Abstract: A battery manufacturing method includes forming a unit cell having a positive electrode that is obtained by a positive electrode active material layer containing an electrolytic solution being disposed on a positive electrode current collector, a negative electrode that is obtained by a negative electrode active material layer containing an electrolytic solution being disposed on a negative electrode current collector, and a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The battery manufacturing method further includes applying pressure to one unit cell or with two or more stacked unit cells from the stacking direction, and charging the one unit cell or the two or more stacked unit cells after applying of the pressure. The method is performed such that the positive electrode and the negative electrode are formed without an application film being subjected to a drying process performed through heating.

Abstract: A predoping method for a negative electrode active material to dope the negative electrode active material with lithium ions. The predoping method for a negative electrode active material includes: a predoping process and a post-doping modification process. In the predoping process, the negative electrode active material is doped with lithium ions, to thereby reduce a potential of the negative electrode active material relative to lithium metal. In the post-doping modification process, after the predoping process, reaction is caused between a reactive compound that is reactive with lithium ions and lithium ions doped into the negative electrode active material, to thereby increase the potential of the negative electrode active material relative to lithium metal. The potential of the negative electrode active material relative to lithium metal is 0.8 V or more at completion of the post-doping modification process.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition including citric acid, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of citric acid, a hydrate of citric acid, a hydrate of the pharmaceutically acceptable salt of citric acid, or a mixture thereof. Administration or ingestion of the previous period composition inhibits renal fibrosis in diabetic nephropathy.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery has a power generating element that includes a positive electrode in which a positive electrode active material layer including a positive electrode active material is formed on a surface of a positive electrode current collector, a negative electrode in which a negative electrode active material layer including a negative electrode active material is formed on a surface of a negative electrode current collector, and a separator impregnated with an electrolyte solution. The negative electrode active material includes a Si material that contains silicon and is capable of insertion and removal of lithium ions. The electrolyte solution contains lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) and an inorganic lithium salt other than the LiFSI, and has a feature that a ratio of a concentration (mol/L) of the LiFSI with respect to a concentration (mol/L) of the inorganic lithium salt (LiFSI/inorganic lithium salt) in the electrolyte solution is 1 or less.

Abstract: A predoping method for a negative electrode active material to dope the negative electrode active material with lithium ions using an electrolyte solution that includes lithium ions. The electrolyte solution includes at least one type of additive having a reduction potential higher than a reduction potential of a solvent contained in the electrolyte solution.

Abstract: A battery manufacturing method includes forming a unit cell having a positive electrode that is obtained by a positive electrode active material layer containing an electrolytic solution being disposed on a positive electrode current collector, a negative electrode that is obtained by a negative electrode active material layer containing an electrolytic solution being disposed on a negative electrode current collector, and a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The battery manufacturing method further includes applying pressure to one unit cell or with two or more stacked unit cells from the stacking direction, and charging the one unit cell or the two or more stacked unit cells after applying of the pressure. The method is performed such that the positive electrode and the negative electrode are formed without an application film being subjected to a drying process performed through heating.

Abstract: A predoping method for a negative electrode active material to dope the negative electrode active material with lithium ions. The predoping method for a negative electrode active material includes: a predoping process and a post-doping modification process. In the predoping process, the negative electrode active material is doped with lithium ions, to thereby reduce a potential of the negative electrode active material relative to lithium metal. In the post-doping modification process, after the predoping process, reaction is caused between a reactive compound that is reactive with lithium ions and lithium ions doped into the negative electrode active material, to thereby increase the potential of the negative electrode active material relative to lithium metal. The potential of the negative electrode active material relative to lithium metal is 0.8 V or more at completion of the post-doping modification process.

Abstract: An electric power generating apparatus is provided with a fuel gas supply, an air supply source, an external reformer having a reformer section supplied with the fuel gas, a fuel cell stack, a heat exchanger section disposed to the external reformer, and an exhaust gas combusting section. The fuel cell stack has an electric power generating cell section, which is supplied with the fuel gas that results from the reformer section. The heat exchanger section achieves heat exchange between the air and the reformer section. The exhaust gas combusting section permits unburned fuel gas, which is supplied from the electric power generating cell section, and the air to be mixed and combusted to achieve heat exchange with respect to the fuel cell stack.

Abstract: A fuel reforming catalyst of the present invention has a metal substrate including a passage-forming portion which is stacked on a flat metal plate and forms a large number of passages, and a catalytic component supported in the metal substrate. In the fuel reforming catalyst, the passage-forming portion has a plurality of cells, the cells are arrayed at a predetermined interval in a direction substantially perpendicular to a fuel gas flowing direction so as to form a cell group, a plurality of the cell groups are provided on the passage-forming portion toward the fuel gas flowing direction, and the cells adjacent to one another in the fuel gas flowing direction are shifted from one another in the direction substantially perpendicular to the fuel gas flowing direction by a predetermined distance.

Abstract: An electric power generating apparatus is provided with a fuel gas supply source supplying fuel gas, an air supply source supplying air, an external reformer having a reformer section supplied with the fuel gas, a fuel cell stack having an electric power generating cell section supplied with the fuel gas resulting by reforming in the reformer section, a heat exchanger section disposed to the external reformer to achieve heat exchange between the air and the reformer section to allow the air, passing through the heat exchanger section, to be supplied to the fuel cell stack to perform heat exchange between the air and the fuel cell stack, and an exhaust gas combusting section disposed to the fuel cell stack to permit unburned fuel gas, supplied from the electric power generating cell section, and the air to be mixed and combusted to achieve heat exchange with respect to the fuel cell stack.