Abstract: Provided is a layered double hydroxide membrane containing a layered double hydroxide represented by the formula: M2+1?xM3+x(OH)2An?x/n.mH2O (where M2+ represents a divalent cation, M3+ represents a trivalent cation, An? represents an n-valent anion, n is an integer of 1 or more, and x is 0.1 to 0.4), the layered double hydroxide membrane having water impermeability. The layered double hydroxide membrane includes a dense layer having water impermeability, and a non-flat surface structure that is rich in voids and/or protrusions and disposed on at least one side of the dense layer. The present invention provides an LDH membrane suitable for use as a solid electrolyte separator for a battery, the LDH membrane including a dense layer having water impermeability, and a specific structure disposed on at least one side of the dense layer and suitable for reducing the interfacial resistance between the LDH membrane and an electrolytic solution.

Abstract: Provided is a method of forming a layered double hydroxide (LDH) dense membrane on the surface of a porous substrate. The LDH dense membrane is composed of an LDH represented by the formula: M2+1-xM3+x(OH)2An?x/n·mH2O where M2+ represents a divalent cation. M3+ represents a trivalent cation, An? represents an n-valent anion, n is an integer of 1 or more, and x is 0.1 to 0.4. This method includes (a) providing a porous substrate, (b) evenly depositing, on the porous substrate, a nucleation material capable of providing a nucleus from which the crystal growth of the LDH starts; and (c) hydrothermally treating the porous substrate in an aqueous stock solution containing a constituent element of the LDH to form the LDH dense membrane on the surface of the porous substrate. The method of the present invention can form a highly-densified LDH membrane evenly on the surface of a porous substrate.

Abstract: Provided is a battery including a layered double hydroxide. The battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an electrolytic solution being an aqueous alkali metal hydroxide solution, and a layered double hydroxide having a fundamental composition represented by the formula: M2+1?xM3+x(OH)2An?x/n·mH2O where M2+ represents a divalent cation, M3+ represents a trivalent cation, An? represents an n-valent anion, n is an integer of 1 or more, x is 0.1 to 0.4, and m is any real number, the layered double hydroxide being in contact with the electrolytic solution, wherein a metal compound containing a metal corresponding to M2+ and/or M3+ is dissolved in the electrolytic solution such that erosion of the layered double hydroxide by the electrolytic solution is suppressed. The present invention provides a highly reliable battery such that the degradation of a layered double hydroxide (LDH) contained in the battery can be significantly reduced.

Abstract: Provided is a layered-double-hydroxide-containing composite material including a porous substrate and a functional layer disposed on and/or in the porous substrate, the functional layer containing a layered double hydroxide represented by the formula M2+1?xM3+x(OH)2An?x/n.mH2O, where M2+ represents a divalent cation, M3+ represents a trivalent cation, An? represents an n-valent anion, n is an integer of 1 or more, and x is 0.1 to 0.4, and the functional layer further containing sulfur (S) at the interface between the functional layer and the porous substrate and in the vicinity of the interface. In the LDH-containing composite material of the present invention, the LDH-containing functional layer disposed on and/or in the porous substrate exhibits significantly improved conductivity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery. The manufacturing method according to the present invention is characterized by including: (1) an intermediate generation process, wherein an intermediate which is powder or a shaped object containing the first material compound which is a compound of the transition metal other than lithium, which constitutes said lithium composite oxide, is generated, (2) a lithium source compound addition process, wherein the second material compound which is a lithium compound is added so that the second material compound in the shape of film may adhere to the surface of said intermediate, and (3) a sintering process, wherein lithium composite oxide is generated by sintering said intermediate in the state where said second material compound has adhered to its surface.

Abstract: Provided is a windowpane for a combustion apparatus in which a light-blocking layer containing an inorganic pigment powder and a glass powder is formed on a surface of a transparent crystallized glass plate and the light-blocking layer can sufficiently hide an adhesive, a gasket or the like used to fix the windowpane to the body of the combustion apparatus and which can reduce the occurrence of cracks due to heat in the light-blocking layer. A windowpane for a combustion apparatus in which a light-blocking layer containing an inorganic pigment powder and a glass powder is formed on a surface of a transparent crystallized glass plate, wherein the light-blocking layer contains 30 to 50% by mass of the inorganic pigment powder and 50 to 70% by mass of the glass powder and has a thickness of 1 to 10 ?m and the inorganic pigment powder has an average particle size of 0.8 ?m or less.

Abstract: There is provided a positive electrode active material capable of achieving a high volume energy density and yet superior rate characteristics when configured as a positive electrode for lithium secondary batteries. This positive electrode active material comprises a plurality of secondary particles each comprising primary particles composed of a lithium-nickel based complex oxide having a layered rock-salt structure. The plurality of secondary particles have a volume-based average particle diameter D50 of 5 to 100 ?m, and at least part of the plurality of secondary particles are coarse secondary particles having a particle diameter of 9 ?m or greater. The coarse secondary particles have a voidage of 5 to 25%, and the ratio of through holes among all voids in the coarse secondary particles is 70% or greater.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a lithium secondary battery which has improved capacity, durability, and rate characteristic as compared with conventional lithium secondary batteries. A plate-like particle or a film for a lithium secondary battery cathode active material has a layered rock salt structure. The (003) plane is oriented in a direction intersecting the direction of the plate surface of the particle or film.

Abstract: Provided is a windowpane for a combustion apparatus in which a light-blocking layer containing an inorganic pigment powder and a glass powder is formed on a surface of a transparent crystallized glass plate and the light-blocking layer can sufficiently hide an adhesive, a gasket or the like used to fix the windowpane to the body of the combustion apparatus and which can reduce the occurrence of cracks due to heat in the light-blocking layer. A windowpane for a combustion apparatus in which a light-blocking layer containing an inorganic pigment powder and a glass powder is formed on a surface of a transparent crystallized glass plate, wherein the light-blocking layer contains 30 to 50% by mass of the inorganic pigment powder and 50 to 70% by mass of the glass powder and has a thickness of 1 to 10 ?m and the inorganic pigment powder has an average particle size of 0.8 ?m or less.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a lithium secondary battery which has improved capacity, durability, and the other characteristic as compared with conventional lithium secondary batteries. A plate-like particle or a film for a lithium secondary battery cathode active material has a layered rock salt structure. The lithium ion gateway plane is oriented in parallel with a plate surface, which is a surface orthogonal to a thickness direction of the particle and thus exposed at the plate surface, a plurality of layers are stacked together in the thickness direction, and while the layers have the same crystal axis in the thickness direction, as for the plate surface direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, the layers have different crystal axes.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to realize more effective intercalation and deintercalation of lithium ions in a cathode active material. The preset invention provides a cathode active material plate-like particle for a lithium secondary battery, the particle having a layered rock salt structure, wherein lithium-intercalation/deintercalation-plane-oriented grains (primary crystal grains whose (003) plane is oriented so as to intersect a plate surface of the plate-like particle) are present in a dispersed state among numerous (003)-plane-oriented grains (primary crystal grains whose (003) plane is oriented in parallel with the plate surface of the plate-like particle).

Abstract: A ceramic sheet is produced by a method in which inorganic particles including, as a main component, an oxide represented by general formula ABO3 and containing a volatile component are mixed such that the A/B ratio is 1.05 or more, the inorganic particles are formed into a self-supported planar shaped body with a thickness of 30 ?m or less, and the shaped body is fired, without an inactive layer or with an inactive layer which does not substantially react with the shaped body and is disposed adjacent to the shaped body, at a temperature-rising rate of 30° C./min or more in a temperature range which is equal to or higher than a temperature at which the volatile component is volatilized.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery. The manufacturing method according to the present invention is characterized by including: (1) an intermediate generation process, wherein an intermediate which is powder or a shaped object containing the first material compound which is a compound of the transition metal other than lithium, which constitutes said lithium composite oxide, is generated, (2) a lithium source compound addition process, wherein the second material compound which is a lithium compound is added so that the second material compound in the shape of film may adhere to the surface of said intermediate, and (3) a sintering process, wherein lithium composite oxide is generated by sintering said intermediate in the state where said second material compound has adhered to its surface.

Abstract: The lithium secondary battery cathode active material having a layered rock salt structure is characterized in that the material is formed of a plurality of primary particles having a mean particle size of 0.01 to 5 ?m, and contains secondary particles having a mean particle size of 1 to 100 ?m and an aspect ratio, which is a ratio of long axis diameter to short axis diameter, of 1.0 or more and less than 2; and that the primary particles forming the secondary particles have a (003) plane orientation degree of 50% or higher.

Abstract: The cathode active material precursor particle, which forms, through incorporation of lithium thereinto, a cathode active material particle for use in a lithium secondary battery, the cathode active material particle containing a lithium complex oxide having a layered rock salt structure, is characterized in that the precursor particle has an aspect ratio, which is a ratio of long axis diameter to short axis diameter, of 1.0 or more and less than 2 and is formed so that the (003) planes of the lithium-incorporated cathode active material particle are substantially uniaxially oriented.

Abstract: The invention provides lithium secondary battery cathode active material particle, which is formed as a secondary particle that is a mass of a plurality of single-crystal primary particles of a lithium-nickel-based complex oxide having a layered rock salt structure, wherein the primary particles have a mean particle size of 0.01 to 5 ?m, and the secondary particle has an aspect ratio, which is a ratio of long axis diameter to short axis diameter, of 1.0 or more and less than 2 and a mean particle size of 1 to 100 ?m, wherein the (003) planes of the second particle are substantially uniaxially oriented.

Abstract: An actuator includes a fired ceramic substrate having a space opened downward, a first electrode formed on the upper surface of the fired ceramic substrate above the space, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body formed on the first electrode so that the volume changes with input and output of electric power, and a second electrode formed on the piezoelectric/electrostrictive body. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive body is composed of Pb(Zr1-xTix)O3 or (Li, Na, K) (Nb, Ta)O3 as a main component and contains crystals oriented along the direction of an electric field. In the actuator, the degree of orientation of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive body can be increased regardless of the orientation of the substrate on which the piezoelectric/electrostrictive body is formed.

Abstract: A plate-like polycrystalline particle is produced by forming inorganic particles into a self-supported, sheet-like shaped body with a predetermined thickness, firing the shaped body, and crushing and classifying the fired shaped body by passing through a mesh having openings with a predetermined size. The inorganic particles are composed of an oxide having a perovskite structure and grow into crystal grains with an isotropic and polyhedral shape. Since grain growth in the thickness direction is limited and grain growth in the surface direction of the sheet is promoted, it is possible to obtain crystal grains having a high aspect ratio and a high degree of orientation. Therefore, in the plate-like polycrystalline particle, in most parts, the number of crystal grains present in the thickness direction of the particle at any one point is one, and a high aspect ratio and a high degree of orientation are achieved.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to realize more effective intercalation and deintercalation of lithium ions in a cathode active material. The preset invention provides a cathode active material plate-like particle for a lithium secondary battery, the particle having a layered rock salt structure, wherein lithium-intercalation/deintercalation-plane-oriented grains (primary crystal grains whose (003) plane is oriented so as to intersect a plate surface of the plate-like particle) are present in a dispersed state among numerous (003)-plane-oriented grains (primary crystal grains whose (003) plane is oriented in parallel with the plate surface of the plate-like particle).

Abstract: A method for producing a crystallographically-oriented ceramic includes the steps of forming a first sheet with a thickness of 10 ?m or less containing a first inorganic material in which grain growth occurs at a first temperature or higher and a second sheet containing a second inorganic material in which grain growth occurs at a second temperature higher than the first temperature, laminating one or more each of the first and second sheets to form a laminated body, firing the laminated body at a temperature equal to or higher than the first temperature and lower than the second temperature to cause grain growth in the first inorganic material, and then firing the laminated body at a temperature equal to or higher than the second temperature to cause grain growth in the second inorganic material in the direction of a crystal plane of the first inorganic material.