Abstract: The invention is a press-molding device which is configured to obtain a press-molded article with a hat-shaped cross section by compressing a preform with a hat-shaped cross section between a punch of a first mold and a die of a second mold. The press-molding device includes: a punch and a die forming a compression mechanism to compress a flange and a side wall of a hat-shape in the preform; a compression block forming a first pressing mechanism to press an outer end portion of the flange of the hat-shape in the preform; a pad forming a second pressing mechanism to press an upper end portion of the side wall of the hat-shape in the preform.

Abstract: Provided are a three-dimensional net-like aluminum porous body in which the diameter of cells in the porous body is uneven in the thickness direction of the porous body; a current collector and an electrode each using the aluminum porous body; and methods for producing these members. The porous body is a three-dimensional net-like aluminum porous body in a sheet form, for a current collector, in which the diameter of cells in the porous body is uneven in the thickness direction of the porous body. When a cross section in the thickness direction of the three-dimensional net-like aluminum porous body is divided into three regions of a region 1, a region 2 and a region 3 in this order, the average cell diameter of the regions 1 and 3 is preferably different from the cell diameter of the region 2.

Abstract: Provided are a three-dimensional net-like aluminum porous body in which the diameter of cells in the porous body is uneven in the thickness direction of the porous body; a current collector and an electrode each using the aluminum porous body; and methods for producing these members. The porous body is a three-dimensional net-like aluminum porous body in a sheet form, for a current collector, in which the diameter of cells in the porous body is uneven in the thickness direction of the porous body. When a cross section in the thickness direction of the three-dimensional net-like aluminum porous body is divided into three regions of a region 1, a region 2 and a region 3 in this order, the average cell diameter of the regions 1 and 3 is preferably different from the cell diameter of the region 2.

Abstract: Provided are a three-dimensional net-like aluminum porous body in which the diameter of cells in the porous body is uneven in the thickness direction of the porous body; a current collector and an electrode each using the aluminum porous body; and methods for producing these members. The porous body is a three-dimensional net-like aluminum porous body in a sheet form, for a current collector, in which the diameter of cells in the porous body is uneven in the thickness direction of the porous body. When a cross section in the thickness direction of the three-dimensional net-like aluminum porous body is divided into three regions of a region 1, a region 2 and a region 3 in this order, the average cell diameter of the regions 1 and 3 is preferably different from the cell diameter of the region 2.

Abstract: A capacitor has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a solid electrolyte layer arranged between the electrode layers. At least one of the electrode layers of this capacitor has an Al porous body, and an electrode body held in this Al porous body to polarize the electrolyte. The oxygen content in the surface of the Al porous body is 3.1% by mass or less. The matter that the oxygen content in the surface of the Al porous body is 3.1% by mass or less is equal to the matter that a high-resistance oxide film is hardly formed on the surface of the Al porous body. Thus, this Al porous body makes it possible to make the current collector area of the electrode layer large so that the capacitor can be improved in capacity.

Abstract: A lithium secondary battery anode member of the present invention includes a solid electrolyte film formed on a lithium metal film and is capable of suppressing reduction of the solid electrolyte film over a long period of time. In the lithium secondary battery anode member, the lithium metal film and the solid electrolyte film are laminated on a substrate, the solid electrolyte film contains the composition xLi.yP.zS.wO wherein x, y, z, and w satisfy the relations, 0.2?x?0.45, 0.1?y?0.2, 0.35?z?0.6, and 0.03?w?0.13, respectively, (x+y+z+w=1), and the main peaks of an X-ray diffraction pattern of the solid electrolyte film measured by a film method using Cu K? radiation are at 2? of about 11° and 30° and each have a half width of 10° or less.

Abstract: Provided are a Li-ion battery (nonaqueous-electrolyte battery) 100 that includes a positive-electrode active-material layer 12, a negative-electrode active-material layer 22, and a sulfide-solid-electrolyte layer 40 disposed between the active-material layers 12 and 22. The sulfide-solid-electrolyte layer 40 includes a sulfur-added layer 43 in an intermediate portion in the thickness direction of the sulfide-solid-electrolyte layer 40. The sulfur-added layer 43 has a higher content of elemental sulfur than any other portion of the sulfide-solid-electrolyte layer 40. The sulfur-added layer 43 substantially does not have any pin holes.

Abstract: Provided is a positive-electrode body for a nonaqueous-electrolyte battery in which formation of high-resistance layers at the contact interfaces between positive-electrode active-material particles and solid-electrolyte particles is suppressed so that an increase in the interface resistance is suppressed. A positive-electrode body 1 for a nonaqueous-electrolyte battery according to the present invention includes a mixture of sulfide-solid-electrolyte particles 11 and covered positive-electrode active-material particles 10 in which surfaces of positive-electrode active-material particles 10a are covered with cover layers 10b having Li-ion conductivity. The cover layers 10b are formed of an amorphous oxide having oxygen deficiency. The cover layers 10b have oxygen deficiency and, as a result, Li-ion conductivity and electron conductivity that are sufficient for charge and discharge of the battery can be stably ensured in the cover layers 10b.

Abstract: Provided are a nonaqueous electrolyte battery that can suppress internal short circuits due to growth of dendrites from a negative electrode and has high charge-discharge cycle capability; and a solid electrolyte with which the charge-discharge cycle capability of a nonaqueous electrolyte battery can be improved by using the solid electrolyte as a solid electrolyte layer of the nonaqueous electrolyte battery. The nonaqueous electrolyte battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a solid electrolyte layer interposed between these electrodes, wherein the solid electrolyte layer includes a high-sulfur-content portion containing 10 mol % or more of elemental sulfur. The solid electrolyte for a nonaqueous electrolyte battery includes a high-sulfur-content portion containing 10 mol % or more of elemental sulfur.

Abstract: A solid-electrolyte battery is provided that includes a LiNbO3 film serving as a buffer layer between a positive-electrode active material and a solid electrolyte and has a sufficiently low electrical resistance. The solid-electrolyte battery includes a positive-electrode layer, a negative-electrode layer, and a solid-electrolyte layer that conducts lithium ions between the electrode layers, wherein a buffer layer that is a LiNbO3 film is disposed between a positive-electrode active material and a solid electrolyte, and a composition ratio (Li/Nb) of Li to Nb in the LiNbO3 film satisfies 0.93?Li/Nb?0.98. The buffer layer may be disposed between the positive-electrode layer and the solid-electrolyte layer or on the surface of a particle of the positive-electrode active material. The buffer layer may have a thickness of 2 nm to 1 ?m.

Abstract: A capacitor has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a solid electrolyte layer arranged between the electrode layers. At least one of the electrode layers of this capacitor has an Al porous body, and an electrode body held in this Al porous body to polarize the electrolyte. The oxygen content in the surface of the Al porous body is 3.1% by mass or less. The matter that the oxygen content in the surface of the Al porous body is 3.1% by mass or less is equal to the matter that a high-resistance oxide film is hardly formed on the surface of the Al porous body. Thus, this Al porous body makes it possible to make the current collector area of the electrode layer large so that the capacitor can be improved in capacity.

Abstract: A lithium battery includes a substrate, a positive electrode layer, a negative electrode layer, and a sulfide solid electrolyte layer disposed between the positive electrode layer and the negative electrode layer, the positive electrode layer, the negative electrode layer, and the sulfide solid electrolyte layer being provided on the substrate. In this lithium battery, the positive electrode layer is formed by a vapor-phase deposition method, and a buffer layer that suppresses nonuniformity of distribution of lithium ions near the interface between the positive electrode layer and the sulfide solid electrolyte layer is provided between the positive electrode layer and the sulfide solid electrolyte layer. As the buffer layer, a lithium-ion conductive oxide, in particular, LixLa(2?x)/3TiO3 (x=0.1 to 0.5), Li7+xLa3Zr2O12+(x/2) (?5?x?3, preferably ?2?x?2), or LiNbO3 is preferably used.

Abstract: A current collector for a nonaqueous electrolyte battery, in which oxygen content in the surface of an aluminum porous body is low. The current collector is made of an aluminum porous body. The content of oxygen in an aluminum porous body surface is 3.1% by mass or less. The aluminum porous body includes an aluminum alloy containing at least one Cr, Mn and transition metal elements. The aluminum porous body can be prepared by a method in which, after an aluminum alloy layer is formed on the surface of a resin of a resin body having continuous pores, the resin body is heated to a temperature of the melting point of the aluminum alloy or less to thermally decompose the resin body while applying a potential lower than the standard electrode potential of aluminum to the aluminum alloy layer with the resin body dipped in a molten salt.

Abstract: Provided are a three-dimensional net-like aluminum porous body in which the diameter of cells in the porous body is uneven in the thickness direction of the porous body; a current collector and an electrode each using the aluminum porous body; and methods for producing these members. The porous body is a three-dimensional net-like aluminum porous body in a sheet form, for a current collector, in which the diameter of cells in the porous body is uneven in the thickness direction of the porous body. When a cross section in the thickness direction of the three-dimensional net-like aluminum porous body is divided into three regions of a region 1, a region 2 and a region 3 in this order, the average cell diameter of the regions 1 and 3 is preferably different from the cell diameter of the region 2.

Abstract: A positive-electrode member for producing a nonaqueous electrolyte battery having a high discharge capacity and an excellent cycle characteristic, and a method for producing the positive-electrode member are provided. The positive-electrode member includes a positive-electrode collector composed of a metal; and a positive-electrode active-material layer (positive-electrode active-material portion) 10B that allows for electron transfer between the positive-electrode collector and the positive-electrode active-material layer 10B. The positive-electrode active-material layer 10B includes positive-electrode active-material particles 1 and a solid electrolyte 2 that fixes the particles 1. The contours of the particles 1 that are next to each other partially conform to each other.

Abstract: A battery structure includes a positive electrode layer, a solid electrolyte layer, and a negative electrode layer disposed in that order, wherein the solid electrolyte layer has a chemical composition, excluding incidental impurities, represented by the formula aLi·bX·cS·dY, where X is at least one element of phosphorus (P) and boron (B), Y is at least one element of oxygen (O) and nitrogen (N), the sum of a, b, c, and d is 1, a is 0.20 to 0.52, b is 0.10 to 0.20, c is 0.30 to 0.55, and d is 0 to 0.30. The solid electrolyte layer includes a portion A in contact with the negative electrode layer and a portion B in contact with the positive electrode layer, and d in the portion A is larger than d in the portion B. A lithium secondary battery includes the battery structure.

Abstract: There are provided an electric power generating element which has excellent cycle characteristics and which can be produced in satisfactory yield, and a nonaqueous electrolyte battery including the electric power generating element. In an electric power generating element including a positive electrode layer, a negative electrode layer, and a solid electrolyte layer arranged between these electrode layers, the solid electrolyte layer containing Li, P, S, and O, the O content of the solid electrolyte layer is set so as to be reduced stepwise or continuously from the positive electrode layer side to the negative electrode layer side. When the electric power generating elements each having the structure are produced, most of them provide stable cycle characteristics, i.e.

Abstract: A solid electrolyte and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The solid electrolyte contains x atomic % of lithium, y atomic % of phosphorus, z atomic % of sulfur, and w atomic % of oxygen, in which the x, the y, the z, and the w satisfy the following expressions (1)-(5): 20?x?45 ??(1) 10?y?20 ??(2) 35?z?60 ??(3) 1?w?10 ??(4) x+y+z+w=100 ??(5), and apexes of X-ray diffraction peaks in an X-ray diffraction pattern obtained by an X-ray diffraction method using a K?-ray of Cu exist at diffraction angles 2? of 16.7°±0.25°, 20.4°±0.25°, 23.8°±0.25°, 25.9°, 0.25°, 29.4°±0.25°, 30.4°±0.25°, 31.7°±0.25°, 33.5°±0.25°, 41.5°±0.25°, 43.7°±0.25°, and 51.2°±0.25°, respectively, in the X-ray diffraction pattern, and a half-width of each of the X-ray diffraction peaks is not larger than 0.5°.

Abstract: There is provided a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery in which lithium ions can move smoothly between a positive electrode and a solid electrolyte layer, the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery having improved internal resistance. The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a positive electrode 1, a negative electrode 2, and a solid electrolyte layer 3 arranged between the positive and negative electrodes. The positive electrode 1 includes a positive-electrode sintered body 10 formed by firing a powder containing a positive-electrode active material and includes a cover layer 11 arranged on a surface of the positive-electrode sintered body 10 adjacent to the solid electrolyte layer 3, the cover layer containing a positive-electrode active material. The cover layer 11 contains a compound having a layered rock-salt structure. Preferably, the direction of the c-axis of the crystal of the compound is not perpendicular to the surface of the positive-electrode sintered body.

Abstract: A lithium battery that contains a solid electrolyte but has a high capacity is provided. A lithium battery 1 includes: a positive-electrode layer 13; a negative-electrode layer 14; and a sulfide solid electrolyte layer (SE layer 15) provided between the layers 13 and 14. The lithium battery 1 has a positive-electrode covering layer 16 and a buffer layer 17 formed between the layers 13 and 15 for suppressing nonuniformity of distribution of lithium ions in a region near the interface between the layers 13 and 15. In the battery 1, the positive-electrode covering layer 16 contains LiCoO2 whereas the positive-electrode layer 13 does not contain LiCoO2.