Abstract: An electrode structure for a lithium secondary battery including: a main active material layer including a metal powder selected from silicon, tin and an alloy thereof that can store and discharge lithium by electrochemical reaction, and a binder of an organic polymer; and a current collector. The main active material layer includes a powder of a support material for supporting the electron conduction of the main active material layer in addition to the metal powder and the powder of the support material are particles having a spherical, pseudo-spherical or pillar shape with an average particle size of 0.3 to 1.35 times the thickness of the main active material layer. The support material is one or more selected from graphite, oxides of transition metals and metals that do not electrochemically form alloy with lithium. Organic polymer compounded with a conductive polymer is used for the binder.

Abstract: An electrode material for a rechargeable lithium battery, characterized in that said electrode material comprises a fine powder of a silicon-based material whose principal component is silicon element, said fine powder having an average particle size (R) in a range of 0.1 ?m?R<0.5 ?m. An electrode structural body for a rechargeable lithium battery, having an electrode material layer comprising said silicon-based material fine powder. A rechargeable lithium battery whose anode comprising said electrode structural body.

Abstract: An electrode structure for a lithium secondary battery including: a main active material layer including a metal powder selected from silicon, tin and an alloy thereof that can store and discharge lithium by electrochemical reaction, and a binder of an organic polymer; and a current collector. The main active material layer includes a powder of a support material for supporting the electron conduction of the main active material layer in addition to the metal powder and the powder of the support material are particles having a spherical, pseudo-spherical or pillar shape with an average particle size of 0.3 to 1.35 times the thickness of the main active material layer. The support material is one or more selected from graphite, oxides of transition metals and metals that do not electrochemically form alloy with lithium. Organic polymer compounded with a conductive polymer is used for the binder.

Abstract: An electrode material for a rechargeable lithium battery, characterized in that said electrode material comprises a fine powder of a silicon-based material whose principal component is silicon element, said fine powder having an average particle size (R) in a range of 0.1 ?m?R<0.5 ?m. An electrode structural body for a rechargeable lithium battery, having an electrode material layer comprising said silicon-based material fine powder. A rechargeable lithium battery whose anode comprising said electrode structural body.

Abstract: There is provided a lithium secondary battery having a high capacity and excellent high-rate discharge characteristic and charge/discharge cycle characteristic. The lithium secondary battery comprises a negative electrode, a positive electrode and an ionic conductor, wherein the positive electrode comprises lithium metal composite oxide particles; the lithium metal composite oxide particles comprise a plurality of secondary particles in an elongated shape each comprised of a plurality of primary particles with an average particle size of 0.1 to 1 ?m so aggregated as to form a void therebetween; and the secondary particle is columnar or planar and has an average size in a long length direction of 5 to 15 ?m.

Abstract: There is provided a lithium secondary battery having a high capacity and excellent high-rate discharge characteristic and charge/discharge cycle characteristic. The lithium secondary battery comprises a negative electrode, a positive electrode and an ionic conductor, wherein the positive electrode comprises lithium metal composite oxide particles; the lithium metal composite oxide particles comprise a plurality of secondary particles in an elongated shape each comprised of a plurality of primary particles with an average particle size of 0.1 to 1 ?m so aggregated as to form a void therebetween; and the secondary particle is columnar or planar and has an average size in a long length direction of 5 to 15 ?m.

Abstract: An electrode structure for a lithium secondary battery including: a main active material layer including a metal powder selected from silicon, tin and an alloy thereof that can store and discharge of lithium by electrochemical reaction, and a binder of an organic polymer; and a wherein the collector. The main active material layer includes a powder of a support material for supporting the electron conduction of the main active material layer in addition to the metal powder and the powder of the support material are particles having a spherical, pseudo-spherical or pillar shape with an average particle size of 0.3 to 1.35 times the thickness of the main active material layer. The support material is one or more selected from graphite, oxides of transition metals and metals that do not electrochemically form alloy with lithium. Organic polymer compounded with a conductive polymer is used for the binder.

Abstract: An electrode material for a lithium secondary battery which includes particles each having a central portion and a surface portion covering the surface of the central portion. The central portion occupies 80 to 99% of a distance from a center to an outermost surface of the particle and the surface portion occupies 20 to 1% of the distance. The central portion includes LiM1-aDaO2 (M represents Co or Ni, D represents a transition metal element or Al replacing a part of Co or Ni as M, and M is not the same as D) having an ?-NaFeO2 structure. The surface portion includes LiM1-bEbO2 (M represents Co or Ni, E represents a metal element replacing a part of Co or Ni as M, and M is not the same as E) having an ?-NaFeO2 structure. The content of element E in the central portion satisfies the relation of E/(M+D+E)<0.05 in terms of an atomic ratio, and the content of element D in the surface portion satisfies the relation of D/(M+D+E)<0.05 in terms of an atomic ratio.

Abstract: An electrode material for a lithium secondary battery which includes particles each having a central portion and a surface portion covering the surface of the central portion. A distance from a center to an outermost surface of the particle is occupied 80 to 99% by the central portion and 1 to 20% by the surface portion. The central portion includes LiM1-aDaO2 having an ?-NaFeO2 structure, and the surface portion includes LiM1-bEbO2 having an ?-NaFeO2 structure. (M is C or Ni; D is a transition metal element or Al replacing a part of Co or Ni as M; E is a metal element replacing a part of Co or Ni as M; and M is not the same as D or E.) The following relationships are satisfied in the central portion, in terms of atomic ratio: D/(M+D+E)<0.05 and E/(M+D+E)<0.05.

Abstract: An electrode structure for a lithium secondary battery including: a main active material layer including a metal powder selected from silicon, tin and an alloy thereof that can store and discharge lithium by electrochemical reaction, and a binder of an organic polymer; and a current collector. The main active material layer includes a powder of a support material for supporting the electron conduction of the main active material layer in addition to the metal powder and the powder of the support material are particles having a spherical, pseudo-spherical or pillar shape with an average particle size of 0.3 to 1.35 times the thickness of the main active material layer. The support material is one or more selected from graphite, oxides of transition metals and metals that do not electrochemically form alloy with lithium. Organic polymer compounded with a conductive polymer is used for the binder.

Abstract: There is provided a lithium secondary battery with a negative electrode which comprises a negative electrode active material layer comprising alloy particles comprising silicon and tin and having an average particle diameter of 0.05 to 2 ?m as an active material, and a negative electrode current collector, wherein the negative electrode active material layer has a storage capacity of 1,000 to 2,200 mAh/g and a density of 0.9 to 1.5 g/cm3 and which thereby has a high capacity and a good cycle-characteristic. Thus, a lithium secondary battery having a high capacity and a long life and so designed as to exhibit these characteristics at the same time is provided.

Abstract: A method of producing a material capable of electrochemically storing and releasing a large amount of lithium ions is provided. The material is used as an electrode material for a negative electrode, and includes silicon or tin primary particles composed of crystal particles each having a specific diameter and an amorphous surface layer formed of at least a metal oxide, having a specific thickness. Gibbs free energy when the metal oxide is produced by oxidation of a metal is smaller than Gibbs free energy when silicon or tin is oxidized, and the metal oxide has higher thermodynamic stability than silicon oxide or tin oxide. The method of producing the electrode material includes reacting silicon or tin with a metal oxide, reacting a silicon oxide or a tin oxide with a metal, or reacting a silicon compound or a tin compound with a metal compound to react with each other.

Abstract: An electrode material for a lithium secondary battery which includes particles each having a central portion and a surface portion covering the surface of the central portion. The central portion occupies 80 to 99% of a distance from a center to an outermost surface of the particle and the surface portion occupies 20 to 1% of the distance. The central portion includes LiM1-aDaO2 (M represents Co or Ni, D represents a transition metal element or Al replacing a part of Co or Ni as M, and M is not the same as D) having an ?-NaFeO2 structure. The surface portion includes LiM1-bEbO2 (M represents Co or Ni, E represents a metal element replacing a part of Co or Ni as M, and M is not the same as E) having an ?-NaFeO2 structure. The content of element E in the central portion satisfies the relation of E/(M+D+E)<0.05 in terms of an atomic ratio, and the content of element D in the surface portion satisfies the relation of D/(M+D+E)<0.05 in terms of an atomic ratio.

Abstract: An electrode material for an anode of a rechargeable lithium battery, containing a particulate comprising an amorphous Sn.A.X alloy with a substantially non-stoichiometric ratio composition. For said formula Sn.A.X , A indicates at least one kind of an element selected from a group consisting of transition metal elements, X indicates at least one kind of an element selected from a group consisting of O, F, N, Mg, Ba, Sr, Ca, La, Ce, Si, Ge, C, P, B, Pb, Bi, Sb, Al, Ga, In, Tl, Zn, Be, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, As, Se, Te, Li and S, where the element X is not always necessary to be contained. The content of the constituent element Sn of the amorphous Sn.A.X alloy is Sn/(Sn+A+X)=20 to 80 atomic %.

Abstract: There is provided a lithium secondary battery having a high capacity and excellent high-rate discharge characteristic and charge/discharge cycle characteristic. The lithium secondary battery comprises a negative electrode, a positive electrode and an ionic conductor, wherein the positive electrode comprises lithium metal composite oxide particles; the lithium metal composite oxide particles comprise a plurality of secondary particles in an elongated shape each comprised of a plurality of primary particles with an average particle size of 0.1 to 1 ?m so aggregated as to form a void therebetween; and the secondary particle is columnar or planar and has an average size in a long length direction of 5 to 15 ?m.

Abstract: There is provided a lithium secondary battery having a high capacity and excellent high-rate discharge characteristic and charge/discharge cycle characteristic. The lithium secondary battery comprises a negative electrode, a positive electrode and an ionic conductor, wherein the positive electrode comprises lithium metal composite oxide particles; the lithium metal composite oxide particles comprise a plurality of secondary particles in an elongated shape each comprised of a plurality of primary particles with an average particle size of 0.1 to 1 ?m so aggregated as to form a void therebetween; and the secondary particle is columnar or planar and has an average size in a long length direction of 5 to 15 ?m.

Abstract: The electrode material for a lithium secondary battery according to the present invention includes particles of a solid state alloy having silicon as a main component, wherein the particles of the solid state alloy have a microcrystal or amorphous material including an element other than silicon, dispersed in microcrystalline silicon or amorphized silicon. The solid state alloy preferably contains a pure metal or a solid solution. The composition of the alloy preferably has an element composition in which the alloy is completely mixed in a melted liquid state, whereby the alloy has a single phase in a melted liquid state without presence of two or more phases. The element composition can be determined by the kind of elements constituting the alloy and an atomic ratio of the elements.

Abstract: A powder material comprising a compound which electrochemically intercalates and deintercalates a lithium ion. The powder material is comprised mainly of a compound containing at least an oxygen element, a sulfur element and at least one transition metal element.

Abstract: A thin rechargeable lithium battery having a battery main body enclosed between sealing members (a) and (b), at least sealing member (a) having a concave portion that extends to either side from a central position so as to have a peripheral collar portion (a-i) which surrounds the concave portion, sealing member (b) having a peripheral collar portion (b-i) corresponding to the collar portion (a-i) of sealing member (a) and the two sealing members (a) and (b) being opposingly arranged such that the face of said concave portion of sealing member (a) faces sealing member (b) through the battery main body, wherein collar portions (a-i) and (b-i) are mutually welded, and either sealing member (a) or (b) is provided with a power output terminal having electrical continuity with the battery main body and an insulating portion for insulating said terminal.

Abstract: A carbonaceous particle is provided which comprises a hexagonal flake formed of an aggregate of a plurality of nanocarbons and having a side length of 0.1 to 100 mm and a thickness of 10 nm to 1 mm. Thereby, a carbonaceous particle is provided which has an excellent electron emission performance, has a high electron conductivity, shows excellent characteristics particularly when used for a secondary battery, and can suitably be applied to various devices other than a secondary battery as well.