Abstract: A thermoelectric device includes: a sheet-like or plate-like thermoelectric conversion film including a thermoelectric conversion element formed with a material exhibiting an anomalous Nernst effect; and a catalyst portion formed with a catalyst that reacts with a fluid the catalyst portion being on the side of at least a first surface of the thermoelectric conversion film and facing a flow path of the fluid.

Abstract: A silicon composite comprises silicon particles whose surface is at least partially coated with a silicon carbide layer. It is prepared by subjecting a silicon powder to thermal CVD with an organic hydrocarbon gas and/or vapor at 900-1,400° C., and heating the powder for removing an excess free carbon layer from the surface through oxidative decomposition.

Abstract: A silicon composite comprises silicon particles whose surface is at least partially coated with a silicon carbide layer. It is prepared by subjecting a silicon powder to thermal CVD with an organic hydrocarbon gas and/or vapor at 900-1,400° C., and heating the powder for removing an excess free carbon layer from the surface through oxidative decomposition.

Abstract: The present invention intends to provide a lithium ion secondary battery that has a high capacity and excellent charge/discharge cycle characteristics. A lithium ion secondary battery includes: a positive electrode; and a negative electrode, wherein the negative electrode includes a negative electrode active material of which initial charge capacity is 1800 mAh/g or more and initial efficiency (initial discharge capacity/initial charge capacity) is 0.70 to 0.85, the positive electrode includes a positive electrode active material of which initial charge capacity is 160 mAh/g or more and initial efficiency (initial discharge capacity/initial charge capacity) is 0.75 to 0.90, and an initial discharge capacity ratio of the negative electrode and the positive electrode (initial discharge capacity of the negative electrode/initial discharge capacity of the positive electrode) is 0.90 to 1.30.

Abstract: A silicon oxide material is obtained by cooling and precipitating a gaseous mixture of SiO gas and silicon-containing gas and has an oxygen content of 20-35 wt %. Using the silicon oxide material as a negative electrode active material, a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is constructed that exhibits a high 1st cycle charge/discharge efficiency and improved cycle performance while maintaining the high battery capacity and low volume expansion of silicon oxide.

Abstract: The present invention provides a negative electrode paste that is used to manufacture a negative electrode of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including: (A) a silicon-based negative electrode active material; (B) a binder containing at least one of a polyimide resin and a polyamide-imide resin; and (C) an ionic liquid. As a result, there is provided a negative electrode paste that can suppress an entire negative electrode from curling when a negative electrode paste is coated on a current collector and dried, and can produce a negative electrode having excellent cycle characteristics and large battery capacity.

Abstract: A separator carries lithium particles on its surface. Using the separator, a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having a high initial efficiency and improved cycle retentivity is available.

Abstract: The present invention is a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including at least a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a non-aqueous electrolyte, the positive and negative electrodes being capable of occluding and emitting lithium ions, wherein the negative electrode is composed of particles each having a structure that silicon nanoparticles are dispersed to silicon oxide, each of the particles is coated with a carbon coating, and the non-aqueous electrolyte includes lithium oxalatoborate in the range of 5 to 10 mass %, as the electrolyte. As a result, there is provided a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having high capacity, superior first charge and discharge efficiency, superior cycle performance, and high safety, while a manufacturing method and structure thereof are not complex.

Abstract: A separator carries lithium particles on its surface. Using the separator, a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having a high initial efficiency and improved cycle retentivity is available.

Abstract: A silicon oxide material is obtained by cooling and precipitating a gaseous mixture of SiO gas and silicon-containing gas and has an oxygen content of 20-35 wt %. Using the silicon oxide material as a negative electrode active material, a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is constructed that exhibits a high 1st cycle charge/discharge efficiency and improved cycle performance while maintaining the high battery capacity and low volume expansion of silicon oxide.

Abstract: A negative electrode comprising (A) particles having Si dispersed in SiO, and (B) a polyamide-imide resin which contains amide and imide groups in an amide/imide ratio of 25/75 to 99/1 and has a weight average molecular weight of 10,000-200,000 is suited for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries. The electrode exhibits a high 1st cycle charge/discharge efficiency and improved cycle performance while maintaining a high battery capacity and a low volume expansion.

Abstract: A silicon composite comprises silicon particles whose surface is at least partially coated with a silicon carbide layer. It is prepared by subjecting a silicon powder to thermal CVD with an organic hydrocarbon gas and/or vapor at 900-1,400° C., and heating the powder for removing an excess free carbon layer from the surface through oxidative decomposition.

Abstract: An efficient method for producing a silicon oxide powder at a low cost is provided. This method comprises the steps of heating a powder mixture of a silicon dioxide powder and a metal silicon powder to a temperature of 1,100 to 1,450° C. in an inert gas or under reduced pressure to generate silicon monoxide gas, and precipitating the silicon monoxide gas on a surface of a substrate to produce the silicon oxide powder, and in this method, the silicon dioxide powder has an average particle diameter of up to 1 ?m, and the metal silicon powder has an average particle diameter of 30 ?m.

Abstract: Silicon composite particles are prepared by sintering primary fine particles of silicon, silicon alloy or silicon oxide together with an organosilicon compound. Sintering of the organosilicon compound results in a silicon-base inorganic compound which serves as a binder. Each particle has the structure that silicon or silicon alloy fine particles are dispersed in the silicon-base inorganic compound binder, and voids are present within the particle.

Abstract: A silicon-silicon oxide-lithium composite comprises a silicon-silicon oxide composite having such a structure that silicon grains having a size of 0.5-50 nm are dispersed in silicon oxide, the silicon-silicon oxide composite being doped with lithium. Using the silicon-silicon oxide-lithium composite as a negative electrode material, a lithium ion secondary cell having a high initial efficiency and improved cycle performance can be constructed.

Abstract: A carbonate-modified silane or siloxane is combined with a non-aqueous solvent and an electrolyte salt to form a non-aqueous electrolytic solution, which is used to construct a secondary battery having improved charge/discharge characteristics.

Abstract: A metallic silicon powder is prepared by effecting chemical reduction on silica stone, metallurgical refinement, and metallurgical and/or chemical purification to reduce the content of impurities. The powder is best suited as a negative electrode material for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary cells, affording better cycle performance.

Abstract: A Si—C—O composite powder is obtained by curing a reactive silane or siloxane having crosslinkable groups through heat curing or catalytic reaction into a crosslinked product and sintering the crosslinked product in an inert gas stream at a temperature of 700-1,400° C. into an inorganic state. It exhibits satisfactory cycle performance when used as the negative electrode material for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary cells.

Abstract: A conductive powder is provided in which particles having silicon crystallites dispersed in a silicon compound are coated on their surface with carbon. The conductive powder develops a diffraction peak assigned to Si(111) around 2?=28.4° on x-ray diffractometry (Cu—K?) using copper as the counter cathode, the peak having a half width of at least 1.0°, and has a specific resistance of up to 50 m?. The powder is used as a negative electrode material to construct a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, which has a high charge/discharge capacity and improved cycle performance.

Abstract: A negative electrode material comprises a conductive powder of particles of a lithium ion-occluding and releasing material coated on their surface with a graphite coating. The graphite coating, on Raman spectroscopy analysis, develops broad peaks having an intensity I1330 and I1580 at 1330 cm?1 and 1580 cm?1 Raman shift, an intensity ratio I1330/I1580 being 1.5<I1330/I1580<3.0. Using the negative electrode material, a lithium ion secondary battery having a high capacity and improved cycle performance can be manufactured.