Abstract: An electrochemical device having excellent safety at high temperature is provided by using a separator for an electrochemical device, which is made of a porous film comprising: a porous base (5) having a heat-resistant temperature of 150° C. or higher and including filler particles (3); at least one kind of shutdown resin (6) selected from the group consisting of resin A that has a melting point in a range of 80° C. to 130° C. and resin B that absorbs an electrolyte and swells due to heating, and the swelling degree is increased as the temperature rises; and a binder (4).

Abstract: The separator for a battery according to the present invention is a separator for a battery including an insulator layer containing a fibrous material having a heat resistant temperature of equal to or higher than 150° C., insulating inorganic fine particles and a binder, or a separator for a battery including a porous layer formed of a thermal melting resin and an insulator layer containing insulating inorganic fine particles and a binder, wherein water content per unit volume is equal to or smaller than 1 mg/cm3 when the separator is held for 24 hours in an atmosphere with a relative humidity of 60% at 20° C. The use of the separator for a battery according to the present invention makes it possible to provide a lithium secondary battery that has favorable reliability and safety and is excellent in storage characteristics and charge-discharge cycle characteristics.

Abstract: Because of the composition represented by General Formula: Li1+x+?Ni(1?x?y+?)/2Mn(1?x?y??)/2MyO2 (where 0?x?0.05, ?0.05?x+??0.05, 0?y?0.4; ?0.1???0.1 (when 0?y?0.2) or ?0.24???0.24 (when 0.2<y?0.4); and M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Cr, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Al, Ge and Sn), a high-density lithium-containing complex oxide with high stability of a layered crystal structure and excellent reversibility of charging/discharging can be provided, and a high-capacity non-aqueous secondary battery excellent in durability is realized by using such an oxide for a positive electrode.

Abstract: According to a heat pump hot water apparatus of the invention, the hot water tank 7 is disposed on one side of the casing 50, the antifreeze liquid circulating means 41 and the heat pump circuit are disposed on the other side of the casing 50, and the water/refrigerant heat exchanger 2 is disposed at a location higher than the compressor 1. According to this configuration, the heat pump circuit and the hot water tank circuit are accommodated in one casing 50, stability and noise-reduction effect can be realized when the heat pump hot water apparatus is installed, and the casing 50 can be made smaller in size by enhancing layout balance of functional parts in the casing 50.

Abstract: The heat pump hydronic heater of the invention includes a heat pump circuit and a hot water tank circuit, the heat pump circuit and the hot water tank circuit are accommodated in one casing 50, and a hermetic expansion tank 37 is connected to a hot water tank 7 and the heat pump hydronic heater can absorb expansion of water in a circulation path when hot water in a hot water tank 7 is circulated through heat a floor or supply hot water.

Abstract: The separator for a battery according to the present invention is a separator for a battery including an insulator layer containing a fibrous material having a heat resistant temperature of equal to or higher than 150° C., insulating inorganic fine particles and a binder, or a separator for a battery including a porous layer formed of a thermal melting resin and an insulator layer containing insulating inorganic fine particles and a binder, wherein water content per unit volume is equal to or smaller than 1 mg/cm3 when the separator is held for 24 hours in an atmosphere with a relative humidity of 60% at 20° C. The use of the separator for a battery according to the present invention makes it possible to provide a lithium secondary battery that has favorable reliability and safety and is excellent in storage characteristics and charge-discharge cycle characteristics.

Abstract: A negative electrode of the present invention has an active material layer composed of an intermetallic compound on a collector. The intermetallic compound is capable of occluding/desorbing lithium and contains at least one kind of element A selected from Sn, In, Ge, Ga, Pb, Al, Sb, and Si, and an element X that does not substantially react with Li. In the negative electrode, a ratio Ib/Ia of highest peak intensities Ia and Ib of X-ray diffraction peaks derived from the intermetallic compound and the element A is 0.1 or less. By configuring a non-aqueous secondary battery using the above-mentioned negative electrode, the charging/discharging efficiency and cycle characteristics of a thin film electrode used for the negative electrode of the non-aqueous secondary battery are enhanced.

Abstract: An ion-conductive electrolyte which comprises a compound having in the molecule a structure represented by the following chemical formula and an electrolyte salt; and a cell employing the ion-conductive electrolyte. The ion-conductive electrolyte has a low vapor pressure, has a high ion conductivity even at room temperature, and has a high lithium ion transport number. With this ion-conductive electrolyte, a highly safe cell having excellent discharge characteristics can be provided.

Abstract: An alloy material containing an intermetallic compound of metal that is alloyed with Li and metal that is not alloyed with Li, capable of repeatedly absorbing and desorbing Li, is formed on a collector made of a material that is not alloyed with Li, as a plurality of convex portions partitioned with gaps disposed thereamong, and an area the convex portions occupy on the collector is assumed to be 60 to 95% of the area of the collector. Because of this, an electrode containing an intermetallic compound capable of repeatedly absorbing and desorbing Li can be provided, which can configure a non-aqueous secondary battery having a higher charging/discharging efficiency, a larger discharging capacity, and more excellent high rate characteristics and cycle characteristics.

Abstract: An electrode according to the invention can provide a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having an ability to release a volume expansion at the time of charge and discharge as well as the time of a cycle. The electrode comprises a current collector made of a material which is not alloyed with Li, and a dot pattern 2 of a metallic material able to be alloyed with Li formed on the current collector. At the time of charge, since the volume expansion of each dot 3 is carried out so as to bury adjoining crevices 4 between the dots, a stress generated is released, thereby degradation of an electrode being avoided. Each dot may also be made into porosity.

Abstract: Because of the composition represented by General Formula: Li1+x+?Ni(1?x?y+?)/2Mn(1?x?y??)/2MyO2 (where 0?x?0.05, ?0.05?x+??0.05, 0?y?0.4; ?0.1???0.1 (when 0?y?0.2) or ?0.24???0.24 (when 0.2<y?0.4); and M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Cr, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Al, Ge and Sn), a high-density lithium-containing complex oxide with high stability of a layered crystal structure and excellent reversibility of charging/discharging can be provided, and a high-capacity non-aqueous secondary battery excellent in durability is realized by using such an oxide for a positive electrode.

Abstract: Because of the composition represented by General Formula: Li1+x+?Ni(1?x?y+?)/2Mn(1?x?y??)/2MyO2 (where 0?x?0.05, ?0.05?x+??0.05, 0?y?0.4; ?0.1???0.1 (when 0?y?0.2) or ?0.24???0.24 (when 0.2?y?0.4); and M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Cr, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Al, Ge and Sn), a high-density lithium-containing complex oxide with high stability of a layered crystal structure and excellent reversibility of charging/discharging can be provided, and a high-capacity non-aqueous secondary battery excellent in durability is realized by using such an oxide for a positive electrode.

Abstract: Because of the composition represented by General Formula: Li1+x+?Ni(1?x?y+?)/2Mn(1?x?y??)/2MyO2 (where 0?x?0.05, ?0.05?x+??0.05, 0?y?0.4; ?0.1???0.1 (when 0?y?0.2) or ?0.24???0.24 (when 0.2<y?0.4); and M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Cr, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Al, Ge and Sn), a high-density lithium-containing complex oxide with high stability of a layered crystal structure and excellent reversibility of charging/discharging can be provided, and a high-capacity non-aqueous secondary battery excellent in durability is realized by using such an oxide for a positive electrode.

Abstract: A lithium-containing complex oxide represented by General Formula: Li1+x+?Ni(1?x?y+?)/2Mn(1?x?y??)/2MyO2 (where 0?x?0.15, ?0.05?x+??0.2, 0?y?0.4; ?0.1???0.1 (when 0?y?0.2) or ?0.24???0.24 (when 0.2<y?0.4); and M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ti, Cr, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Al, Ge, Zr and Sn) is provided. The lithium-containing complex oxide contains secondary particles formed of flocculated primary particles. The primary particles have a mean particle diameter of 0.3 to 3 ?m, and the secondary particles have a mean particle diameter of 5 to 20 ?m. By using this lithium-containing complex oxide as a positive active material, a non-aqueous secondary battery having a high capacity, excellent cycle durability and excellent storage characteristics at a high temperature is achieved.

Abstract: An electrochemical device having excellent safety at high temperature is provided by using a separator for an electrochemical device, which is made of a porous film comprising: a porous base (5) having a heat-resistant temperature of 150° C. or higher and including filler particles (3); at least one kind of shutdown resin (6) selected from the group consisting of resin A that has a melting point in a range of 80° C. to 130° C. and resin B that absorbs an electrolyte and swells due to heating, and the swelling degree is increased as the temperature rises; and a binder (4).

Abstract: A material capable of occluding/discharging a lithium ion or a lithium-ion-conducting material is made to adhere to a surface of a particle of a lithium transition metal composite nitride having a particle diameter of 0.01 to 30 ?m by a vapor phase method represented by a thin-film forming method selected from chemical vapor deposition, vapor deposition, ion plating and sputtering, thereby providing a composite electrode material with improved stability in the air as an electrode material capable of constituting an electrochemical element having a large capacity and improved cycle characteristics.

Abstract: Because of the composition represented by General Formula: Li1+x+?Ni(1?x?y+?)/2MyO2 (where 0?x?0.05, ?0.05?x+??0.05, 0?y?0.4; ?0.1???0.1 (when 0?y?0.2) or ?0.24???0.24 (when 0.2<y?0.4); and M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Cr, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Al, Ge and Sn), a high-density lithium-containing complex oxide with high stability of a layered crystal structure and excellent reversibility of charging/discharging can be provided, and a high-capacity non-aqueous secondary battery excellent in durability is realized by using such an oxide for a positive electrode.

Abstract: An electrode according to the invention can provide a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having an ability to release a volume expansion at the time of charge and discharge as well as the time of a cycle. The electrode comprises a current collector made of a material which is not alloyed with Li, and a dot pattern 2 of a metallic material able to be alloyed with Li formed on the current collector. At the time of charge, since the volume expansion of each dot 3 is carried out so as to bury adjoining crevices 4 between the dots, a stress generated is released, thereby degradation of an electrode being avoided. Each dot may also be made into porosity.