Abstract: A negative electrode for a lithium secondary cell, characterized in that it is prepared by a method comprising providing a conductive metal of foil having a surface roughness of 0.2 &mgr;m or more as a collector and a mixture of active material particles containing silicon and/or a silicon alloy with a conductive metal powder and sintering the mixture on the surface of the collector; and a lithium secondary cell comprising the negative electrode.

Abstract: A lithium battery comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a nonaqueous electrolyte containing a lithium trifluoromethanesulfonimide solute and a solvent, wherein the positive electrode comprises a positive-electrode active material of boron-containing lithium-manganese complex oxide with a specific surface area of 12 to 45 m2/g.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved electrode material for a lithium secondary battery to provide a lithium secondary battery that is light in weight and has high energy density. Sulfur and a catalyst material such as active carbon, and the like, that reduces activation energy of an addition reaction of lithium to sulfur and allows the reaction to occur at not greater than 60° C., are included in the electrode material.

Abstract: In a non-aqueous electrolyte battery provided with a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte using an organic solvent, at least one type of ferrite, FeS2, and a transition metal oxide (except for LiCoO2) having crystal structure of space group R3m is used as a positive electrode material for a positive electrode, and a negative electrode material containing lithium is used for a negative electrode.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte battery includes a positive electrode containing a positive electrode active material which is capable of occluding and releasing lithium, a negative electrode containing a main active material which is capable of occluding and releasing lithium, and a current collector of copper, wherein the negative electrode contains a subsidiary active material which supplies lithium from the negative electrode to the positive electrode at an overdischarge condition. This arrangement makes it possible to prevent deterioration of battery characteristics caused by overdischarge without using an external device such as a protective element or protective circuit.

Abstract: An electrode for lithium secondary battery having a current collector and, deposited thereon, a thin film comprising silicon as a main component, characterized in that the thin film comprising silicon contains at least one of the elements belonging to the groups IIIa, Iva, Va, VIa, VIIa, VIII, Ib and IIb in the fourth, fifth and sixth periods of the Periodic Table (exclusive of copper (Cu)) at least in the surface portion thereof.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an electrode for a rechargeable lithium battery which includes depositing a thin film composed of active material capable of alloy formation with lithium on a current collector made of a metal incapable of alloy formation with lithium, by using a process for depositing a thin film by supplying a material from a gas phase, characterized in that the thin film of active material is deposited at such a temperature that enables formation of a mixed layer via diffusion of a constituent of the current collector into the thin film in the vicinity of an interface therebetween.

Abstract: The present invention provides a positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery having the positive electrode active material. The positive electrode active material includes a complex oxide wherein said complex oxide is substantially amorphous and comprises Mn and M; where M is selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, Fe, Cu, Al, Mg, Si, Sc, Ti, Zn, Ga, Ge, Nb, Rh, Pd and Sn; and the molar weighted sum of oxidation states of elements except for oxygen is more than 3.8 and not greater than 4.2. More preferably, a mole ratio of Mn and M (Mn:M) is in a range of 99:1˜70:30.

Abstract: An electrode having a current collector and, formed thereon, a thin film comprising an active material, characterized in that a thin alloy film (such as Sn—Co) comprising a metal which can form an alloy with lithium (such as Sn) and a metal which can not form an alloy with lithium (such as Co) is formed on a current collector such as a copper foil. It is preferred that the above metal which can form an alloy with lithium and the above metal which can not form an alloy with lithium can not form an intermetallic compound with each other.

Abstract: In a polymer electrolyte battery provided with a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a polymer electrolyte, a polymer-based material containing a copolymer of ethylene glycol (meth)acrylate compound represented by the following general formula (1) and alkyl (meth)acrylate represented by the following general formula (2) is used as said polymer electrolyte.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lithium secondary battery having great capacity density per volume and weight. The lithium secondary battery contains a positive electrode having Li—Bi alloy or Li—Sb alloy as a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode and a non-aqueous electrolyte.

Abstract: A rechargeable lithium battery includes a lithium-aluminum-manganese alloy negative electrode containing lithium as active material, a positive electrode, and a nonaqueous liquid electrolyte containing a solvent, a solute and at least one additive selected from trialkyl phosphite, trialkyl phosphate, trialkyl borate, dialkyl sulfate and dialkyl sulfite.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lithium polymer secondary battery having at least a basic battery cell including a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a polymer electrolyte in an outer can, wherein the battery has a suitable structure to use the polymer electrolyte polymerized in the battery and has excellent cycle characteristics. One of the electrodes is U-shaped and the other electrode is inserted in the U-shaped electrode. The polymer electrolyte includes a polymer containing a polyalkylene oxide structure and a solvent and is polymerized in the battery. The thickness of the battery is not greater than 2 mm.

Abstract: A method of producing a hydrogen storage alloy, for use in alkaline storage batteries, includes two steps. A first step involves preparing alloy particles having a CaCu5-type crystal structure and the compositional formula MmNixCoyMnzM1−z, wherein M represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of aluminum (Al) and copper (Cu), 3.0≦x≦5.2, 0≦y≦1.2, 0.1≦z≦0.9, and 4.4≦x+y+z≦5.4. A second step involves immersing the alloy particles in an acid treating solution containing a cobalt compound and a copper compound, each in the amount of 0.1 to 5.0% by weight based on the weight of the alloy particles, and an organic additive to remove oxide films from and to reductively deposit cobalt and copper on a surface of each alloy particle to form a surface region surrounding a bulk region and having a graded composition.

Abstract: A lithium secondary battery-use electrode and a lithium secondary battery, which are high in discharge capacity and excellent in cycle characteristics, characterized in that a layer consisting of a metal alloying with Li is provided on a substrate consisting of a metal not alloying with Li, and a layer having these metals mixed therein is formed between the above layer and the substrate.

Abstract: A hydrogen storage alloy, for use in alkaline storage batteries, having a CaCu5-type crystal structure and represented by the compositional formula MmNixCoyMnzMl-z (wherein M represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of aluminum (Al) and copper (Cu); x is a nickel (Ni) stoichiometry and satisfies 3.0≦x≦5.2; y is a cobalt (Co) stoichiometry and satisfies 0≦y≦1.2; z is a manganese (Mn) stoichiometry and satisfies 0.1≦z≦0.9; and the sum of x, y and z satisfies 4.4≦x+y+z≦5.4). The hydrogen storage alloy includes a bulk region having a CaCu5-type crystal structure and a substantially uniform composition and a surface region surrounding said bulk region and having a graded composition. When the sum in percentage of numbers of cobalt (Co) atoms and copper (Cu) atoms present in the surface region is given by a and that in the bulk region by b, the relationship a/b≧1.3 is satisfied.

Abstract: A nickel hydroxide electrode for an alkaline storage battery comprises titanium hydroxide formed on the surface of nickel hydroxide as a main active material impregnated into pores of a porous sintered substrate. An alkaline storage battery comprises a negative electrode and the nickel hydroxide electrode as a positive electrode. The alkaline storage battery provides a high discharge capacity even if the battery is charged under a high temperature atmosphere.

Abstract: A non aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprises a positive electrode made from a material which is capable of occluding and discharging anions, a negative electrode made from a material which is capable of occluding and discharging cations, and a non aqueous electrolyte containing a room temperature molten salt having a melting point of not greater than 60° C.

Abstract: A sealed alkaline storage battery using, as a positive electrode active material, nickel oxyhydroxide including Mn as a solid-solution element and having a &ggr; ratio of 65 through 100%; a sealed alkaline storage battery using, as a positive electrode active material, nickel oxyhydroxide including as an additive or coated with a rare earth element and/or a rare earth compound in a ratio measured based on the rare earth element of 0.05 through 5 wt %; and a sealed alkaline storage battery including, as a positive electrode active material, nickel oxyhydroxide having a half-width of a peak in a lattice plane (003) in an X-ray diffraction pattern of 0.8° or more. The pressure within the battery is not largely increased for a long period of charge-discharge cycles, and hence, the electrolyte hardly leaks.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lithium secondary battery having great capacity density per volume and weight. The lithium secondary battery contains a positive electrode having Li—Bi alloy or Li—Sb alloy as a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode and a non-aqueous electrolyte.