Abstract: A method of co-extruding battery components includes forming a first thin film battery component via hot melt extrusion, and forming a second thin film battery component via hot melt extrusion. A surface treatment is applied to a surface region of at least one of the first and second components so that, relative to a remainder of the at least one component, the surface region has at least one of a decreased inter-particle distance, a decreased amount of polymer binder material, and an increased amount of exposed ionically conductive material. The first and second components are fed through a co-extrusion die to form a co-extruded multilayer thin film.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method comprising mixing an electroactive particle with a carbonaceous material to form a particle mixture that comprises a carbon coated particle; subjecting the carbon coated particle to a pulsed voltage between parallel plate electrodes or between rolls of a roll mill; and converting the carbon coated particle to a graphite coated particle via localized Joule heating. Disclosed herein too is an apparatus comprising a mixing device that is operative to mix an electroactive particle with a carbonaceous material to form a particle mixture that comprises a carbon coated particle; and a device for applying a pulsed voltage to the particle mixture; where the applying of the pulsed voltage is conducted when the particle mixture is located between opposing plate electrodes or between opposing rolls of a roll mill; where the device for applying the pulsed voltage converts the carbon coated particle into a graphite coated particle.

Abstract: The invention discloses a lithium metal anode protection method improving lithium utilization efficiency, and relates to the field of lithium batteries. In a lithium battery, lithium metal is deposited on a current collector as a battery anode, and a high molecular polymer is added as an additive to an ester electrolyte. In the present application, the high molecular polymer is prepared by a polymerization reaction of monomer A being acrylonitrile or derivatives thereof, monomer B being perfluoroalkyl ethyl methacrylate or derivatives thereof, and monomer C being alkyl alcohol diacrylate or derivatives thereof. Due to the negative charge on the surface of lithium metal, the —CN and —CF3 in the polymer are strong electron-withdrawing groups, which promote the preferential adsorption of electrolyte additives on the surface of lithium metal and reduce the contact of other components in the electrolyte with lithium metal.

Abstract: Process for making a coated electrode active material wherein said process comprises the following steps: (a) providing a particulate electrode active material according to general formula Li1+xTM1?xO2, wherein TM is a combination of Ni, Co and, optionally, Mn, and, optionally, at least one metal selected from Mg, Al, Ba, Ti and Zr, and x is in the range of from zero to 0.2, wherein at least 15 mole-% of the transition metal of TM is Ni, (b) treating said electrode active material with a compound of M1, wherein M1 is selected from Li, Al, B, Mg, Si, Sn, and from transition metals, or a combination of at least two of the foregoing, with or without a solvent, wherein said compound of M1 does not act as a cathode active material on its own, (c) optionally, removing compound of M1 which is not deposited on said particulate electrode active material, (d) performing a post-treatment by heating the material obtained after the step (b) or (c), if applicable, at a temperature from 300 to 800° C.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate generally to apparatuses and processes for forming semi-solid electrodes having high active solids loading by removing excess electrolyte. In some embodiments, the semi-solid electrode material can be formed by mixing an active material and, optionally, a conductive material in a liquid electrolyte to form a suspension. In some embodiments, the semi-solid electrode material can be disposed onto a current collector to form an intermediate electrode. In some embodiments, the semi-solid electrode material can have a first composition in which the ratio of electrolyte to active material is between about 10:1 and about 1:1. In some embodiments, a method for converting the semi-solid electrode material from the first composition into the second composition includes removing a portion of the electrolyte from the semi-solid electrode material.

Abstract: The invention provides an inkjet method for producing a solder mask in the manufacture of a Printed Circuit Board. By using a solder mask inkjet ink containing at least one photoinitiator, at least one free radical polymerizable compound and at least one mercapto functionalized carboxylic acid as adhesion promoter, a high quality solder mask withstanding the high thermal stress during the soldering process while maintaining excellent physical properties, may be produced.

Abstract: A process for making an at least partially coated electrode active material may involve, with an electrode active material of formula Li1?xTM1?xO2, wherein TM is a combination of Ni, Co and, optionally, Mn, and, optionally, at least one metal selected from Al, Ti and Zr, and x is in the range of from 0 to 0.2, treating the electrode active material with at least one compound of W or Mo that bears at least one group or ion that is replaced or displaced when such compound reacts with the surface of the electrode active material particle, treating the surface-reacted material with an agent to decompose the compound of W or Mo, repeating the sequence 1 to 100 times, wherein the average thickness of the resulting coating is in the range of from 0.1 to 50 nm.

Abstract: An electrode including a lithium diffusion rate-controlling layer and a lithium layer stacked successively on the surface thereof, and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The electrode includes: a current collector; an electrode active material layer formed on the surface of the current collector; a lithium diffusion rate-controlling layer formed on the surface of the electrode active material layer; and a lithium layer containing a lithium metal ingredient and formed on the surface of the lithium diffusion rate-controlling layer.

Abstract: Light reflection from a metal mesh touch sensor is reduced or prevented by encasing the metal lines with a passivation coating and including non-reflective nanoparticles in the patterning photoresist. The photoresist is mixed with catalytic nanoparticles wherein the nanoparticles are formed to minimize light reflection. The nanoparticles may be carbon coated metallic particles, or uncoated palladium nanoparticles. Also, a standoff photoresist layer may be included between the substrate and the photoresist composition to prevent reflection from the edges of the metallic lines.

Abstract: To produce a silicon oxide-based negative electrode material containing Li and having uniform distribution of a Li concentration both inside particles and between particles although a C-coating film is formed on a surface, and yet in which generation of SiC is suppressed. A SiO gas and a Li gas are simultaneously generated by heating a Si-lithium silicate-containing raw material under reduced pressure. The Si-lithium silicate-containing raw material includes Si, Li, and O, in which a part of the Si is present as a Si simple substance and the Li is present as lithium silicate. By cooling the generated gases, Li-containing silicon oxide having an average composition of SiLixOy (0.05<x<y and 0.5<y<1.5 are satisfied) is prepared. After adjusting the particle size, a C-coating film having an average film thickness of 0.5 to 10 nm is formed on a surface of particles at a treatment temperature of 900° C. or less.

Abstract: Provided is a method for forming a silicon oxycarbonitride film (SiOCN) with varying proportions of each element, using a disilane precursor under vapor deposition conditions, wherein the percent carbon incorporation into the SiOCN film may be varied between about 5 to about 60%, by utilizing co-reactants chosen from oxygen, ammonia, and nitrous oxide gas. The carbon-enriched SiOCN films thus formed may be converted to pure silicon dioxide films after an etch stop protocol by treatment with O2 plasma.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for a secondary battery that includes coating a metal current collector sheet material with an electrode material layer raw material such that a shape of a coating surface of the electrode material layer raw material is changed based on a shape of a non-rectangular electrode to be formed to form an electrode precursor, and cutting the electrode precursor into a non-rectangular electrode shape.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a preparation method of a carbon quantum dot/carbon coated VSe2 composite material (VSe2@CQD), and belongs to the technical field of electrode material of a potassium ion battery and preparation thereof. By compositing the carbon, carbon quantum dots and vanadium diselenide (VSe2), the three components generate a synergistic effect. The carbon quantum dot/carbon coating can improve the electronic conductivity and lithium ion diffusion rate of the material, and also can inhibit the agglomeration of the vanadium diselenide (VSe2). Therefore, the prepared carbon quantum dot/carbon coated VSe2 composite material (VSe2@CQD) has excellent electrochemical performance and excellent rate performance and cycle stability. The method is simple in process, low in cost, environment-friendly, and suitable for large-scale industrial production.

Abstract: A roll-to-plate process for texturing or patterning discrete substrates, such as displays, lighting or solar panels comprising the steps of supplying an imprinting lacquer, texturing or patterning the imprinting lacquer with an imprint texture which imprint texture is formed by openings and elevations thus creating volumes in the imprint texture to obtain an imprinted lacquer and optionally followed by curing the imprinted lacquer to obtain a solidified textured or patterned layer, characterized in that the texturing or patterning is performed with an imprint texture that comprises domains of greater volumes at its edges, and with a flexible stamp with a Young's Modulus of between 0.1 Giga Pascal (GPa) and 10 Giga Pascal (GPa).

Abstract: Coating inkjet-printed traces of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) ink with a thin layer of eutectic gallium indium (EGaIn) increases the electrical conductivity and significantly improves tolerance to tensile strain. This enhancement is achieved through a room temperature “sintering” process in which the liquid-phase EGaIn alloy binds the AgNP particles to form a continuous conductive trace. These mechanically robust thin-film circuits are well suited for transfer to highly curved and non-developable 3D surfaces as well as skin and other soft deformable substrates.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed relate to novel methods of fabricating 3-D Li ion batteries using direct nanoimprint lithography. The present invention includes methods of fabricating high surface area electrodes, including imprint patterning of high aspect ratio parallel grating style electrodes. The method includes coating a substrate with an ink containing nanoparticles and subsequently annealing the ink into a desired pattern.

Abstract: A method of applying a coating to a flow field plate of a fuel cell. The method includes applying a solution including a metal-containing precursor and a solvent to at least a portion of a surface of a flow field plate, and evaporating the solvent to form a coating on the at least the portion of the surface of the flow field plate.

Abstract: A method of making an oil repellent sheet material according to an embodiment of the present disclosures includes a step of applying to a porous sheet a composition for forming an oil repellent layer, the composition containing a solvent and an amorphous fluorine resin dispersed therein, and a step of swaging the porous sheet after the step of applying, wherein the porous sheet has a fibrous skeleton composed mainly of polytetrafluoroethylene, the method of making an oil repellent sheet material further comprising a heat treatment step of heating the porous sheet to which the composition for forming an oil repellent layer is applied, before or after the step of swaging.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to sulfur-containing electrodes and methods for forming the same. For example, the method may include disposing an electroactive material on or near a current collector to form an electroactive material layer having a first porosity and applying pressure and heat to the electroactive material layer so that the electroactive material layer has a second porosity. The first porosity is greater than the second porosity. The electroactive material may include a plurality of electroactive material particles and one or more salt additives. The method may further include contacting the electroactive material layer and an electrolyte such that the electrolyte dissolves the plurality of one or more salt particles so that the electroactive material layer has a third porosity. The third porosity may be greater than the second porosity and less than the first porosity.

Abstract: A laminate that includes a metal layer that is not easily separated from a substrate, a method for producing the laminate, and a method for forming a fine conductive pattern that exhibits high conductivity, are disclosed. The peel strength of a metal layer included in a laminate that includes a polymer layer provided between a substrate and the metal layer is improved by implementing a structure in which the metal that forms the metal layer is chemically bonded to COO that extends from the polymer main chain that forms the polymer layer at the interface between the metal layer and the polymer layer. A fine conductive pattern that exhibits high conductivity can be formed by applying UV light to a pattern area of an insulating film formed on a substrate, and applying an ink prepared by dispersing metal nanoparticles in a solvent to the substrate to effect adhesion and aggregation of the ink in the pattern area, the surface of the metal nanoparticles being protected by an organic molecule layer.