Abstract: The disclosed secondary battery includes a positive electrode and a negative electrode, wherein the negative electrode includes a first layer including at least a negative electrode active material layer, and the first layer further includes a fire retardant including a halogen atom.

Abstract: This positive electrode includes a current collector, an intermediate layer which is formed at least on one surface of the current collector, and a composite material layer which is formed on the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer includes metal compound particles, a conductive material, and a binding material. The metal compound particles comprise at least one selected from a sulfated oxide, hydroxide, or oxide of alkali earth metal or alkali metal.

Abstract: This separator for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprises a porous substrate, a heat-resistant layer that is formed on the porous substrate, and clusters of filler particles that are present in dot shapes on the surface of the heat-resistant layer. The filler particles are particles of a compound including at least one of phosphorus, silicon, boron, nitrogen, potassium, sodium, and bromine, and the transformation point at which the filler particles transform from a solid phase to a liquid phase or thermally decompose is in the range 180° C.-1000° C. This separator electrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery can suppress heat production of the battery during a nail puncture test, while also suppressing an increase in battery resistance.

Abstract: This secondary battery comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator positioned between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and an electrolyte. The positive electrode has a positive electrode current collector, a positive electrode mixture layer containing a positive electrode active material, and an additional layer containing an inactive material. The inactive material is an Li-containing transition metal oxide having a crystal structure belonging to one space group from among Fm3m, C2/M, Immm, and P3m1. The inactive material content of the additional layer is 60 mass % or greater, and the basis weight of the additional layer is 3.8 g/m2 to 50 g/m2 (inclusive).

Abstract: This positive electrode includes a current collector, an intermediate layer which is formed at least on one surface of the current collector, and a composite material layer which is formed on the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer includes metal compound particles, a conductive material, and a binding material. The metal compound particles comprise at least one selected from a sulfated oxide, hydroxide, or oxide of alkali earth metal or alkali metal.

Abstract: An electrolytic: solution for electrochemical devices includes: a salt consisting of a bifluoride anion and a cation; a compound containing boron; and an organic solvent.

Abstract: An electrolytic: solution for electrochemical devices includes: a salt consisting of a bifluoride anion and a cation.; a compound containing boron; and an organic solvent.

Abstract: A conveyance system 50A of a film-forming apparatus 20A includes a blowing roller 6 having a function of supplying a cooling gas toward a substrate 21. The blowing roller has the first shell 11 and the internal block 12. The first shell 11 has a plurality of first through holes 13 as a gas supply channel, and is rotatable in synchronization with the substrate 21. The internal block 12 is disposed inside the first shell 11. A manifold 14 is defined by the internal block 12 inside the first shell 11. The manifold 14 is formed so as to introduce the gas toward the plurality of first through holes 13 within the range of a holding angle. A clearance 15 facing the plurality of first through holes 13 outside the range of the holding angle is further formed inside the first shell 11. In the radial direction, the manifold 14 has a relatively large dimension, and the clearance 15 has a relatively small dimension.

Abstract: Deterioration of the degree of vacuum in a vacuum chamber is prevented while securing adequate cooling performance by gas cooling. A substrate 21 is provided in a vacuum, and the cooling body 1 is provided close to a film non-formation surface of the substrate 21. A thin film is formed by depositing a film forming material on a film formation surface of the substrate 21 while introducing a cooling gas into between the substrate 21 and the cooling body 1. At this time, a gas which reacts with the film forming material is introduced as the cooling gas.

Abstract: In order to enhance charge and discharge efficiency and to improve cycle characteristics by increasing a facing area between a positive electrode active material and a negative electrode active material, in a negative electrode for lithium secondary battery having a current collector and an active material layer carried on the current collector, the active material layer includes a plurality of columnar particles. The columnar particles include an element of silicon, and are tilted toward the normal direction of the current collector. Angle ? formed between the columnar particles and the normal direction of the current collector is preferably 10°??<90°.

Abstract: A negative electrode 100 for a nonaqueous electrolytic secondary cell includes a current collector 1 and a plurality of active material bodies 2 formed on a surface of the current collector 1 at intervals; each active material body 2 contains a material for occluding or releasing lithium; and a plurality of projections 3 are formed on a part of a side surface of each active material body 2.

Abstract: A clean power supply unit with a high fuel utilization rate using a fuel cell is provided. The power supply unit of the present invention comprises a fuel cell using methanol as fuel; a secondary battery for supplying power to a load; a fuel cell control part for controlling the amount of fuel and/or air supplied to the above-mentioned fuel cell; and a power converter for converting the power output from the above-mentioned fuel cell to a predetermined voltage or current, supplying power to the load and/or the above-mentioned secondary battery and controlling the supplied power so as to fall within a predetermined range including the value at which the amount of methanol discharged from the above-mentioned fuel cell becomes minimized.

Abstract: A method for activating a direct oxidation fuel cell including an anode, a cathode, and a proton-conductive electrolyte membrane interposed between the anode and the cathode is provided. The anode and the cathode each have a catalyst layer on a face in contact with the proton-conductive electrolyte membrane. This method activates the fuel cell by passing a current through the fuel cell from an external power source, with the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the external power source connected to the anode and the cathode of the fuel cell, respectively, while supplying an organic fuel and an inert gas to the anode and the cathode, respectively.

Abstract: A conveyance system 50A of a film-forming apparatus 20A includes a blowing roller 6 having a function of supplying a cooling gas toward a substrate 21. The blowing roller has the first shell 11 and the internal block 12. The first shell 11 has a plurality of first through holes 13 as a gas supply channel, and is rotatable in synchronization with the substrate 21. The internal block 12 is disposed inside the first shell 11. A manifold 14 is defined by the internal block 12 inside the first shell 11. The manifold 14 is formed so as to introduce the gas toward the plurality of first through holes 13 within the range of a holding angle. A clearance 15 facing the plurality of first through holes 13 outside the range of the holding angle is further formed inside the first shell 11. In the radial direction, the manifold 14 has a relatively large dimension, and the clearance 15 has a relatively small dimension.

Abstract: A method for operating a direct methanol fuel cell is provided. The fuel cell includes a fuel cell main body having a fuel electrode and an air electrode disposed in opposing positions on either side of an electrolyte film. In this method, an aqueous methanol solution is supplied directly to the fuel electrode. A quantity of the aqueous methanol solution supplied is controlled in accordance with an electric current value drawn from the fuel cell main body so as to minimize a quantity of unused methanol within a discharge fluid discharged from the fuel electrode.

Abstract: To accelerate a film formation rate in forming a negative electrode active material film by vapor deposition using an evaporation source containing Si as a principal component, and to provide an electrode for lithium batteries which is superior in productivity, and keeps the charge and discharge capacity at high level are contemplated. The method of manufacturing an electrode for lithium batteries of the present invention includes the steps of: providing an evaporation source containing Si and Fe to give a molar ratio of Fe/(Si+Fe) being no less than 0.0005 and no greater than 0.15; and vapor deposition by melting the evaporation source and permitting evaporation to allow for vapor deposition on a collector directly or through an underlying layer. The electrode for lithium batteries of the present invention includes a collector, and a negative electrode active material film which includes SiFeyOx (wherein, 0<x<2, and 0.0001?y/(1+y)?0.

Abstract: In order to enhance charge and discharge efficiency and to improve cycle characteristics by increasing a facing area between a positive electrode active material and a negative electrode active material, in a negative electrode for lithium secondary battery having a current collector and an active material layer carried on the current collector, the active material layer includes a plurality of columnar particles. The columnar particles include an element of silicon, and are tilted toward the normal direction of the current collector. Angle ? formed between the columnar particles and the normal direction of the current collector is preferably 10°??<90°.

Abstract: In a film forming method using gas cooling, a decrease in a film formation rate and an excessive load on a vacuum pump due to gas introduction are avoided while achieving an adequate cooling effect. A thin film forming device of the present invention includes: a cooling body 10 having a cooling surface 10S located near a rear surface of a substrate 7 in a thin film forming region 9; and a gas introducing unit configured to introduce a gas to between the cooling surface 10S and the rear surface of the substrate 7. In a width-direction cross section of the substrate, a center portion of the cooling surface is shaped to project toward the rear surface of the substrate 7 as compared to both end portions of the cooling surface. In the width-direction cross section of the substrate, the cooling surface preferably has a bilaterally-symmetric shape and more preferably has a shape represented by a catenary curve.

Abstract: In order to enhance charge and discharge efficiency and to improve cycle characteristics by increasing a facing area between a positive electrode active material and a negative electrode active material, in a negative electrode for lithium secondary battery having a current collector and an active material layer carried on the current collector, the active material layer includes a plurality of columnar particles. The columnar particles include an element of silicon, and are tilted toward the normal direction of the current collector. Angle ? formed between the columnar particles and the normal direction of the current collector is preferably 10°??<90°.

Abstract: Deterioration of the degree of vacuum in a vacuum chamber is prevented while securing adequate cooling performance by gas cooling. A substrate 21 is provided in a vacuum, and the cooling body 1 is provided close to a film non-formation surface of the substrate 21. A thin film is formed by depositing a film forming material on a film formation surface of the substrate 21 while introducing a cooling gas into between the substrate 21 and the cooling body 1. At this time, a gas which reacts with the film forming material is introduced as the cooling gas.