Abstract: A negative electrode active material for nonaqueous secondary batteries is disclosed. The active material contains a silicon solid solution having one or more than one of a group 3 semimetal or metal element, a group 4 semimetal or metal element except silicon, and a group 5 nonmetal or semimetal element incorporated in silicon as a solute element. The solute element is present more on the crystal grain boundaries of the silicon solid solution than inside the grains.

Abstract: A positive electrode active material comprising a lithium metal composite oxide having a layered crystal structure provides a novel lithium metal composite oxide powder which can suppress the reaction with an electrolytic solution and raise the charge-discharge cycle ability of a battery, and can improve the output characteristics of a battery. A lithium metal composite oxide powder comprises a particle having a surface portion where one or a combination of two or more (“surface element A”) of the group consisting of Al, Ti and Zr is present, on the surface of a particle comprising a lithium metal composite oxide having a layered crystal structure, wherein the amount of surface LiOH is smaller than 0.10% by weight, and the amount of surface Li2CO3 is smaller than 0.25% by weight; in an X-ray diffraction pattern, the ratio of an integral intensity of the (003) plane of the lithium metal composite oxide to that of the (104) plane thereof is higher than 1.

Abstract: A negative electrode active material for nonaqueous secondary batteries is disclosed. The active material contains a silicon solid solution having one or more than one of a group 3 semimetal or metal element, a group 4 semimetal or metal element except silicon, and a group 5 nonmetal or semimetal element incorporated in silicon as a solute element. The solute element is present more on the crystal grain boundaries of the silicon solid solution than inside the grains.

Abstract: Provided is a lithium metal compound oxide having a layered structure, which is very excellent as a positive electrode active material of a battery that is mounted on, particularly, an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. Suggested is a lithium metal compound oxide having a layered structure which is expressed by general formula of Li1+xM1?xO2 (M represents metal elements including three elements of Mn, Co, and Ni). In the lithium metal compound oxide having a layered structure, D50 is more than 4 ?m and less than 20 ?m, a ratio of a primary particle area to a secondary particle area of secondary particles having a size corresponding to the D50 (“primary particle area/secondary particle area”) is 0.004 to 0.035, and the minimum value of powder crushing strength that is obtained by crushing a powder using a microcompression tester is more than 70 MPa.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a positive electrode active material including a lithium metal composite oxide having a layer crystal structure, and provides a novel positive electrode active material for a lithium secondary cell, which can suppress the reaction with an electrolyte solution and can raise the charge-discharge cycle ability of the cell, and can make good the output characteristics of the cell.

Abstract: Provided is a spinel-type lithium metal composite oxide that makes it possible to achieve excellent high-temperature storage characteristics when used as a positive electrode active material of a lithium battery. The spinel-type (Fd-3m) lithium metal composite oxide is characterized by the oxygen occupancy (OCC) thereof as determined by the Rietveld method being 0.965-1.000, the lattice strain thereof as determined by the Williamson-Hall method being 0.015-0.090, and the ratio (Na/Mn) of the molar content of Na to the molar content of Mn satisfying 0.00<Na/Mn<1.00×10?2.

Abstract: Provided is a lithium metal composite oxide (powder) having a layered structure, which is capable of exhibiting excellent characteristics in both charge-discharge cycle ability and initial charging and discharging efficiency, and is capable of effectively reducing initial resistance, when being used in a positive electrode of a lithium battery. The lithium metal composite oxide (powder) comprises an amount of S which is less than 0.10% by mass of the lithium metal composite oxide powder, a ratio of a crystallite size of a (003) plane to a crystallite size of a (110) plane which is equal to or greater than 1.0 and less than 2.5, and a ratio of a primary particle area to a secondary particle area of 0.004 to 0.035.

Abstract: Provided is a lithium metal composite oxide (powder) having a layered structure, which is capable of exhibiting excellent characteristics in both charge-discharge cycle ability and initial charging and discharging efficiency, and is capable of effectively reducing initial resistance, when being used in a positive electrode of a lithium battery. The lithium metal composite oxide (powder) comprises an amount of S which is less than 0.10% by mass of the lithium metal composite oxide powder, a ratio of a crystallite size of a (003) plane to a crystallite size of a (110) plane which is equal to or greater than 1.0 and less than 2.5, and a ratio of a primary particle area to a secondary particle area of 0.004 to 0.035.

Abstract: Provided is a novel lithium metal complex oxide powder, which is capable of maintaining stability of the slurry viscosity during storage of a slurry even when D50 thereof is less than 10 ?m, and which is also capable of suppressing a decrease in the discharge capacity during high temperature cycles. Proposed is a lithium metal complex oxide which is characterized by having a D50 of less than 10 ?m and a carbon amount per unit BET specific surface area of from 1100 ppm/(m2/g) to 7500 ppm/(m2/g).

Abstract: Provided is a lithium metal compound oxide having a layered structure, which is very excellent as a positive electrode active material of a battery that is mounted on, particularly, an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. Suggested is a lithium metal compound oxide having a layered structure which is expressed by general formula of Li1+xM1?xO2 (M represents metal elements including three elements of Mn, Co, and Ni). In the lithium metal compound oxide having a layered structure, D50 is more than 4 ?m and less than 20 ?m, a ratio of a primary particle area to a secondary particle area of secondary particles having a size corresponding to the D50 (“primary particle area/secondary particle area”) is 0.004 to 0.035, and the minimum value of powder crushing strength that is obtained by crushing a powder using a microcompression tester is more than 70 MPa.

Abstract: Provided is a new spinel type lithium manganese transition metal oxide for use in lithium batteries, which can increase the capacity retention ratio during cycling, and can increase the power output retention ratio during cycling. Disclosed is a spinel type lithium manganese transition metal oxide having an angle of repose of 50° to 75°, and having an amount of moisture (25° C. to 300° C.) measured by the Karl Fischer method of more than 0 ppm and less than 400 ppm.

Abstract: Provided is a lithium metal composite oxide having a layered structure, which is particularly excellent as a positive electrode active material for batteries that are mounted on electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles. Proposed is a lithium metal composite oxide having a layered structure, which is represented by general formula Li1+x(Mn?Co?Ni?)1?xO2 (0.00?X?0.07, 0.10???0.40, 0.10???0.40, and 0.30???0.75) and has a specific surface area of more than 2.0 m2/g but 5.0 m2/g or less and has an average particle size of the primary particles/crystallite size ratio of 5.7 to 18.5.

Abstract: This negative electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries contains a silicon solid solution in which one or more elements selected from among group 3 semimetal elements and metal elements, group 4 semimetal elements and metal elements (excluding silicon) and group 5 non-metallic elements and semimetal elements are solid-solved in silicon. The elements solid-solved in silicon are present more at the crystal grain boundaries than in the inner portions of the crystal grains in the silicon solid solution.

Abstract: A negative electrode active material for nonaqueous secondary batteries containing a silicon solid solution. The silicon solid solution has one or more than one of a group 3 semimetal or metal element, a group 4 semimetal or metal element except silicon, and a group 5 nonmetal or semimetal element incorporated in silicon. The solid solution shows an XRD pattern in which the position of the XRD peak of the solid solution corresponding to the XRD peak position assigned to the (422) plane of silicon shifts to the smaller or greater angle side relative to the position of the XRD peak assigned to the (422) plane of silicon peak by 0.1° to 1°. The solid solution has a lattice strain of 0.01% to 1% as determined by XRD.

Abstract: A negative electrode active material for nonaqueous secondary batteries containing a silicon solid solution. The silicon solid solution has one or more than one of a group 3 semimetal or metal element, a group 4 semimetal or metal element except silicon, and a group 5 nonmetal or semimetal element incorporated in silicon. The solid solution shows an XRD pattern in which the position of the XRD peak of the solid solution corresponding to the XRD peak position assigned to the (422) plane of silicon shifts to the smaller or greater angle side relative to the position of the XRD peak assigned to the (422) plane of silicon peak by 0.1° to 1°. The solid solution has a lattice strain of 0.01% to 1% as determined by XRD.

Abstract: A nonaqueous secondary battery comprising a positive electrode which has a positive electrode active material layer containing Li(LixMn2xCo1-3x)O2 wherein x represents 0<x<?, and a negative electrode which has a negative electrode active material layer containing Si or Sn. The amounts of the active materials are preferably such that the ratio of the theoretical capacity of the negative electrode to the capacity of the positive electrode at a cut-off voltage in a first and subsequent charging operations is 1.1 to 3.0. The battery preferably has lithium corresponding to 9% to 50% of the theoretical capacity of the negative electrode accumulated in the negative electrode.

Abstract: A negative electrode 10 for nonaqueous secondary batteries has an active material layer 12 containing active material particles 12a and having a metallic material 13 having low capability of forming a lithium compound deposited between the particles 12a by electroplating. The surface of the active material layer 12 is coated continuously or discontinuously with a surface layer 14 having an average thickness of 0.25 ?m or less and made of a metallic material that is the same as or different from the metallic material 13. The particles 12a inside the active material layer 12 are preferably coated with the metallic material 13 while leaving voids between the particles 12a coated with the metallic material 13. The average thickness of the metallic material 13 coating the particles 12a is preferably 0.05 to 2 ?m.

Abstract: A negative electrode 10 for a nonaqueous secondary battery has an active material layer 12 containing active material particles 12a. The particles 12a are coated at least partially with a coat of a metallic material 13 having low capability of lithium compound formation. The active material layer 12 has voids formed between the metallic material-coated particles 12a. When the active material layer 12 is imaginarily divided into equal halves in its thickness direction, the amount of the metallic material 13 is smaller in the half closer to the negative electrode surface than in the other half farther from the negative electrode surface. The weight ratio of [the particles/the metallic material] in the half closer to the negative electrode surface is preferably higher than that in the other half farther from the negative electrode surface.