Abstract: A support carbon material able to support a catalyst metal in a highly dispersed state and resistant to the flooding phenomenon and with little voltage drop even at the time of large current power generation under high humidity conditions and a catalyst using the same, specifically, a support carbon material for solid polymer type fuel cell use comprised of a porous carbon material which has a pore volume and a pore area found by the BJH analysis method from a nitrogen adsorption isotherm in an adsorption process of a radius 2 nm to 50 nm pore volume VA of 1 ml/g to 5 ml/g and a radius 2 nm to 50 nm pore area S2-50 of 300 m2/g to 1500 m2/g and a ratio (V5-25/VA) of radius 5 nm to 25 nm pore volume V5-25 (ml/g) to said pore volume VA (ml/g) of 0.4 to 0.7 and a ratio (V2-5/VA) of radius 2 nm to 5 nm pore volume V2-5 (ml/g) to the same of 0.2 to 0.5 and a catalyst using the same.

Abstract: An electrode containing a clathrate compound is disclosed that is more likely to withstand load involved in repetition of penetration and desorption of, e.g., lithium ions compared to no guest substance-encapsulating silicon clathrate compounds. An electrode active material making up the electrode according to the present invention includes a clathrate compound. The clathrate compound contains a crystal lattice and a guest substance. The guest substance is encapsulated in the crystal lattice. It is preferable that the clathrate compound be a main component of the electrode active material that makes up the electrode.

Abstract: A support carbon material able to support a catalyst metal in a highly dispersed state and resistant to the flooding phenomenon and with little voltage drop even at the time of large current power generation under high humidity conditions and a catalyst using the same, specifically, a support carbon material for solid polymer type fuel cell use comprised of a porous carbon material which has a pore volume and a pore area found by the BJH analysis method from a nitrogen adsorption isotherm in an adsorption process of a radius 2 nm to 50 nm pore volume VA of 1 ml/g to 5 ml/g and a radius 2 nm to 50 nm pore area S2-50 of 300 m2/g to 1500 m2/g and a ratio (V5-25/VA) of radius 5 nm to 25 nm pore volume V5-25 (ml/g) to said pore volume VA (ml/g) of 0.4 to 0.7 and a ratio (V2-5/VA) of radius 2 nm to 5 nm pore volume V2-5 (ml/g) to the same of 0.2 to 0.5 and a catalyst using the same.

Abstract: A carbon material for catalyst carrier use excellent in both durability and power generation performance under operating conditions at the time of low humidity, in particular both durability of a carbon material for catalyst carrier use with respect to repeated load fluctuations due to startup and shutdown and power generation performance under operating conditions at the time of low humidity, and a catalyst for solid-polymer fuel cell use prepared using the same etc. are provided. To solve this technical problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a carbon material for catalyst carrier use satisfying the following (A) to (D): (A) an oxygen content OICP of 0.1 to 3.0 mass % contained in the carbon material for catalyst carrier use; (B) a residual amount of oxygen O1200° C. of 0.1 to 1.5 mass % remaining after heat treatment in an inert gas (or vacuum) atmosphere at 1200° C.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel and improved metal-air battery in which a lot of catalyst can be disposed in a triple phase boundary, and further, battery properties can be improved. In the metal-air battery according to the present invention, a catalyst layer of an air electrode of a metal-air battery contains a catalyst element and a carbon material, the carbon material comprises two materials of a carbon material A supporting thereon the catalyst element and a carbon material B not supporting the catalyst element, the catalyst layer comprises an agglomerate X containing the catalyst element, the carbon material A and the carbon material B as main components and an agglomerate Y containing the carbon material B as a main component, and the agglomerate X is a continuum and the agglomerate Y is dispersed in the agglomerate X.

Abstract: Provided is a negative electrode active material that can improve the discharge capacity per volume and charge-discharge cycle characteristics. The negative electrode active material of the present embodiment includes a powder material and an oxide layer. The powder material contains an alloy phase which undergoes thermoelastic diffusionless transformation when releasing metal ions or occluding the metal ions. The oxide layer is formed on the surface of the powder material, and has a thickness of not more than 10 nm.

Abstract: Provided is a negative electrode active material which can improve discharge capacity per amount and charge-discharge cycle characteristics. The negative electrode active material of the present embodiment contains at least one of material A and material B, and material C: material A: carbonaceous powder material in which a ratio of a peak intensity at 1360 cm?1 with respect to a peak intensity at 1580 cm?1 in the Raman spectrum is not more than 0.5; material B: carbonaceous powder material in which a ratio of a peak intensity at 1360 cm?1 with respect to a peak intensity at 1580 cm?1 in the Raman spectrum is more than 0.5; material C: powder material whose main component is an active substance made up of an alloy phase. This alloy phase undergoes thermoelastic diffusionless transformation when releasing metal ions or occluding the metal ions.

Abstract: Provided is a composite particle which can improve the capacity per volume and charge-discharge cycle characteristics. The composite particle includes a plurality of specific particles and a binding material. The specific particle contains an alloy phase. The alloy phase undergoes thermoelastic diffusionless transformation when releasing metal ions or occluding metal ions. The binding material contains at least one of non-graphite carbon and a carbon precursor. The plurality of specific particles bind with each other via the binding material.

Abstract: Provided is a negative electrode active material that can improve the discharge capacity per volume and charge-discharge cycle characteristics. The negative electrode active material according to the present embodiment contains an alloy phase. The alloy phase undergoes thermoelastic diffusionless transformation when releasing metal ions or occluding metal ions. The oxygen content of the negative electrode active material is not more than 5000 ppm in mass.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a negative electrode active material that can bring about improved charge/discharge cycle characteristics of nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cells that use silicon-containing particles as the negative electrode active material, and to provide a method for manufacturing the negative electrode active material. The method for manufacturing composite particles according to the present invention includes a mixing step and an annealing step. In the mixing step, a mixed powder is produced by mixing silicon phase-containing particles with a thermoplastic organic material powder. The mixed powder is annealed in the annealing step. The composite particles according to the present invention are obtained by this method for manufacturing composite particles.

Abstract: Provided is an electrode active material containing a clathrate compound that is more likely to withstand load involved in repetition of penetration and desorption of, e.g., lithium ions compared to no guest substance-encapsulating silicon clathrate compounds. An electrode active material according to the present invention includes a clathrate compound. The clathrate compound contains a crystal lattice and a guest substance. The guest substance is encapsulated in the crystal lattice. It is preferable that the clathrate compound be a main component of the electrode active material.

Abstract: Provided is a negative electrode active material that can improve the capacity per volume and charge-discharge cycle characteristics of a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery represented by a lithium ion secondary battery. The negative electrode active material according to the present embodiment contains an alloy phase. The alloy phase undergoes thermoelastic diffusionless transformation when releasing or occluding metal ions. The negative electrode active material of the present embodiment is used in a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery. Thermoelastic diffusionless transformation refers to so-called thermoelastic martensitic transformation.

Abstract: An inexpensive negative electrode material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes three types of powder materials: alloy material A; alloy material B; and a conductive material. Alloy material A includes a CoSn2 structure containing Co, Sn, and Fe and has an Sn content of at least 70.1 mass % and less than 82.0 mass %. Alloy material B includes Co3Sn2 and has a lower discharge capacity than alloy material A. The proportion RB of the mass of alloy material B based on the total mass of alloy material A and B is greater than 5.9% and less than 27.1%. The content of the conductive material is at least 7 mass % and at most 20 mass % based on the total mass of alloy material A and B, and the conductive material. The exotherm starting temperature for the negative electrode material is less than 375.4° C.

Abstract: Disclosed is an R-T-B—Ga-based magnet material alloy where R is at least one element selected from rare earth metals including Y, and T is one or more transition metals with Fe being an essential element. The R-T-B—Ga-based magnet material alloy includes: an R2T14B phase 3 which is a principal phase, and an R-rich phase (1 and 2) which is a phase enriched with the R, wherein a non-crystalline phase 1 in the R-rich phase has a Ga content (mass %) that is higher than a Ga content (mass %) of a crystalline phase 2 in the R-rich phase. With this, it is possible to enhance the magnetic properties of rare earth magnets that are manufactured from the alloy and reduce variations in the magnetic properties thereof.

Abstract: A modified natural graphite material which provides a negative plate having improved adhesion between a negative electrode mixture and a current collector has a circularity of at least 0.92 and at most 1.0 and an incident angle dependence S60/0 of the peak intensity ratio of at least 0.5 and at most 0.7 as determined by measurement of C K-edge X-ray absorption spectra using synchrotron radiation as an excitation source. It preferably satisfies at least one of the following conditions: an absolute specific gravity of at least 2.25 (g/cm3), a tap density of at least 1.0 g/cm3 and at most 1.4 g/cm3, and linseed oil absorption of at least 20 cm3/100 g and at most 50 cm3/100 g. A carbonaceous material may adhere to at least a portion of the surface of the graphite particles.

Abstract: The present invention provides a negative electrode material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery which can improve the cycle properties of a lithium ion secondary battery and a method for manufacturing the negative electrode material. The negative electrode material comprises at least two types of powdery alloy materials A and B in which powdery alloy material A contains Co, Sn, and Fe and does not contain Ti and powdery alloy material B contains Fe, Ti, and Sn, and the proportion of the mass of powdery alloy material B to the sum of the mass of powdery alloy material A and the mass of powdery alloy material B is at least 10 mass % and at most 30 mass %.

Abstract: A negative electrode material according to the present invention which is provided as an inexpensive negative electrode material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery and which suppresses the amount of expensive Co which is used contains three types of powder materials in the form of alloy material A, alloy material B, and a conductive material. Alloy material A comprises an alloy having a CoSn2 structure containing Co, Sn, and Fe and having an Sn content of at least 70.1 mass % and less than 82.0 mass %. Alloy material B comprises Co3Sn2 and has a lower discharge capacity than alloy material A, and the proportion RB of the mass of alloy material B based on the total mass of alloy material A and alloy material B is greater than 5.9% and less than 27.1%. The content of the conductive material is at least 7 mass % and at most 20 mass % based on the total mass of alloy material A, alloy material B, and the conductive material.

Abstract: Modified natural graphite particles intended for forming a negative electrode material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery are characterized by having a circularity of at least 0.93 and at most 1.0 and a surface roughness of at most 1.5% with respect to the length of the particles. These modified natural graphite particles are obtained by a manufacturing method including a step of applying an impact force to natural graphite particles for pulverization and spheroidization to obtain intermediate particles having a circularity of at least 0.93 and at most 1.0, and a step of carrying out surface smoothing of the resulting intermediate particles by mechanical grinding treatment to obtain the modified natural graphite particles.

Abstract: The present invention provides a negative electrode material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery which can improve the cycle properties of a lithium ion secondary battery and a method for manufacturing the negative electrode material. The negative electrode material comprises at least two types of powdery alloy materials A and B in which powdery alloy material A contains Co, Sn, and Fe and does not contain Ti and powdery alloy material B contains Fe, Ti, and Sn, and the proportion of the mass of powdery alloy material B to the sum of the mass of powdery alloy material A and the mass of powdery alloy material B is at least 10 mass % and at most 30 mass %.

Abstract: A graphite powder suitable for a negative electrode material of a lithium ion secondary battery which assures a high discharging capacity not lower than 320 mAh/g is to be manufactured at a lower cost. Specifically, a graphite powder containing 0.01 to 5.0 wt % of boron and having a looped closure structure at an end of a graphite c-planar layer on the surface of a powder, with the density of the interstitial planar sections between neighboring closure structures being not less than 100/?m and not more than 1500/?m, and with d002 being preferably not larger than 3.3650 ?, is manufactured by (1) heat-treating a carbon material pulverized at an elevated speed before or after carbonization for graphization at temperature exceeding 1500° C. or by (2) heat-treating the carbon material pulverized before or after carbonization at a temperature exceeding 1500° C.