chemically modify a functionalized polymer to form a chemical species which can chemically react with the surface of a polymer substrate and alter its chemical reactivity. Such method may involve an insertion mechanism to modify the polymer substrate to increase or decrease its surface energy, polarity, hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity, oleophilicity or oleophobicity, and/or the like in order to improve the compatibility of the polymer substrate with, for example, coatings, materials, adjoining layers, and/or the like. Furthermore, this invention can be used to produce chemically modified membranes, fibers, hollow fibers, textiles, and the like, for example, to produce polyolefin microporous battery separators or membranes having improved hydrophilicity or wettability, having crosslinking in the polyolefin which can improve the high temperature stability, and/or the like.