Patents Assigned to SEI CORPORATION
  • Patent number: 11715828
    Abstract: A positive-electrode material for a lithium secondary battery is provided. The material includes a lithium oxide compound or a complex oxide as reactive substance. The material also includes at least one type of carbon material, and optionally a binder. A first type of carbon material is provided as a coating on the reactive substance particles surface. A second type of carbon material is carbon black. And a third type of carbon material is a fibrous carbon material provided as a mixture of at least two types of fibrous carbon material different in fiber diameter and/or fiber length. Also, a method for preparing the material as well as lithium secondary batteries including the material is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignees: HYDRO-QUÉBEC, SEI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Karim Zaghib, Abdelbast Guerfi, Pierre Hovington, Takehiko Sawai, Shinji Saito, Kazunori Urao
  • Publication number: 20210066718
    Abstract: A positive-electrode material for a lithium secondary battery is provided. The material includes a lithium oxide compound or a complex oxide as reactive substance. The material also includes at least one type of carbon material, and optionally a binder. A first type of carbon material is provided as a coating on the reactive substance particles surface. A second type of carbon material is carbon black. And a third type of carbon material is a fibrous carbon material provided as a mixture of at least two types of fibrous carbon material different in fiber diameter and/or fiber length. Also, a method for preparing the material as well as lithium secondary batteries including the material is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Applicants: HYDRO-QUÉBEC, SEI Corporation
    Inventors: Karim ZAGHIB, Abdelbast GUERFI, Pierre HOVINGTON, Takehiko SAWAI, Shinji SAITO, Kazunori URAO
  • Patent number: 10879567
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a lithium secondary battery in which peeling of an active substance can be prevented and the generation of metal powder can be prevented when a power collection foil is processed at an electrode production step. The method for producing the lithium secondary battery includes an electrode-producing step of producing a positive electrode and a negative electrode; a step of forming a group of electrodes by layering the positive electrode and the negative electrode on each other through a separator, or winding the positive electrode and the negative electrode through a separator; and a step of immersing the group of the electrodes in an electrolyte. The electrode-producing step has a boring step of forming a plurality of through-holes penetrating a power collection foil and having projected parts projected from at least a rear surface of the power collection foil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: SEI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiko Sawai, Shinji Saito, Kazunori Urao
  • Patent number: 10873073
    Abstract: Provided is positive electrode material for a highly safe lithium-ion secondary battery that can charge and discharge a large current while having long service life. Disclosed are composite particles comprising: at least one carbon material selected from the group consisting of (i) fibrous carbon material, (ii) chain-like carbon material, and (iii) carbon material produced by linking together fibrous carbon material and chain-like carbon material; and lithium-containing phosphate, wherein at least one fine pore originating from the at least one carbon material opens to outside the composite particle. Preferably, the composite particles are coated with carbon. The fibrous carbon material is preferably a carbon nanotube with an average fiber size of 5 to 200 nm. The chain-like carbon material is preferably carbon black produced by linking, like a chain, primary particles with an average particle size of 10 to 100 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignees: DENKA COMPANY LIMITED, SEI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Kawasaki, Nobuyuki Yoshino, Hiroshi Murata, Takehiko Sawai, Shinji Saito, Kazunori Urao
  • Patent number: 10403893
    Abstract: A positive electrode material is used to produce a positive electrode of a lithium secondary battery, the positive electrode material being a composite lithium material that includes a first lithium compound and a second lithium compound. For instance, the first lithium compound is in the form of particles and comprises at least one compound selected from a layered lithium compound and a spinel-type lithium compound. Preferably, the second lithium compound comprises at least one compound selected from a lithium-containing phosphate compound and a lithium-containing silicate compound. An amorphous carbon material layer and/or graphene-structured carbon material layer is present on the entire surface of the first lithium compound and the second lithium compound. The second lithium compound forms a thin-film layer on part or the entirety of the carbon material layer present on the surface of the first lithium compound particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignees: HYDRO-QUEBEC, SEI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiko Sawai, Shinji Saito, Kazunori Urao, Kazuma Hanai, Karim Zaghib, Abdelbast Guerfi, Martin Dontigny
  • Patent number: 10230089
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electrolyte holder for a lithium secondary battery capable of holding an electrolytic solution inside electrodes or at an interface between the separator and each of the electrodes, preventing electrolyte shortage inside the electrodes, and restraining dendrite from precipitating and growing and also provide the lithium secondary battery, using the electrolyte holder, which is capable of achieving a cycle life to such an extent that the lithium secondary battery can be used for industrial application. An electrolyte holder (3) for use in the lithium secondary battery consists of a multi-layer structure having at least two hydrophilic fibrous layers (A, B) having different porosities. The electrolyte holder (3) is composed of an electrode group formed by winding a cathode (2) and an anode (1) or laminating the cathode (2) and the anode (1) one upon another with an electrolyte holder (3) serving as a separator interposed between the cathode (2) and the anode (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignees: SEI CORPORATION, NIPPON KODOSHI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiko Sawai, Shinji Saito, Kazunori Urao, Jyunichi Ushimoto, Masahiko Ueta, Norihiro Wada
  • Publication number: 20180287155
    Abstract: A positive-electrode material for a lithium secondary battery. The material includes a lithium oxide compound or a complex oxide as reactive substance. The material also includes at least one type of carbon material, and optionally a binder. A first type of carbon material is provided as a coating on the reactive substance particles surface. A second type of carbon material is carbon black. And a third type of carbon material is a fibrous carbon material provided as a mixture of at least two types of fibrous carbon material different in fiber diameter and/or fiber length. Also, a method for preparing the material as well as lithium secondary batteries including the material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicants: Hydro-Quebec, SEI Corporation
    Inventors: Karim ZAGHIB, Abdelbast GUERFI, Pierre HOVINGTON, Takehiko SAWAI, Shinji SAITO, Kazunori URAO
  • Patent number: 10090525
    Abstract: A positive-electrode material for a lithium secondary battery. The material includes a lithium oxide compound or a complex oxide as reactive substance. The material also includes at least one type of carbon material, and optionally a binder. A first type of carbon material is provided as a coating on the reactive substance particles surface. A second type of carbon material is carbon black. And a third type of carbon material is a fibrous carbon material provided as a mixture of at least two types of fibrous carbon material different in fiber diameter and/or fiber length. Also, a method for preparing the material as well as lithium secondary batteries including the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignees: HYDRO-QUEBEC, SEI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Karim Zaghib, Abdelbast Guerfi, Pierre Hovington, Takehiko Sawai, Shinji Saito, Kazunori Urao
  • Patent number: 9660269
    Abstract: The present invention provides positive and negative electrodes, for a lithium secondary battery, allowing a battery to be quickly and fully charged in a very short period of time, for example, within one minute and allowing the battery to be used for vehicles at low temperatures. An organic electrolytic solution is permeated into an electrode group formed by winding positive and negative electrodes or by laminating the positive and negative electrodes one upon another with a separator being interposed therebetween to repeatingly occlude and release lithium ions. The positive electrode active substance and the negative electrode active substance have at least one phase selected from among a graphene phase and an amorphous phase as a surface layer thereof. An activated carbon layer is formed on a surface of the positive electrode active substance and that of the negative electrode active substance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: SEI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiko Sawai, Shinji Saito, Kazuma Hanai
  • Publication number: 20170125813
    Abstract: A positive-electrode material for a lithium secondary battery. The material includes a lithium oxide compound or a complex oxide as reactive substance. The material also includes at least one type of carbon material, and optionally a binder. A first type of carbon material is provided as a coating on the reactive substance particles surface. A second type of carbon material is carbon black. And a third type of carbon material is a fibrous carbon material provided as a mixture of at least two types of fibrous carbon material different in fiber diameter and/or fiber length. Also, a method for preparing the material as well as lithium secondary batteries including the material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Applicants: Hydro-Quebec, SEI Corporation
    Inventors: Karim ZAGHIB, Abdelbast GUERFI, Pierre HOVINGTON, Takehiko SAWAI, Shinji SAITO, Kazunori URAO
  • Patent number: 9577253
    Abstract: A positive-electrode material for a lithium secondary battery which includes a lithium oxide compound or a complex oxide as reactive substance. The material also includes at least one type of carbon material, and optionally a binder. A first type of carbon material is provided as a coating on the reactive substance particles surface. A second type of carbon material is carbon black. And a third type of carbon material is a fibrous carbon material a mixture of at least two types of fibrous carbon material different in fiber diameter and/or fiber length. Also, a method for preparing the material as well as lithium secondary batteries including the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignees: HYDRO-QUEBEC, SEI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Karim Zaghib, Abdelbast Guerfi, Pierre Hovington, Takehiko Sawai, Shinji Saito, Kazunori Urao
  • Patent number: 9537150
    Abstract: To provide an electrode for secondary battery, electrode which can materialize secondary batteries that are adapted into producing high output and additionally whose durability is high. It is characterized in possessing an electrode material that has an active-material powder 11, a conductive material 12 being formed of a carbonaceous material, and being adhered to a surface of said active-material powder 11, and fibrous conductive materials 13 being bonded to said conductive material 12. First of all, it becomes feasible to maintain the electric connection between the active-material powder and the conductive material stably by adhering the conductive material to a surface of the active-material powder. Further, the fibrous conductive materials are bonded to the conductive material that is adhered to a surface of the active-material powder. It is feasible to maintain the electric connection by getting the fibrous conductive materials entangled to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, SEI Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Yano, Tetsuhiro Ishikawa, Shinji Saito, Takehiko Sawai
  • Patent number: 9496583
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a lithium secondary battery in which peeling of an active substance can be prevented and the generation of metal powder can be prevented when a power collection foil is processed at an electrode production step. The method for producing the lithium secondary battery includes an electrode-producing step of producing a positive electrode and a negative electrode; a step of forming a group of electrodes by layering the positive electrode and the negative electrode on each other through a separator, or winding the positive electrode and the negative electrode through a separator; and a step of immersing the group of the electrodes in an electrolyte. The electrode-producing step has a boring step of forming a plurality of through-holes penetrating a power collection foil and having projected parts projected from at least a rear surface of the power collection foil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: SEI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiko Sawai, Shinji Saito, Kazunori Urao
  • Patent number: 9413003
    Abstract: The present invention provides a negative-electrode material for a lithium secondary battery which has a very low resistance, allows the lithium secondary battery to be charged and discharged (high output) at a high current and have a high capacity, and achieve a cycle life to such an extent that the lithium secondary battery can be mounted on a vehicle. The electrode material is composed of (a) at least one active substance (4) selected from among a metal oxide containing metal therein and an alloy material each of which is coated with a carbon material and has a graphene phase or an amorphous phase (8) on at least a surface thereof, (b) a graphite-based carbon material (5) having the graphene phase or the amorphous phase on at least a surface thereof; and (c) carbon material (6) other than the graphite-based carbon material and having the graphene phase or the amorphous phase on at least a surface thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignees: SEI CORPORATION, DENKA COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Takehiko Sawai, Shinji Saito, Kazunori Urao, Takashi Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 9257239
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an electrode material slurry for preparation of lithium-ion secondary batteries favorable in properties and superior in storage stability and an aqueous binder composition for lithium-ion secondary batteries that can be used for production of lithium-ion secondary batteries superior in discharge rate characteristics and cycle characteristics. Provided is a binder composition for lithium-ion secondary battery electrode, comprising polymer particles containing (a) an ethylenic unsaturated carboxylic ester compound and (b) an ethylenic unsaturated sulfonic acid compound at a (a)/(b) mass ratio of (98 to 91)/(2 to 9) in a total (a) and (b) amount of 70 mass % or more, based on the monomeric raw materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignees: DENKA COMPANY LIMITED, SEI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hironori Konishi, Daisuke Shimiya, Kazuhiro Kote, Takehiko Sawai, Shinji Saito, Jun Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20150295240
    Abstract: The present invention provides positive and negative electrodes, for a lithium secondary battery, allowing a battery to be quickly and fully charged in a very short period of time, for example, within one minute and allowing the battery to be used for vehicles at low temperatures. An organic electrolytic solution is permeated into an electrode group formed by winding positive and negative electrodes or by laminating the positive and negative electrodes one upon another with a separator being interposed therebetween to repeatingly occlude and release lithium ions. The positive electrode active substance and the negative electrode active substance have at least one phase selected from among a graphene phase and an amorphous phase as a surface layer thereof. An activated carbon layer is formed on a surface of the positive electrode active substance and that of the negative electrode active substance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicant: SEI Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiko Sawai, Shinji Saito, Kazuma Hanai
  • Publication number: 20150270554
    Abstract: A method for producing an electrode material for a lithium-ion secondary battery. The method includes the following steps: (a) mixing components of a basic ingredient or active substance of electrode material and a conductive carbon material to obtain a conductive carbon material-composited material; (b) mixing the conductive carbon material-composited material and a surface layer-forming material; an (c) burning the mixture obtained at step (b) to obtain the electrode material. Also, a lithium-ion secondary battery including an electrode which comprises the material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Applicants: SEI CORPORATION, HYDRO-QUEBEC
    Inventors: Vincent Gariepy, Abdelbast Guerfi, Kazuma Hanai, Pierre Hovington, Shinji Saito, Takehiko Sawai, Kazunori Urao, Karim Zaghib
  • Publication number: 20150162610
    Abstract: A lithium-ion secondary battery including positive and negative electrodes, a separator element, an electrical conductor element and a binder, wherein the positive electrode includes a lithium-containing metal phosphate compound coated with a carbon material having at least one phase selected from a graphene phase and an amorphous phase, and further includes carbon black and a fibrous carbon material and wherein the negative-electrode material includes a graphite carbon material having at least one carbon phase selected from a graphene phase and an amorphous phase, and further includes carbon black and a fibrous carbon material, and wherein the binder includes a water-soluble synthetic resin or a water-dispersible synthetic resin. The most preferred positive electrode includes LiFePO4. The most preferred negative electrode includes artificial graphite or graphitazable powder. The most preferred binder is carboxyl methyl cellulose further including a surface active agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Applicants: Hydro-Québec, SEI Corporation
    Inventors: Karim Zaghib, Shinji Saito, Abdelbast Guerfi, Takehiko Sawai, Kazunori Urao, Jun Nakagawa, Francis Barray, Joël Fréchette
  • Publication number: 20150010798
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electrolyte holder for a lithium secondary battery capable of holding an electrolytic solution inside electrodes or at an interface between the separator and each of the electrodes, preventing electrolyte shortage inside the electrodes, and restraining dendrite from precipitating and growing and also provide the lithium secondary battery, using the electrolyte holder, which is capable of achieving a cycle life to such an extent that the lithium secondary battery can be used for industrial application. An electrolyte holder (3) for use in the lithium secondary battery consists of a multi-layer structure having at least two hydrophilic fibrous layers (A, B) having different porosities. The electrolyte holder (3) is composed of an electrode group formed by winding a cathode (2) and an anode (1) or laminating the cathode (2) and the anode (1) one upon another with an electrolyte holder (3) serving as a separator interposed between the cathode (2) and the anode (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Applicants: SEI Corporation, NIPPON KODOSHI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiko Sawai, Shinji Saito, Kazunori Urao, Jyunichi Ushimoto, Masahiko Ueta, Norihiro Wada
  • Publication number: 20140307364
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an electrode material slurry for preparation of lithium-ion secondary batteries favorable in properties and superior in storage stability and an aqueous binder composition for lithium-ion secondary batteries that can be used for production of lithium-ion secondary batteries superior in discharge rate characteristics and cycle characteristics. Provided is a binder composition for lithium-ion secondary battery electrode, comprising polymer particles containing (a) an ethylenic unsaturated carboxylic ester compound and (b) an ethylenic unsaturated sulfonic acid compound at a (a)/(b) mass ratio of (98 to 91)/(2 to 9) in a total (a) and (b) amount of 70 mass % or more, based on the monomeric raw materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicants: SEI CORPORATION, DENKI KAGAKU KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironori Konishi, Daisuke Shimiya, Kazuhiro Kote, Takehiko Sawai, Shinji Saito, Jun Nakagawa