Patents by Inventor Chiaki Sotowa

Chiaki Sotowa has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10535866
    Abstract: A scale-like graphite and carbon material for a battery electrode which is suitable for use as an electrode material for an aqueous-electrolyte secondary battery, wherein the ratio IG/ID (G value) between the peak area (ID) in a range of 1300 to 1400 cm?1 and the peak area (IG) in a range of 1580 to 1620 cm?1 by Raman spectroscopy spectra, in which an edge surface of the particle of the scale-like graphite is measured with by a Raman microspectrometer, is 5.2 to 100 and the average interplanar spacing d002 of plane (d002) by the X-ray diffraction method is 0.337 nm or less and optical structures of the scale-like graphite have a specific shape; the method for producing the same; a carbon material for a battery electrode and a paste for an electrode containing the material; and a secondary battery having excellent charge/discharge cycle characteristics and high current load characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Yasuaki Wakizaka, Yuichi Kamijo, Tomohiro Abe, Yoshiki Shimodaira, Akinori Sudoh, Chiaki Sotowa, Yoshihito Yokoyama, Takashi Terashima
  • Publication number: 20190305293
    Abstract: An all-solid-state lithium ion battery, including a solid electrolyte, a negative electrode, and a positive electrode. The solid electrolyte includes at least one selected from oxide-based and sulfide-based solid electrolytes, and has a 50% diameter (D50) in a cumulative particle diameter distribution on a volume basis of from 0.1 ?m to 10 ?m. The negative electrode includes the solid electrolyte, a negative electrode active material and a conductive additive. The negative electrode active material includes graphite particles each having an interlayer spacing d002 of a graphite crystal of from 0.3360 nm to 0.3370 nm and having a D50 of from 1 ?m to 10 ?m. The negative electrode includes 35 to 45 parts by mass of the negative electrode active material, 45 to 55 parts by mass of the solid electrolyte, and 5 to 10 parts by mass of the conductive additive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 25, 2017
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: SHOWA DENKO K. K.
    Inventors: Chiaki SOTOWA, Masataka TAKEUCHI
  • Patent number: 10377634
    Abstract: A carbon material and a material for a battery electrode which is suitable for use as an electrode material for an aqueous-electrolyte secondary battery, which material includes optical structures having a specific shape, and in which material the ratio IG/ID (R value) between the peak intensity (ID) of a peak in a range of 1300 to 1400 cm?1 and the peak intensity (IG) of a peak in a range of 1580 to 1620 cm?1 measured by Raman spectroscopy spectra when particles of the carbon material are measured with Raman microspectrometer is 0.38 or more and 1.2 or less and the average interplanar spacing d002 of plane (002) by the X-ray diffraction method is 0.335 nm or more and 0.338 nm or less; and a secondary battery excellent in charge/discharge cycle characteristics and large current load characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Chiaki Sotowa, Takashi Terashima, Yasuaki Wakizaka
  • Publication number: 20190062162
    Abstract: A carbon material and a material for a battery electrode which is suitable for use as an electrode material for an aqueous-electrolyte secondary battery, which material includes optical structures having a specific shape, and in which material the ratio IG/ID (R value) between the peak intensity (ID) of a peak in a range of 1300 to 1400 cm?1 and the peak intensity (IG) of a peak in a range of 1580 to 1620 cm?1 measured by Raman spectroscopy spectra when particles of the carbon material are measured with Raman microspectrometer is 0.38 or more and 1.2 or less and the average interplanar spacing d002 of plane (002) by the X-ray diffraction method is 0.335 nm or more and 0.338 nm or less; and a secondary battery excellent in charge/discharge cycle characteristics and large current load characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Applicant: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Chiaki SOTOWA, Takashi TERASHIMA, Yasuaki WAKIZAKA
  • Patent number: 10144646
    Abstract: The present invention provides a carbon material and a material for a battery electrode which is suitable for use as an electrode material for an aqueous-electrolyte secondary battery, which material comprises optical structures having a specific shape, and in which material the ratio IG/ID (R value) between the peak intensity (ID) of a peak in a range of 1300 to 1400 cm?1 and the peak intensity (IG) of a peak in a range of 1580 to 1620 cm?1 measured by Raman spectroscopy spectra when particles of the carbon material are measured with Raman microspectrometer is 0.38 or more and 1.2 or less and the average interplanar spacing d002 of plane (002) by the X-ray diffraction method is 0.335 nm or more and 0.338 nm or less; and a secondary battery excellent in charge/discharge cycle characteristics and large current load characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Chiaki Sotowa, Takashi Terashima, Yasuaki Wakizaka
  • Publication number: 20180226649
    Abstract: A carbon material for negative electrodes in lithium ion secondary battery, wherein a specific surface area is not less than 1.5 m2/g and not more than 6.5 m2/g, a tap density is not less than 0.5 g/cm3 and not more than 1.3 g/cm3, a Raman R value is not less than 0.1 and not more than 0.4, no diffraction peak is present in a range of diffraction angle of 42.7° to 43.7° in X-ray diffraction analysis, d002 is not more than 0.337 nm, and at most one peak is present in a range of not less than 500° C. and less than 1000° C. in thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Applicant: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Yasuaki WAKIZAKA, Chiaki SOTOWA, Takashi TERASHIMA
  • Patent number: 9905839
    Abstract: A composite electrode material consisting of a carbon coated complex oxide, fibrous carbon and a binder. Said material is prepared by a method which includes co-grinding an active electrode material and fibrous carbon, and adding a binder to the co-grinded mixture to lower the viscosity of the mixture. The fibrous carbon is preferably vapor grown carbon fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignees: HYDRO-QUEBEC, SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Karim Zaghib, Chiaki Sotowa, Patrick Charest, Masataka Takeuchi, Abdelbast Guerfi
  • Patent number: 9774029
    Abstract: In this anode for a secondary battery, method for producing same, and secondary battery, an anode active material is laminated on a surface of a metal foil, the anode active material contains at least titanium dioxide, and the titanium dioxide contains a Brookite crystal phase and contains an amorphous phase in a ratio of 1 vol % to 20 vol %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Yokouchi, Masahiro Ohmori, Chiaki Sotowa, Masayuki Sanbayashi
  • Patent number: 9614218
    Abstract: A composite carbon particle for use in a negative electrode of a lithium-ion secondary battery, the composite carbon particle including a core particle composed of a carbon material obtained by heating, at not higher than 2500° C., petroleum coke having a Hardgrove grindability index (HGI value) of 30 to 60 (defined by ASTM D409), and a covering layer composed of a carbonaceous material obtained by heating an organic compound at 1000° C. to 2000° C. The composite carbon particle has a 50% particle diameter (D50) of 1 ?m to 30 ?m in a volume-based cumulative particle size distribution as measured by a laser diffraction method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Masataka Takeuchi, Yoshihito Yokoyama, Chiaki Sotowa
  • Patent number: 9531008
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a lithium battery positive electrode comprising an active substance that can occlude and release lithium ion, a carbon-based conductivity enhancer, and a binder, characterized in that the positive electrode contains the carbon-based conductivity enhancer in an amount of 0.1 to 2 mass % on the basis of the entire mass of the positive electrode, and that the carbon-based conductivity enhancer contains a carbon fiber having a mean fiber diameter of 1 to 200 nm, wherein the active substance that can occlude and release lithium ion is contained in an amount, as calculated from the true density of the active substance, of 70% by volume or more on the basis of the total volume of the positive electrode; and relates to a lithium battery using the a lithium battery positive electrode. The positive electrode obtained by the present invention has an excellent electrolyte permeability and electrolyte retention. Therefore, it is better adapted to high-density lithium battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Masataka Takeuchi, Chiaki Sotowa
  • Patent number: 9515316
    Abstract: This method for producing an anode active material for a secondary battery is provided with a step for forming titanium dioxide by means of hydrolysis by adding a titanium-containing compound to an acidic aqueous solution, and furthermore, by means of adding a compound containing an alkaline earth metal and a condensed phosphate, the surface of the titanium dioxide is covered by the condensed phosphate containing the alkaline earth metal in a manner so that the amount of elemental phosphorus atoms and the amount of alkaline earth metal are each in the range of 0.1 to 10 mass % with respect to the mass of titanium dioxide, thus synthesizing the anode active material (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Yokouchi, Masahiro Ohmori, Chiaki Sotowa, Masayuki Sanbayashi
  • Patent number: 9419281
    Abstract: A carbon negative electrode material for a lithium secondary battery includes: a core carbon material; and a coated layer covering the core carbon material and comprising a carbon coating material and carbon fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Kyung-Hee Han, Jeong-Hun Oh, Jong-Sung Kim, Chul Youm, Masataka Takeuchi, Akinori Sudoh, Chiaki Sotowa
  • Patent number: 9406936
    Abstract: A carbon material containing boron atom in an amount of 0.001 to 0.5 mass %, in which the average interplanar spacing (d002) of plane (002) is 0.337 nm or less. By observing optical structures in cross-section of formed bodies made of the carbon material, when areas are accumulated from a smallest structure in an ascending order, SOP represents an area of an optical structure whose accumulated area corresponds to 60% of the total area of all optical structures; when the structures are counted from a structure of a smallest aspect ratio in an ascending order, AROP represents the aspect ratio of the structure which ranks at the position of 60% in total number of all the structures; and when D50 represents an average particle diameter; SOP, AROP and D50 satisfy the following relationship: 1.5?AROP?6 and 0.2×D50?(SOP×AROP)1/2<2×D50. Also disclosed is a secondary battery using the carbon material as an electrode material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Yasuaki Wakizaka, Yuichi Kamijo, Tomohiro Abe, Yoshiki Shimodaira, Akinori Sudoh, Chiaki Sotowa, Yoshihito Yokoyama, Takashi Terashima, Naoto Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20160185600
    Abstract: The present invention provides a carbon material and a material for a battery electrode which is suitable for use as an electrode material for an aqueous-electrolyte secondary battery, which material comprises optical structures having a specific shape, and in which material the ratio IG/ID (R value) between the peak intensity (ID) of a peak in a range of 1300 to 1400 cm?1 and the peak intensity (IG) of a peak in a range of 1580 to 1620 cm?1 measured by Raman spectroscopy spectra when particles of the carbon material are measured with Raman microspectrometer is 0.38 or more and 1.2 or less and the average interplanar spacing d002 of plane (002) by the X-ray diffraction method is 0.335 nm or more and 0.338 nm or less; and a secondary battery excellent in charge/discharge cycle characteristics and large current load characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Applicant: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Chiaki SOTOWA, Takashi TERASHIMA, Yasuaki WAKIZAKA
  • Patent number: 9368796
    Abstract: A graphite material having pores which, when 200 rectangular regions of 6 ?m×8 ?m are randomly selected in a surface image of the graphite material observed by a scanning electron microscope, in the surface of the graphite material appearing in the regions, a pore appearing on the surface and having an aperture in a shape having a diameter of 15 nm to 200 nm, a circularity degree of 0.75 to 1.0 and a major axis/minor axis ratio of 1.0 to 1.5 is visible in two regions or more. Also disclosed is a carbon material for battery electrodes, a paste for electrodes, an electrode and a lithium ion secondary battery including the graphite material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: SHOW A DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Yasuaki Wakizaka, Yuuichi Kamijou, Masataka Takeuchi, Takayuki Fukai, Chiaki Sotowa, Akinori Sudoh, Masako Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9284192
    Abstract: A method for producing a graphie material for an electrode material for lithium ion batteries, including a step for exothermically graphitizing a carbon material by directly passing an electric current therethrough. The carbon material has an compact powder resistivity of 0.4 ?·cm or less when compressed to a density of 1.4 g/cm3, has an angle of repose in the range of 20° to 50° inclusive, and has a particle size (D90) in the volume-based particle size distribution measured using laser diffraction of 120 ?m or less. The average surface interval (d002) of a surface (002) of the carbon material after graphitization, measured using x-ray diffraction, is in the range of 0.3354 nm-0.3450 nm inclusive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Masataka Takeuchi, Yuuichi Kamijou, Yoshiyuki Nishimura, Ryusuke Miura, Takayuki Fukai, Chiaki Sotowa
  • Patent number: 9276257
    Abstract: The invention relates to an anode for lithium secondary battery comprising vapor grown carbon fiber uniformly dispersed without forming an agglomerate of 10 ?m or larger in an anode active material using natural graphite or artificial graphite, which anode is excellent in long cycle life and large current characteristics. Composition used for production for the anode can be produced, for example, by mixing a thickening agent solution containing an anode active material, a thickening agent aqueous solution and styrene butadiene rubber as binder with a composition containing carbon fiber dispersed in a thickening agent with a predetermined viscosity or by mixing an anode active material with vapor grown carbon fiber in dry state and then adding polyvinylidene difluoride thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Masataka Takeuchi, Chiaki Sotowa
  • Patent number: 9240596
    Abstract: The invention relates to a composite material comprising carbon fibers and complex oxide particles, wherein the carbon fibers and the complex oxide particles have a carbon coating on at least part of their surface, said carbon coating being a non powdery coating The material is prepared by a method comprising mixing a complex oxide or precursors thereof, an organic carbon precursor and carbon fibers, and subjecting the mixture to a heat treatment in an inert or reducing atmosphere for the decomposition of the precursors The material is useful as the cathode material in a battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignees: HYDRO-QUEBEC, SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Karim Zaghib, Chiaki Sotowa, Abdelbast Guerfi, Masataka Takeuchi, Patrick Charest
  • Patent number: 9196899
    Abstract: An anode active material for use in a lithium secondary battery including a mixture of graphite I that has, according to X-ray powder diffraction, d002 of not smaller than 0.3354 nm and not greater than 0.337 nm, Lc(004) of smaller than 100 nm, La(110) of not smaller than 100 nm, and a half width of the peak of a plane (101) at a diffraction angle (2?) of 44 degrees to 45 degrees of not smaller than 0.65 degree and another graphite so as to have, according to X-ray powder diffraction, d002 of not smaller than 0.3354 nm and not greater than 0.337 nm, Lc(004) of not smaller than 80 nm, La(110) of not smaller than 100 nm, and a half width of the peak of a plane (101) at a diffraction angle (2?) of 44 degrees to 45 degrees of not smaller than 0.5 degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Chiaki Sotowa, Takahiro Tamura
  • Publication number: 20150287983
    Abstract: This method for producing an anode active material for a secondary battery is provided with a step for forming titanium dioxide by means of hydrolysis by adding a titanium-containing compound to an acidic aqueous solution, and furthermore, by means of adding a compound containing an alkaline earth metal and a condensed phosphate, the surface of the titanium dioxide is covered by the condensed phosphate containing the alkaline earth metal in a manner so that the amount of elemental phosphorus atoms and the amount of alkaline earth metal are each in the range of 0.1 to 10 mass % with respect to the mass of titanium dioxide, thus synthesizing the anode active material (12).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Applicant: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Yokouchi, Masahiro Ohmori, Chiaki Sotowa, Masayuki Sanbayashi