Abstract: A lithium secondary cell is disclosed in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate are spirally wound with a sheet of separator interposed therebetween. A plurality of positive electrode current collector tabs are attached to the positive electrode plate so that an interval is formed between the positive electrode current collector tabs in a longitudinal direction of the positive electrode plate, and a plurality of negative electrode current collector tabs are attached to the negative electrode plate so that an interval is formed between the plurality of the negative electrode current collector tabs in a longitudinal direction of the negative electrode plate. In a state of the positive electrode plate and negative electrode plate being wound together, the positive electrode current collector tabs and the negative electrode current collector tabs are so disposed as to face each other with the separator interposed therebetween.

Abstract: The heat resisting fiber-reinforced composite material of the invention is a heat-resisting fiber-reinforced composite material used for a product or a part that generates temperature disribution; wherein the thermal expansion coefficient at a portion corresponding to a medium to low temperature range is greater than the thermal expansion coefficient at a portion corresponding to a high temperature range, and the boundary between the portion corresponding to medium to low temperature range and the portion corresponding to the high temperature range is a transition region.

Abstract: In the present invention, a hydrogen absorbing alloy containing at least nickel, cobalt and aluminum, in which the sum a of the respective abundance ratios of cobalt atoms and aluminum atoms in a portion to a depth of 30 Å from its surface and the sum b of the respective abundance ratios of cobalt atoms and aluminum atoms in a bulk region inside thereof satisfy conditions of a/b≧1.30, or a hydrogen absorbing alloy containing at least nickel, cobalt, aluminum and manganese, in which the sum A of the respective abundance ratios of cobalt atoms, aluminum atoms and manganese atoms in a portion to a depth of 30 Å from its surface and the sum B of the respective abundance ratios of cobalt atoms, aluminum atoms and manganese atoms in a bulk region inside thereof satisfy conditions A/B≧1.20 is used for a hydrogen absorbing alloy electrode in an alkali secondary battery.

Abstract: In an inventive polymer electrolyte battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a polymer electrolyte, at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode is formed with an inorganic amorphous solid electrolyte film at its interface with the polymer electrolyte.

Abstract: A hydrogen absorbing alloy electrode is provided which has an excellent oxygen gas absorbing capacity and further improved in charge-discharge cycle characteristics and high-rate discharge characteristics. The electrode contains a powder prepared by mixing a hydrogen absorbing alloy powder with a powder of at least one complex oxide selected from the group consisting of a ZrO2—Y2O3 solid solution, ZrO2—CaO solid solution, CeO2—Gd2O3 solid solution, CeO2—La2O3 solid solution, ThO2—Y2O3 solid solution, Bi2O3—Y2O3 solid solution, Bi2O3—Gd2O3 solid solution, Bi2O3—Nb2O3 solid solution and Bi2O3—WO3 solid solution. Preferably the electrode contains 0.1 to 10 wt. % of the complex oxide powder based on the combined amount of the two powders.

Abstract: A lithium secondary battery of this invention includes a positive electrode using, as an active material, a lithium-containing manganese composite oxide with a spinel structure having a composition, during charge and discharge, represented by a formula, LixMn2-y-zNiyMzO4, in which M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ti, V, Mg, Zn, Ga, Nb, Mo and Cu; 0.02≦×≦1.10, whereas x changes in accordance with occlusion and discharge of lithium ions during charge and discharge; 0.25≦y≦0.60; and 0<z≦0.10. Thus, the invention provides a high-voltage lithium secondary battery exhibiting good charge-discharge cycle performance.

Abstract: A metal hydride alkaline storage cell of the present invention comprises a positive electrode, a separator impregated with an electrolyte, and a negative electrode comprising hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder. On the surface of the hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder, there is formed a layer of hydrogen-absorbing alloy oxide, and on the layer of the oxide, there is dotted a catalytic metal or metal compound formed in a granular state by adding a substance soluble in the electrolyte. The substance is selected from the group consisting of a metal fluoride, a metal chloride, a metal iodide, and a metal sulfide. The proportion of the metal fluoride, the metal chloride, the metal iodide, or the metal sulfide in adding, is resticted within the range of from 0.1 to 2.5 wt. % based on the weight of hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder.

Abstract: In a non-sintered nickel electrode for an alkaline storage cell, a discharge capacity and cycle life are improved. This is achieved by employing, as an active material for the non-sintered electrode, coated nickel active material particles, each of the particle comprising a base particle composed of nickel hydroxide and a Co—P—A layer coated on the base particle comprising Co and P and an element A, where A is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mn, Zn, Ni, Y, and Bi.

Abstract: The invention provides a positive electrode active material for a lithium secondary battery including a composite oxide powder having a median diameter of 3.0 through 20.0 &mgr;m and a content of particles with a grain size of 1 &mgr;m or less of 10% by volume or less and being represented by a composition formula, LiaCobMcNi1-b-cO2, in which M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of B, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Y, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, In and Sn; 0≦a≦1.2; 0.01≦b≦0.4; 0.01≦c≦0.4; and 0.02≦b+c≦0.5. Thus, the lithium secondary battery can be improved in its charge-discharge cycle characteristic.

Abstract: The invention provides a hydrogen absorbing alloy electrode obtained by the step P1 of preparing a hydrogen absorbing alloy powder containing cobalt and nickel, the step P2 of subjecting the surfaces of the alloy particles to a reduction treatment with high-temperature hydrogen by holding the powder in a high-temperature hydrogen atmosphere under the conditions of temperature, pressure and time sufficient to reduce oxides formed in a surface layer portion of each of the alloy particles, not melting the alloy particles and not permitting the alloy particles to absorb hydrogen, the step P3 of treating the resulting powder with an acid or alkali by immersing the powder in an acid or alkaline aqueous solution, followed by suction filtration, washing with water and drying, and the step P4 of applying the resulting power to an electrically conductive substrate and shaping the substrate in the form of the electrode. The electrode thus provided has higher activity than conventionally.

Abstract: A sealed alkaline storage battery using, as a positive electrode active material, nickel oxyhydroxide including Mn as a solid-solution element and having a &ggr; ratio of 65 through 100%; a sealed alkaline storage battery using, as a positive electrode active material, nickel oxyhydroxide including as an additive or coated with a rare earth element and/or a rare earth compound in a ratio measured based on the rare earth element of 0.05 through 5 wt%; and a sealed alkaline storage battery including, as a positive electrode active material, nickel oxyhydroxide having a half-width of a peak in a lattice plane (003) in an X-ray diffraction pattern of 0.8° or more. The pressure within the battery is not largely increased for a long period of charge-discharge cycles, and hence, the electrolyte hardly leaks.

Abstract: A hydrogen absorbing alloy electrode is provided which is improved in hydrogen gas absorbing ability and in low-temperature discharge characteristics. The electrode contains a hydrogen absorbing alloy having a crystal structure of the CaCu5 type and represented by the stoichiometric ratio ABx, the hydrogen absorbing alloy being represented by MmNiaCobAlcMd wherein Mm is a misch metal, M is Mn and/or Cu, the atomic ratios a, b, c and d are in the respective ranges of 3.0≦a≦5.2, 0≦b≦1.2, 0.1≦c≦0.9, 0.1≦d≦0.8, wherein X is the sum of the atomic ratios a, b, c, and d, such that, X=a+b+c+d and, is in the range of 4.4≦X≦5.4. More specifically, the electrode contains a hydrogen absorbing alloy powder at least 5.0 in X, and a hydrogen absorbing alloy powder less than 5.0 in X.

Abstract: A metal hydride alkaline storage cell of the present invention comprises a positive electrode, a separator impregnated with an electrolyte, and a negative electrode comprising hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder. On the surface of the hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder, there is formed a layer of hydrogen-absorbing alloy oxide, and on the layer of the oxide, there is dotted a catalytic metal formed in a granular state by adding a substance soluble in the electrolyte. The substance is selected from the group consisting of a metal fluoride, a metal iodide, and a metal sulfide. The proportion of the metal fluoride, the metal iodide, or the metal sulfide in adding is restricted within the range of from 0.1 to 2.5 wt. % based on the weight of hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder. When the layer of the hydrogen-absorbing alloy oxide is formed on the surface of the hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder, the reaction area on the surface of the hydrogen-absorbing alloy is increased due to the roughness of the layer.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a non-aqueous electrolyte, wherein the non-aqueous electrolyte contains boric acid ester as a solvent.

Abstract: In a non-aqueous electrolyte battery using titanium oxide or lithium titanate as a negative electrode material for negative electrode, polymeric electrolyte is interposed between the negative electrode and a positive electrode. If titanium oxide or lithium titanate is used as the negative electrode material for negative electrode and the polymeric electrolyte is interposed between the negative electrode and the positive electrode, the polymeric electrolyte is less liable to be decomposed by catalytic reduction induced by titanium oxide or lithium titanate. This prevents decline in the charge/discharge efficiency which occurs when a non-aqueous electrolyte solution is used. Thus, the non-aqueous electrolyte battery excellent in charge/discharge efficiency is provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lithium secondary battery using, as a lithium ion occluding agent for a negative electrode, a substantially amorphous oxide powder in which a product V·d of a total volume V in cm3/g of pores with a diameter of 100 nm or less and a true density d in g/cm3 measured by a helium displacement method is 0.1 through 0.5. Thus, the lithium secondary battery can attain an excellent charge-discharge cycle characteristic.

Abstract: The present electrode is fabricated by coating a conductive substrate with a paste including a hydrogen-absorbing alloy, a binder and a carbon material and sintering the conductive substrate coated with the paste under vacuum or in an atmosphere of a non-oxidizing gas. In this electrode, the carbon material works as a reducing agent so as to suppress oxidation of the hydrogen-absorbing alloy during the sintering, and therefore, the electrode exhibits large oxygen absorbing power in over-charge. Furthermore, the present battery uses, as a negative electrode, the sintered hydrogen-absorbing alloy electrode exhibiting large oxygen absorbing power in over-charge, and hence attains high reliability because increase of the pressure within the battery is minimal.

Abstract: In a pasted hydrogen-absorbing alloy electrode of this invention, an active material layer made from a mixture of a hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder, a composite particle powder including carbon particles and a rare earth compound for partially coating surfaces of the carbon particles, and a binder is formed on a current collector. When this pasted hydrogen-absorbing alloy electrode is used in an alkaline storage battery, the alkaline storage battery can attain small increase of the internal pressure during charge, large discharge capacity in high rate discharge and good charge-discharge cycle performance.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cell having a rolled-up electrode unit housed in a cell can and comprising a positive electrode and a negative electrode each formed by coating a surface of a striplike current collector with an electrode material. According to a first embodiment, the current collector of at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode comprises a plurality of current collector pieces 42 arranged along one direction and a PTC element 5 interconnecting each pair of adjacent current collector pieces 42. Alternatively with a second embodiment, at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode comprises a PTC element held between opposed faces of an uncoated portion of the current collector thereof and a base end portion of a current collector tab. The PTC element serves to prevent continuous occurrence of a current in excess of a predetermined value and realizes a high energy density.

Abstract: The opening to be sealed in a battery is sealed with an electrical insulating sealant S by placing an electrical insulating sealing material C, including a first sealing material A that is soften by heat applied for sealing and a second sealing material B that is more difficult to soften by the heat applied for sealing than the first sealing material A, and by heating and successively cooling the electrical insulating sealing material C. Thus, a sealed battery with few defectives such as a sealing failure and a short-circuit can be manufactured in a high yield rate.