Abstract: Methods and apparatus for identifying defective lithium-ion polymer battery electrodes are disclosed. The methods include assembling a stack of electrodes, monitoring voltage of the stack during the assembling, and identifying defective electrodes based on the voltage monitoring.

Abstract: A lithium-ion polymer battery and method and apparatus for manufacturing the same, are disclosed. The battery includes an anode comprising a first electrolytic solution and a cathode comprising a second electrolytic solution, and the first and second electrolytic solutions are different. The method includes activating the anode and the cathode in the different electrolytic solutions prior to battery assembly and prior to forming an SEI layer on the anode surface.

Abstract: A lithium-ion polymer battery, and methods and apparatus for manufacturing the same, are disclosed. The methods include forming an anode with a porous material having spaces that contain an electrolytic solution, placing the anode surface in contact with a layer of lithium metal, and shorting the layer of lithium metal to a current collector so that lithium ions are released from the layer of lithium metal and forming SEI layer on the anode surface through the reaction with the electrolyte reduction products.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for identifying defective lithium-ion polymer battery electrodes are disclosed. The methods include assembling a stack of electrodes, monitoring voltage of the stack during the assembling, and identifying defective electrodes based on the voltage monitoring.

Abstract: A lithium-ion polymer battery, and methods and apparatus for manufacturing the same, are disclosed. The methods and apparatus include forming electrodes with porous material that have spaces, filling substantially all of the spaces in the electrodes with liquid and, after filling the spaces with liquid, forming an electrolyte polymer film on the electrode.

Abstract: A lithium-ion polymer battery, and methods and apparatus for manufacturing the same, are disclosed. The methods include placing a bottom surface of an electrode on a coating surface, such that a top surface of the electrode is exposed, forming a removable retention boundary on the coating surface and surrounding the electrode, including a space between the electrode edges and the retention boundary, depositing polymer electrolyte solution on the electrode, on the coating surface, and within the retention boundary, and allowing the polymer electrolyte solution to dry until all of the deposited polymer electrolyte solution becomes a solid polymer composite that extends beyond the electrode edges.

Abstract: A microcomposite structure for use as a component of a lithium battery is formed from a liquid phase mixture by the removal of a solvent. The microcomposite structure includes a continuous reticulated solid polymer phase, a formed in situ gel-electrolyte phase, and a solid phase surfactant at the interface between the gel and polymer phases for stabilizing the gel phase within the pores of the solid polymer phase. The liquid phase mixture comprises a polymer blend, an aprotic solvent system for the polymer blend, a substantially dissolved anionic surfactant, and a phase separation liquid that is miscible with the aprotic solvent system, but in which the polymer blend is substantially insoluble. The microcomposite structure is formed by casting the liquid phase mixture on a surface and removing solvent until the microcomposite structure forms.