Abstract: A fuel cell is obtained, in which oxidation degradation of a catalyst in the cathode can be prevented even if a large volume of air instantaneously penetrates into the cell, and the fuel-cell characteristics also do not deteriorate even though starting-up, shutting-down and pausing operations are repeatedly performed. As a method of controlling a fuel cell system, hydrogen-containing fuel gas is supplied to the anode and oxidant gas is supplied to the cathode, an external load is connected between the anode and the cathode so that the fuel cell generates electric power, the external load is disconnected after the power generation, a resistor is connected between the anode and the cathode, supply of the oxidant gas is stopped, and then supply of the fuel gas is stopped after the potential at the cathode has dropped to equal to or lower than the potential at which hydrogen evolution starts, so as to pause the fuel cell.

Abstract: A fuel cell includes a solid polymer electrolyte membrane and cathode and anode catalyst layers held between a fuel electrode substrate having a surface area larger than that of the cathode catalyst layer and an oxidizer electrode substrate having a surface area larger than that of the anode catalyst layer. The fuel electrode substrate includes a fuel-sealing support portion surrounding the cathode catalyst layer. The oxidizer electrode substrate includes an oxidizer-sealing support portion surrounding the anode catalyst layer. The fuel-sealing and oxidizer-sealing support portions each include pores partially or wholly filled with a resin. The fuel-sealing support portion is bonded to the membrane by the resin at a position closer to an outer edge of the membrane than is the cathode catalyst. The oxidizer-sealing support portion is bonded to the membrane by the resin at a position closer to the outer edge of the membrane than is the anode catalyst.

Abstract: A fuel cell is obtained, in which oxidation degradation of a catalyst in the cathode can be prevented even if a large volume of air instantaneously penetrates into the cell, and the fuel-cell characteristics also do not deteriorate even though starting-up, shutting-down and pausing operations are repeatedly performed. As a method of controlling a fuel cell system, hydrogen-containing fuel gas is supplied to the anode and oxidant gas is supplied to the cathode, an external load is connected between the anode and the cathode so that the fuel cell generates electric power, the external load is disconnected after the power generation, a resistor is connected between the anode and the cathode, supply of the oxidant gas is stopped, and then supply of the fuel gas is stopped after the potential at the cathode has dropped to equal to or lower than the potential at which hydrogen evolution starts, so as to pause the fuel cell.

Abstract: A fuel cell includes a membrane electrode composite body in which a cathode catalyst layer and an anode catalyst layer are joined to central portions of two surfaces of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane and further held from two sides between a fuel electrode substrate having a surface area that is larger than that of the cathode catalyst layer and an oxidizer electrode substrate having a surface area that is larger than that of the anode catalyst layer, wherein: pores of a fuel-sealing support portion surrounding the cathode catalyst layer in the fuel electrode substrate are partially or wholly filled with a resin; pores of an oxidizer-sealing support portion surrounding the anode catalyst layer in the oxidizer electrode substrate are partially or wholly filled with the resin; and the fuel-sealing support portion and the oxidizer-sealing support portion are bonded to the solid polymer electrolyte membrane by the resin.

Abstract: Conventional batteries are disadvantageous in that a firm outer case must be used to maintain an electrical connection between electrodes, which has been an obstacle to size reduction. Those in which each electrode and a separator are joined with an adhesive resin suffer from conflict between adhesive strength and battery characteristics, particularly ion conductivity and internal resistivity. To solve these problems, it is an object of the invention to reduce resistance between electrodes, i.e., internal resistance of a battery to improve battery characteristics while securing both insulation function against electron conduction and ion conductivity between electrodes and also to maintain adhesive strength enough to firmly join the electrodes thereby to provide a light, compact and thin battery. The internal resistivity can be diminished by joining a positive electrode and a negative electrode with an adhesive resin layer having at least one adhesive resin layer containing a filler.

Abstract: Conventional batteries have the problem that, when battery temperature rises above a temperature at which the separator melts and flows due to an internal short-circuit, a large short-circuit current is generated between the positive and negative electrodes, that further raises the battery temperature. As a result, the short-circuit current further increases. The inventive electrode increases its resistivity with increasing temperature, and a processing for producing the electrode is disclosed. The electrode of the invention has an electron conductive material containing a conductive filler and a resin and increases its resistivity with increasing temperature.

Abstract: A multilayer electrode battery which restrains temperature rise produced by an internal short circuit and has a compact size and a large battery capacity. The battery is a multilayer electrode battery which uses an electrode formed by providing positive temperature coefficient characteristics to at least one of an active material and an electronic conductive material in contact with the active material, and a collector of at least one of a positive electrode and a negative electrode, and which has a plurality of layers of multilayer electrode bodies.

Abstract: Conventional separators had a function that their melting made minute holes inside the separator smaller, leading to cut off of ion conductivity in temperature increase due to unusual conditions such as short circuit. However, there was a problem that, at a temperature higher than a certain degree, not only the minute holes were closed but also the separator itself was melted to cause deformation of the separator such as shrink and generation of holes due to melting and insulation was broken. The present invention has been carried out in order to solve the above problems. The separator for batteries of the present invention comprises a first porous layer (3a) containing a thermoplastic resin as a main component and a second porous layer (3b) laminated on the first porous layer (3a), which has higher heat resistance than that of the first porous layer (3a).

Abstract: In case of a conventional battery having a laminated sheet material as a battery case for storing a battery body, the metal foil on the laminated sheet does not contact to either a positive electrode or a negative electrode and electric potential is unstable. Therefore, there was a problem that it was impossible to obtain electrical shielding effect. In order to maintain the function of the sealed part in the battery case, an extended part extended from the sealed part is disposed at a position where it overlaps with the positive electrode lead or the negative electrode lead, and by jointing the lead and the extended part with the conductive material piercing therethrough, the metal foil on the laminated sheet material of the battery case is electrically connected to the lead to maintain the electric potential of the battery case to the electric potential of the positive electrode or the negative electrode.

Abstract: The battery of the present invention comprises the electrode which contains the pre-determined amount of electronically conductive material at which resistance increases in accordance with temperature rise and conductive agent; the electrode wherein the ratio of the total amount of the electronically conductive material and the conductive agent to the active material is set to a pre-determined value; and the electrode wherein the average particle size of the conductive agent based on the average particle size of the electronically conductive material is in a pre-determined range. The coducitive material contains an electrically conductive filler and a crystalline resin. The conductive material and the coductive agent are contacted with the active material. A significant reduction in short circuit current is achieved over a defined range of conductive agent particle size.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a lithium ion secondary battery comprising preparing a positive electrode (3) where a positive electrode active material (7) is joined with a positive electrode collector (6), a negative electrode (5) where a negative electrode active material (9) is joined with a negative electrode collector (10), and a separator (4) for retaining the electrolytes including lithium ions, being arranged between the positive electrode (3) and the negative electrode (5), the process of supplying adhesive solution applied on the separator with a second solvent different from a first solvent after applying the adhesive resin solution, where adhesive resin (11) is dissolved in the above first solvent, to the separator (4), and the process of forming an electrode laminate by sticking the positive electrode (3) and the negative electrode (5) to the separator (4).

Abstract: Conventional batteries have a problem that, in case the battery temperature should rise to 100° C. or higher due to an internal short-circuit, etc., a large short-circuit current develops to generate heat. It follows that the battery temperature further increases, which can result in a further increase of the short-circuit current. Further, some of electrode structures involve reduction in discharge capacity. These problems are solved by a battery in which an electron conductive material (9), being in contact with an active material (8) in an electrode, comprises a conductive filler and a resin so that the electrode may increase its resistivity with a temperature rise, and the ratio of the particle size of the electron conductive material (9) to that of the active material (8) is in a range of from 0.1 to 20.

Abstract: A conventional battery has a problem that a large short-circuit current was generated with temperature rise due to internal short-circuit or the like, and therefore, the temperature of the battery further increases due to exothermic reaction to increase the short-circuit current. The present invention has been carried out in order to solve the above problems. The battery of the present invention is a battery wherein at least one of a positive electrode 1 and a negative electrode 2 comprises an active material layer 6 containing an active material 8 and an electronically conductive material 9 contacted to the active material 8, wherein a solid electrolytic layer 3 is interposed between the above positive electrode 1 and the negative electrode 2, and wherein the above electronically conductive material 9 comprises an electrically conductive filler and a resin so that resistance increases with temperature rise.

Abstract: There is provided a package for a non-aqueous electrolytic battery by which water invasion from outside is lowered and adhesion strength is improved over the long term, and a non-aqueous electrolytic battery having a lengthened life and high reliability. In a package for a non-aqueous electrolytic battery having a bag construction to store a battery content made by adhesion of a part of a lamination film comprising a metal layer and a resin layer, the adhesion part holds a structure capable of reacting with or absorbing an element which diffuses from the battery interior inwardly to the battery interior side.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to obtain an electrode whose resistivity increases with temperature, and a battery using the same. Specifically, the invention consists in limiting the proportion of a conductive filler contained in electron conductive particles of an electron conductive particle layer to a range of from 55 to 70 parts by weight. A battery constituted by using the electrode has an increased discharge capacity and is capable of reducing a short-circuit current.

Abstract: Conventional batteries are disadvantageous in that a firm outer case must be used to maintain an electrical connection between electrodes, which has been an obstacle to size reduction. Those in which each electrode and a separator are joined with an adhesive resin suffer from conflict between adhesive strength and battery characteristics, particularly ion conductivity and internal resistivity. To solve these problems, it is an object of the invention to reduce resistance between electrodes, i.e., internal resistance of a battery to improve battery characteristics while securing both insulation function against electron conduction and ion conductivity between electrodes and also to maintain adhesive strength enough to firmly join the electrodes thereby to provide a light, compact and thin battery.

Abstract: Conventional batteries have a problem that, in case the battery temperature should rise to 100° C. or higher due to an internal short-circuit, etc., a large short-circuit current develops to generate heat. It follows that the battery temperature further increases, which can result in a further increase of the short-circuit current. Further, some of electrode structures involve reduction in discharge capacity. These problems are solved by a battery in which an electron conductive material (9), being in contact with an active material (8) in an electrode, comprises a conductive filler and a resin so that the electrode may increase its resistivity with a temperature rise, and the ratio of the particle size of the electron conductive material (9) to that of the active material (8) is in a range of from 0.1 to 20.

Abstract: A battery with an active material layer 6 having an active material 8, an electronically conductive material 9 contacted to the active material 8, and an electrolytic layer 3 jointed with the active material layer 6, wherein the electronically conductive material 9 comprises an electrically conductive filler and a resin having a predetermined thermal melting temperature T1, and has a Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) such that resistance of the electrically conductive material increases with temperature, and wherein the active material layer 6 and the electrolytic layer 3 are laminated and are jointed together by heating the resin to a predetermined thermal treatment temperature T2.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an electrode includes pulverizing an electron conductive material containing a conductive filler and a resin, dispersing the ground electron conductive material to make a paste, drying the paste to form an electron conductive material layer, dispersing an active material to prepare an active material paste, and applying the active material paste on the electron conductive material layer and pressing at a prescribed temperature under a prescribed pressure.

Abstract: A battery body, which is composed of a laminated body obtained by laminating a cathode and an anode via a separator or a wound body obtained by winding them in a laminated structure and a plurality of leads connected to the cathode and the anode, is contained in a flexible package, and after an electrolyte solution is injected thereinto, an opening of the package is sealed at pressure which is lower than atmospheric pressure and is reduced to not less than vapor pressure of the electrolyte solution so that a thin battery is fabricated. A rise in pressure in the battery due to generation of gas in the battery and volume expansion of the gas can be restrained when the battery is maintained at high temperature.