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Disclosed is a battery separator, comprising two fiber regions comprising glass fibers, and a middle fiber region disposed between them comprising larger average diameter fibers and specified amounts of silica, or fine fibers, or both; and processes for making the separator. Also disclosed is a batt

Disclosed is a battery separator, comprising two fiber regions comprising glass fibers, and a middle fiber region disposed between them comprising larger average diameter fibers and specified amounts of silica, or fine fibers, or both; and processes for making the separator. Also disclosed is a battery separator, comprising a fiber region and either one or two silica-containing region(s) adjacent thereto, each of the regions containing a specified amount of silica; and processes for making the separator. Such separators are useful, e.g., in lead-acid batteries.

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1. A battery separator, comprising: a middle fiber region;a first peripheral fiber region; anda second peripheral fiber region;wherein the middle fiber region comprises fibers having an average diameter of greater than or equal to about 2 μm; andwherein each of the first and second peripheral fiber

1. A battery separator, comprising: a middle fiber region;a first peripheral fiber region; anda second peripheral fiber region;wherein the middle fiber region comprises fibers having an average diameter of greater than or equal to about 2 μm; andwherein each of the first and second peripheral fiber regions independently comprises glass fibers having an average diameter from about 0.1 to about 2 μm;provided that the average diameter of the fibers of the middle fiber region is larger than the average diameter of the fibers of each of the first and second peripheral fiber regions;wherein the middle fiber region is disposed between the first peripheral fiber region and the second peripheral fiber region;wherein the thickness of the middle fiber region constitutes 1-49% of the total fiber region thickness; andwherein the separator exhibits an acid filling time of about 17 to about 155 seconds. 2. The battery separator according to claim 1, wherein the middle fiber region comprises glass fibers having an average diameter from 2 to about 50 μm. 3. The battery separator according to claim 1, wherein the middle fiber region comprises fibers having an average diameter from about 3 to about 15 μm. 4. The battery separator according to claim 1, wherein the middle fiber region comprises glass fibers having an average diameter from about 3 to about 15 μm. 5. The battery separator according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second peripheral fiber regions independently comprises glass fibers having an average diameter from about 0.4 to about 1.8 μm. 6. The battery separator according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the middle fiber region constitutes 10-40% of the total fiber region thickness. 7. The battery separator according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the middle fiber region constitutes 10-30% of the total fiber region thickness. 8. The battery separator according to claim 7, wherein the middle fiber region comprises glass fibers having an average diameter from about 3 to about 15 μm. 9. The battery separator according to claim 7, wherein each of the first and second peripheral fiber regions independently comprises glass fibers having an average diameter from about 0.4 to about 1.8 μm. 10. The battery separator according to claim 7, wherein the middle fiber region comprises from about 10 to 30% by weight fibers having an average diameter from about 0.1 to less than 2 μm. 11. The battery separator according to claim 7, wherein the middle fiber region comprises from about 1 to 50% by weight glass fibers having an average diameter from about 0.1 to less than 2 μm, and wherein the tensile strength (machine direction) of the separator is about 2.00 to about 2.40 lbs/inch. 12. The battery separator according to claim 11, wherein the tensile strength (cross direction) of the separator is about 1.75 to about 2.20 lbs/inch. 13. A lead-acid battery comprising a negative plate, a positive plate, and a battery separator according to claim 7, wherein the battery separator is disposed between the negative and positive plates. 14. The battery separator according to claim 1, wherein the middle fiber region comprises from about 10 to about 30% by weight fibers having an average diameter from about 0.8 to about 1.6 μm. 15. The battery separator according to claim 1, wherein the middle fiber region comprises from about 2 to about 30% by weight silica. 16. The battery separator according to claim 1, wherein the average glass fiber diameter of the first peripheral fiber region differs from the average glass fiber diameter of the second peripheral fiber region by greater than or equal to 0.5 μm. 17. The battery separator according to claim 16, wherein the middle fiber region comprises glass fibers having an average diameter from about 3 to about 15 μm. 18. The battery separator according to claim 16, wherein each of the first and second peripheral fiber regions independently comprises glass fibers having an average diameter from about 0.4 to about 1.8 μm. 19. The battery separator according to claim 16, wherein the middle fiber region comprises from about 10 to 30% by weight fibers having an average diameter from about 0.1 to less than 2 μm. 20. The battery separator according to claim 16, wherein the middle fiber region comprises from about 1 to 50% by weight glass fibers having an average diameter from about 0.1 to less than 2 μm, and wherein the tensile strength (machine direction) of the separator is about 2.00 to about 2.40 lbs/inch. 21. The battery separator according to claim 20, wherein the tensile strength (cross direction) of the separator is about 1.75 to about 2.20 lbs/inch. 22. A lead-acid battery comprising a negative plate, a positive plate, and a battery separator according to claim 16, wherein the battery separator is disposed between the negative and positive plates. 23. The battery separator according to claim 1, wherein the middle fiber region comprises from about 1 to 50% by weight fibers having an average diameter from about 0.1 to less than 2 μm, and wherein the tensile strength (machine direction) of the separator is about 2.00 to about 2.40 lbs/inch. 24. The battery separator according to claim 1, wherein the middle fiber region comprises from about 1 to 50% by weight fibers having an average diameter from about 0.1 to less than 2 μm, and wherein the tensile strength (cross direction) of the separator is about 1.75 to about 2.20 lbs/inch. 25. The battery separator according to claim 1, wherein the separator exhibits an acid filling time of about 30 to about 70 seconds. 26. The battery separator according to claim 1, wherein the separator exhibits an acid filling time of about 17 to about 50 seconds. 27. The battery separator according to claim 1, wherein the separator exhibits an acid stratification distance from about 2.5 to about 16 cm. 28. A lead-acid battery comprising a negative plate, a positive plate, and a battery separator according to claim 1, wherein the battery separator is disposed between the negative and positive plates. 29. The battery separator according to claim 1, wherein the middle fiber region comprises from about 5 to about 50% by weight glass fibers having an average diameter from about 0.1 to less than 2 μm. 30. The battery separator according to claim 1, wherein the middle fiber region comprises from about 5 to about 50% by weight glass fibers having an average diameter from about 0.8 to about 1.6 μm. 31. The battery separator according to claim 1, wherein the middle fiber region comprises from about 1 to 50% by weight glass fibers having an average diameter from about 0.1 to less than 2 μm, and wherein the tensile strength (machine direction) of the separator is about 2.00 to about 2.40 lbs/inch and/or the tensile strength (cross direction) of the separator is about 1.75 to about 2.20 lbs/inch. 32. The battery separator according to claim 1, wherein the separator exhibits an acid filling time of about 17 to about 155 seconds. 33. The battery separator according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the first peripheral fiber region is different from the thickness of the second peripheral fiber region. 34. The battery separator according to claim 33, wherein the thickness of the first peripheral fiber region is from 70 to 130% of the thickness of the second peripheral fiber region. 35. The battery separator according to claim 33, wherein the middle fiber region comprises glass fibers having an average diameter from about 3 to about 15 μm. 36. The battery separator according to claim 33, wherein each of the first and second peripheral fiber regions independently comprises glass fibers having an average diameter from about 0.4 to about 1.8 μm. 37. The battery separator according to claim 33, wherein the middle fiber region comprises from about 10 to 30% by weight fibers having an average diameter from about 0.1 to less than 2 μm. 38. The battery separator according to claim 33, wherein the middle fiber region comprises from about 1 to 50% by weight glass fibers having an average diameter from about 0.1 to less than 2 μm, and wherein the tensile strength (machine direction) of the separator is about 2.00 to about 2.40 lbs/inch. 39. The battery separator according to claim 38, wherein the tensile strength (cross direction) of the separator is about 1.75 to about 2.20 lbs/inch. 40. A lead-acid battery comprising a negative plate, a positive plate, and a battery separator according to claim 33, wherein the battery separator is disposed between the negative and positive plates.