Abstract: A non-aqueous battery comprising a positive electrode material capable of being doped with and liberating lithium, a negative electrode material capable of being doped with and liberating lithium, and a polymer electrolyte disposed between the positive and negative electrode materials. The polymer electrolyte is formed by mixing a vinylidene fluoride copolymer and a nonaqueous electrolytic solution with a solvent, followed by evaporation of the solvent, so as to retain a high proportion of the nonaqueous electrolytic solution, leading to high electroconductivity and excellent strength in this state. The vinylidene fluoride copolymer comprises 80 to 97 wt. % of vinylidene fluoride monomer units and 3 to 20 wt. % of units of at least one monomer copolymerizable with vinylidene fluoride monomer, and has an inherent viscosity of 1.7 to 7 dl/g, as measured at 30° C. in a solution at a concentration of 4 g of polymer in 1 liter of N,N-dimethylformamide.

Abstract: A nonaqueous battery, such as a lithium ion battery, is formed from a polymer electrolyte comprising: a vinylidene fluoride copolymer comprises 90 to 97 wt. % of vinylidene fluoride monomer units and 3 to 10 wt. % of units of at least one monomer copolymerizable with the vinylidene fluoride monomer and has an inherent viscosity of 1.5 to 10 dl/g. The polymer electrolyte stably retains the nonaqueous electrolytic solution in a large amount and has excellent strength in this state.

Abstract: A process for producing a polymer electrolyte for a nonaqueous battery by mixing a vinylidene fluoride copolymer and a nonaqueous electrolytic solution with a solvent that can be evaporated, wherein the vinylidene fluoride copolymer comprises 80 to 97 wt. % of vinylidene fluoride monomer units and 3 to 20 wt % of units of at least one monomer copolymerizable with vinylidene fluoride monomer and has an inherent viscosity of 1.5 to 10 dl/g, and evaporating the solvent to form a polymer electrolyte comprising the vinylidene fluoride copolymer impregnated with the nonaqueous electrolytic solution.

Abstract: A negative electrode material for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, which is best suited for large current I/O non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries represented by those for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), which are unlikely to be influenced by the deterioration of battery characteristics due to water, and a production process thereof are provided. The negative electrode material having at least one exothermic peak in the range of not lower than 650° C. and lower than 700° C., and at least one exothermic peak in the range of not lower than 700° C. and lower than 760° C., in differential thermal analysis measured under an air flow.

Abstract: A core/shell polymer (A), comprising: a rubbery core comprising a crosslinked vinylidene fluoride copolymer (a) having a vinylidene fluoride content of 30-90 wt. % and a shell comprising a vinylidene fluoride polymer (b) having a vinylidene fluoride content which is larger than in the crosslinked vinylidene fluoride copolymer (a) and at least 80 wt. %, in a weight ratio (a)/(b) of 30/70-90/10. The vinylidene fluoride-based core/shell polymer (A) is excellent in mechanical properties including flexibility and resistance to nonaqueous electrolytic solutions, is capable of forming a composite electrode layer showing excellent flexibility and adhesion to an electroconductive substrate in combination with a powder active substance and is therefore suitable for use as a binder for nonaqueous electrochemical devices.

Abstract: A negative electrode material for a high input/output currant-type non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, comprising a carbon material having an average (002) interlayer spacing d002 of 0.355-0.400 nm determined by X-ray diffractometry and a true density of 1.50-1.60 g/cm3, and exhibiting a capacity (A) of at least 50 mAh/g in a battery voltage range of 0.3-1.0 V and a ratio ((A)/(B)) of at least 0.3 between the capacity (A) and a capacity (B) in a battery voltage range of 0-1.0 V when measured as discharge capacities with a counter electrode of lithium. The negative electrode material is non-graphitizable and has properties suitable for a negative electrode material for high input/output current non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries as used in HEV, etc.

Abstract: A negative electrode material for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, which is best suited for large current I/O non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries represented by those for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), which are unlikely to be influenced by the deterioration of battery characteristics due to water, and a production process thereof are provided. The negative electrode material having at least one exothermic peak in the range of not lower than 650° C. and lower than 700° C., and at least one exothermic peak in the range of not lower than 700° C. and lower than 760° C., in differential thermal analysis measured under an air flow.

Abstract: A nonaqueous battery, such as a lithium ion battery, is formed from a polymer electrolyte comprising: a vinylidene fluoride copolymer comprises 90 to 97 wt. % of vinylidene fluoride monomer units and 3 to 10 wt. % of units of at least one monomer copolymerizable with the vinylidene fluoride monomer and has an inherent viscosity of 1.5 to 10 dl/g. The polymer electrolyte stably retains the nonaqueous electrolytic solution in a large amount and has excellent strength in this state.

Abstract: A process for producing a polymer electrolyte for a nonaqueous battery by introducing 80 to 97 wt. % of vinylidene fluoride monomer and 3 to 20 wt % of at least one monomer copolymerizable with vinylidene fluoride monomer simultaneously all at once into a polymerization vessel, polymerizing the monomers to provide a vinylidene fluoride copolymer having polymerized units of the monomers and having an inherent viscosity of 1.5 to 10 dl/g, and impregnating the vinylidene fluoride copolymer with a nonaqueous electrolytic solution to provide a polymer electrolyte.

Abstract: A core/shell polymer (A), comprising: a rubbery core comprising a crosslinked vinylidene fluoride copolymer (a) having a vinylidene fluoride content of 30-90 wt. % and a shell comprising a vinylidene fluoride polymer (b) having a vinylidene fluoride content which is larger than in the crosslinked vinylidene fluoride copolymer (a) and at least 80 wt. %, in a weight ratio (a)/(b) of 30/70-90/10. The vinylidene fluoride-based core/shell polymer (A) is excellent in mechanical properties including flexibility and resistance to nonaqueous electrolytic solutions, is capable of forming a composite electrode layer showing excellent flexibility and adhesion to an electroconductive substrate in combination with a powder active substance and is therefore suitable for use as a binder for nonaqueous electrochemical devices.

Abstract: A negative electrode material for a high input/output currant-type non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, comprising a carbon material having an average (002) interlayer spacing d002 of 0.355-0.400 nm determined by X-ray diffractometry and a true density of 1.50-1.60 g/cm3, and exhibiting a capacity (A) of at least 50 mAh/g in a battery voltage range of 0.3-1.0 V and a ratio ((A)/(B)) of at least 0.3 between the capacity (A) and a capacity (B) in a battery voltage range of 0-1.0 V when measured as discharge capacities with a counter electrode of lithium. The negative electrode material is non-graphitizable and has properties suitable for a negative electrode material for high input/output current non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries as used in HEV, etc.

Abstract: A composition suitable for use as a cathode material of a lithium battery includes a core material having an empirical formula LixM?zNi1?yM?yO2. “x” is equal to or greater than about 0.1 and equal to or less than about 1.3. “y” is greater than about 0.0 and equal to or less than about 0.5. “z” is greater than about 0.0 and equal to or less than about 0.2. M? is at least one member of the group consisting of sodium, potassium, nickel, calcium, magnesium and strontium. M? is at least one member of the group consisting of cobalt, iron, manganese, chromium, vanadium, titanium, magnesium, silicon, boron, aluminum and gallium. A coating on the core has a greater ratio of cobalt to nickel than the core. The coating and, optionally, the core can be a material having an empirical formula Lix1Ax2Ni1?y1?z1Coy1Bz1Oa. “x1” is greater than about 0.1 a equal to or less than about 1.3. “x2,” “y1” and “z1” each is greater than about 0.0 and equal to or less than about 0.2. “a” is greater than 1.5 and less than about 2.1.

Abstract: A crystal which can be employed as the active material of a lithium-based battery has an empirical formula of Lix1A2Ni1-y-zCoyBzOa, wherein “x1” is greater than about 0.1 and equal to or less than about 1.3, “x2,” “y” and “z” each is greater than about 0.0 and equal to or less than about 0.2, “a” is greater than about 1.5 and less than about 2.1, “A” is at least one element selected from the group consisting of barium, magnesium, calcium and strontium and “B” is at least one element selected from the group consisting of boron, aluminum, gallium, manganese, titanium, vanadium and zirconium.

Abstract: A nonaqueous battery, such as a lithium ion battery, is formed from a polymer electrolyte comprising: a vinylidene fluoride copolymer comprises 80 to 97 wt. % of vinylidene fluoride monomer units and 3 to 20 wt. % of units of at least one monomer copolymerizable with the vinylidene fluoride monomer and has an inherent viscosity of 1.5 to 10 dl/g. The polymer electrolyte stably retains the nonaqueous electrolytic solution in a large amount and has excellent strength in this state.

Abstract: A nonaqueous battery, such as a lithium ion battery, is formed from a polymer electrolyte comprising: a vinylidene fluoride copolymer comprises 90 to 97 wt. % of vinylidene fluoride monomer units and 3 to 10 wt. % of units of at least one monomer copolymerizable with the vinylidene fluoride monomer and has an inherent viscosity of 1.5 to 10 dl/g. The polymer electrolyte stably retains the nonaqueous electrolytic solution in a large amount and has excellent strength in this state.

Abstract: A vinylidene fluoride polymer having good high-temperature coloring resistance is produced through suspension polymerization at 10-100° C. in a mixture solvent of 100 wt. parts of an aqueous medium and 10-50 wt. parts of a halogenated hydrocarbon solvent showing a good dissolving power to both a vinylidene fluoride monomer and a polymerization initiator and represented by a formula of: CX3CX2CHX2, wherein X is a fluorine or chlorine atom, and 7 X's include 4-6 fluorine atoms and 1-3 chlorine atoms. The vinylidene fluoride polymer is characterized by an elutable total organic carbon content in pure water at 95° C. of at most 1.1 &mgr;g/cm2.

Abstract: A crystal which can be employed as the active material of a lithium-based battery has an empirical formula of Lix1A2Ni1−y−zCoyBzOa, wherein “x1” is greater than about 0.1 and equal to or less than about 1.3, “x2,” “y” and “z” each is greater than about 0.0 and equal to or less than about 0.2, “a” is greater than about 1.5 and less than about 2.1, “A” is at least one element selected from the group consisting of barium, magnesium, calcium and strontium and “B” is at least one element selected from the group consisting of boron, aluminum, gallium, manganese, titanium, vanadium and zirconium.

Abstract: A composition suitable for use as a cathode material of a lithium battery includes a core material having an empirical formula LixM′zNi1−yM″yO2. “x” is equal to or greater than about 0.1 and equal to or less than about 1.3. “y” is greater than about 0.0 and equal to or less than about 0.5. “z” is greater than about 0.0 and equal to or less than about 0.2. M′ is at least one member of the group consisting of sodium, potassium, nickel, calcium, magnesium and strontium. M″ is at least one member of the group consisting of cobalt, iron, manganese, chromium, vanadium, titanium, magnesium, silicon, boron, aluminum and gallium. A coating on the core has a greater ratio of cobalt to nickel than the core. The coating and, optionally, the core can be a material having an empirical formula Lix1Ax2Ni1−y1−z1Coy1Bz1Oa. “x1” is greater than about 0.1 and equal to or less than about 1.3.

Abstract: A vinylidene fluoride polymer having good high-temperature coloring resistance is produced through suspension polymerization at 10-100° C. in a mixture solvent of 100 wt. parts of an aqueous medium and 10-50 wt.

Abstract: A solid polymer electrolyte having improved ionic conductivity and adhesion with an electroconductive substrate and also remarkably enhanced heat resistance is formed with a vinylidene fluoride copolymer which contains 50-97 mol. % of vinylidene fluoride monomer and 0.1-5 mol. % of an unsaturated dibasic acid monoester or an epoxy group-containing vinyl monomer and further has been crosslinked, thereby improving the performances of a non-aqueous battery, such as a lithium ion battery.