Abstract: According to one embodiment, an electrode is provided. The electrode includes a current collector and an active material-containing layer formed on the current collector. The active material-containing layer contains a lithium nickel cobalt manganese composite oxide and a lithium cobalt composite oxide. Pore size distribution obtained by mercury intrusion porosimetry for the active material-containing layer has a first peak top indicating a highest intensity I1 within a pore size range of from 0.1 ?m to 1 ?m and a second peak top indicating an intensity I2 which is a second highest intensity after the highest intensity I1 within the pore size range of from 0.1 ?m to 1 ?m. A pore size at the first peak top is smaller than a pore size at the second peak top.

Abstract: A sliver formed along an inner surface of an outer rotor is drawn out through a hole of an inner rotor which is concentrically provided in and rotated differentially to said outer rotor, whereby drafting of said sliver is effectuated by the relation between the speed of drawing out said sliver and differential speed between the inner and outer rotors. Furthermore, floating movement of the fibers of said sliver is effectively suppressed by use of plural or one centrifugal disk which is pressed onto said sliver while being revolved at the rim of the inner rotor and subjected to self-rotation on its axis.