Abstract: The present invention is a deterioration detecting method for an electrochemical device comprising electrodes and an ion conductor, wherein an electrochemical characteristic of the electrochemical device is detected, and an obtained value is then compared with a standard electrochemical characteristic of the electrochemical device to estimate the degree of deterioration of the electrochemical device. Further, the capacity of the device is found based on the detected degree of deterioration, and using this and the output of the device, a remaining capacity of the device is estimated. Accordingly, the degree of deterioration and the remaining capacity of an electrochemical device such as a secondary battery can be accurately detected.

Abstract: A method of measuring quantities that indicates the state of an electrochemical device having an electrode and an ionic conductor, such as material properties or a residual capacity, without disassembling the device. The quantities are measured by comparing (a) a series of theoretical data of an electrical characteristic of the device obtained by combining at least one of an electron transportation model of the electrode, an ion transportation model of the electrode, an ion conduction model of the ionic conductor and a model of an electrochemical reaction taking place in an interface between the electrode and the ionic conductor, with a potential model of the electrode, with (b) a series of measured data of the electrical characteristic of the electrochemical device.

Abstract: A method for charging a secondary battery is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of detecting an impedance of the battery; charging the battery with a substantially constant first current having a value smaller than a predetermined current value if the detected impedance of the battery is equal to or greater than a predetermined impedance value; charging the battery with a substantially constant second current having a value equal to or greater than the predetermined current value if the detected impedance is less than the predetermined impedance value; and terminating charging the battery with the first and second constant currents when the closed circuit voltage of the battery reaches a predetermined voltage value.

Abstract: An ion-conductive polymer electrolyte having a high ionic conductivity and a high stability in both of physical and chemical properties is disclosed. It has a polymer containing at least one monomer selected from the group containing of a hydroxyalkyl acrylate, a hydroxyalkyl methacrylate and vinylene carbonate as its polymerizable ingredient, and at least one electrolyte salt. An aluminum electrolytic capacitor and an electric double-layer capacitor configured with the electrolyte are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for detecting a working condition of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery which allow easy and accurate determination of the degree of degradation and remaining capacity of the non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery by a simple test irrespective of the past charging and discharging history of the battery. In the methods of the present invention, the degree of degradation of battery is quantitatively determined on the basis of the voltage value in charging or discharging at a constant current, or from an equation with that voltage value as variable.

Abstract: An ion-conductive polymer electrolyte having a high ionic conductivity and a high stability in both of physical and chemical properties is disclosed. It comprises a polymer containing at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyalkyl acrylate, a hydroxyalkyl methacrylate and vinylene carbonate as its polymerizable ingredient, and at least one electrolyte salt. An aluminum electrolytic capacitor and an electric double-layer capacitor configured with the electrolyte are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the provision of an anode for a non-aqueous electrolyte cell, which is excellent in rapid charge/discharge characteristics, discharge capacity characteristics at high temperatures, charge/discharge characteristics at low temperatures and shelf life, and thus has high reliability. According to the present invention, a sheet, mainly composed of an alkali metal having a body centered cubic crystal structure as an active material, is pressed from a direction normal to the principal surface thereof, thereby preferentially orienting crystallites so that (100) planes, (110) planes, (211) planes, (310) planes, (321) planes or (222) planes are parallel to the principal surface of the sheet, and the thus pressed sheet is used for the anode.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery employs a negative electrode which contains an alkali metal as an active material, and is provided with a polymer film thereon, the polymer film being provided with a gel electrolyte thereon. The polymer film is made of a polymeric monomer which has ?molecular weight/terminal polymer functional group number! of 500 or less, and a structure represented by one of the formulas (1)-(4): ##STR1## wherein EO refers to CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O, PO refers to CH.sub.2 (CH.sub.3)CHO, (EO.sub.m PO.sub.n) indicates one of random polymerization and block polymerization, and wherein m and n do not represent 0 at the same time where 0.ltoreq.m and 0.ltoreq.n.

Abstract: A stable ion-conductive polymer electrolyte for an electrolytic capacitor comprises: a polymer made up of a prepolymer which has a polyol skeletal structure including polyalkylene oxide units, at least one ammonium salt, and at least one organic solvent. The skeletal structure is exemplified as trimethylol propane, trimethylolol ethane or tetramethylol methane.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing a composite electrode which can be configured in a battery. The method comprises steps of (1) preparing a solution of an organic disulfide compound in 2-pyrrolidone or its derivative, (2) adding polyaniline to the solution to dissolve, thereby obtaining a homogeneous liquid, and then (3) removing at least a part of the 2-pyrrolidone or its derivative from the homogeneous liquid to obtain a solid product wherein the organic disulfide compound and the polyaniline are homogeneously mixed.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having a long cycle life and a high reliability with substantially no internal short-circuit is provided by incorporating crystalline metal lithium as its negative electrode. The crystalline metal lithium is electrochemically deposited on a metal substrate in an electrolyte including a tetrahydrofran derivative or a 1,3-dioxolan derivative as a solvent.

Abstract: An ionic conductive polymer electrolyte including a polymer having ether type oxygen in the structure and a plasticizer is provided. The plasticizer is at least one selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by the following general Formulas IV and V:Formula IV:R.sub.1 O--(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.n --(C.sub.3 H.sub.6 O).sub.m --Hwherein n+m is 2, 3, 4 or 5, and R.sub.1 =CH.sub.3, C.sub.2 H.sub.5, C.sub.3 H.sub.7 or C.sub.4 H.sub.9 ; andFormula V:R.sub.1 O--(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.n --(C.sub.3 H.sub.6 O).sub.m --R.sub.2wherein n+m is 2, 3, 4, or 5 and R.sub.1 =R.sub.2 =CH.sub.3.

Abstract: A stable ion-conductive polymer electrolyte having a sufficiently high ionic conductivity, which will not be decreased during a long-term storing at a high temperature, and being free from any physical change such as crack, contraction and dissolution, is disclosed. It comprises: at least one polyol selected from the group consisting of an adduct composed of sorbitol and polyethylene oxide and an adduct composed of tetramethylol methane and polyethylene oxide, at least one ammonium salt or morpholinium salt, and at least one organic solvent.

Abstract: A composite cathode for a battery is disclosed. In addition, a method is disclosed for producing said composite cathode which can be configured in a battery. The method comprises steps or (1) preparing a solution or an organic disulfide compound in 2-pyrrolidone or its derivative, (2) adding polyaniline to the solution to dissolve, thereby obtaining a homogeneous liquid, and then (3) removing at least a part of the 2-pyrrolidone or its derivative from the homogeneous liquid to obtain a solid product wherein the organic disulfide compound and the polyaniline are homogeneously mixed.

Abstract: A reversible electrode is provided comprising mainly organic disulfide compounds and having applications in such electrochemical devices as batteries, electrochromic displays, sensors, memories, etc. Large current charge/discharge is realized at room temperature with charge/discharge characteristics of excellent reversibility. Its structure is a composition combining organic disulfide compounds with disulfide bonding and conducting polymers. In other words, conducting polymers after being subjected to an electrolysis are put together with organic disulfide compounds. Thus, due to the effect of composition with conducting polymers, the oxidation/reduction reactions of organic disulfide compounds are accelerated and a reversible electrode characterized by utilization of a high energy density of organic disulfide compounds and the possibility of a large current charge/discharge is realized.

Abstract: A reversible electrochemical electrode applicable for a battery, sensor, memory or display device is made by ion-implanting a conductive solid polymer such as polyaniline with ions of alkaline or alkaline earth metal. A wide variety of selections and combinations of materials of the conductive solid polymer and ion is possible. In addition, n-type doping is possible.

Abstract: An electrolyte of electrolytic capacitor comprises at least one ammonium salt and at least one polyether polyol having a skeletal structure represented by the formula: ##STR1## where, each of Rs independently represents a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted isocyanate residue or acrylic residue which may be the same as or different from one another; m.sub.1, m.sub.2, m.sub.3, n.sub.1, n.sub.2 and n.sub.3 each represent a positive integer, and the ends of the isocyanate residues or the acrylic residues are 3-dimensionally linked.

Abstract: A reversible electrode of the present invention includes, as a main component thereof, a thiourea compound represented by the following formula (I): ##STR1## (where R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, and R.sup.4 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, a hydroxyl group, a cyano group, a carboxyl group, an amino group, an aryl group, an allyl group, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, a group containing a mercapto group, a group containing a phenyl group, a group having a hetero ring containing O, and a group having a hetero ring containing N) or a polymer having the thiourea compound as its main polymer unit; the reversible electrode utilizing reversible electrochemical oxidation-reduction of sulfur atoms of the thiourea compound or the polymer.

Abstract: A reversible electrode of the present invention is provided, which includes an organic sulfur aromatic compound represented by the formula R(SX).sub.y (where R is an aromatic group, S is sulfur, X is a metal atom or hydrogen, and y is an integer of 2 or more) as a component so as to utilize the reversible electrochemical oxidation-reduction of sulfur atoms of the organic sulfur aromatic compound for an electrode reaction. Moreover, according to the present invention, a method for producing the reversible electrode is provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electrode material comprising a combination of a compound having a disulfide group and a conductive polymer, or a conductive polymer having a disulfide group, wherein an S-S bond of the disulfide group is cleaved by the electrolytic reduction to form a sulfur-metal ion bond or a sulfur-proton bond, and the sulfur-metal ion bond or the sulfur-proton bond re-forms an S-S bond by the electrolytic oxidation. The present invention also provides a lithium rechargeable battery comprising a cathode, a solid electrolyte, and an anode, wherein the cathode is made of a composition containing as its main components lithium thiolate having a sulfur-lithium ion bond capable of forming a disulfide bond by the electrolytic oxidation and a .pi. electron conjugated conductive polymer; or a composition containing as its main component a .pi.