Abstract: A positive electrode active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is provided, which can establish both high capacity and high output when used for a positive electrode material. A positive electrode active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprises primary particles of a lithium-nickel composite oxide represented by the following general formula (1) and secondary particles composed by aggregation of the primary particles, wherein a 1-nm to 200-nm thick film containing W and Li is present on the surface of the primary particles, and a c-axis length in the LiNi composite oxide crystal ranges from 14.183 to 14.205 angstroms. General formula: LibNi1-x-yCoxMyO2??(1) (In the formula, M is at least one type of element selected from Mg, Al, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Nb, Zr and Mo, and 0.95?b?1.03, 0<x?0.15, 0<y?0.07, and x+y?0.16 are satisfied.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, the method including: a mixing step of obtaining a W-containing mixture of Li-metal composite oxide particles represented by the formula: LizNi1-x-yCoxMyO2 and composed of primary particles and secondary particles formed by aggregation of the primary particles, 2 mass % or more of water with respect to the oxide particles, and a W compound or a W compound and a Li compound, the W-containing mixture having a molar ratio of the total amount of Li contained in the water and the solid W compound, or the W compound and the Li compound of 1.5 or more and less than 3.0 with respect to the amount of W contained therein; and a heat treatment step of heating the W-containing mixture to form lithium tungstate on the surface of the primary particles.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, the method including: a mixing step of obtaining a W-containing mixture of Li metal composite oxide particles represented by the formula: LizNi1-x-yCOxMyO2 and composed of primary particles and secondary particles formed by aggregation of the primary particles, 2 mass % or more of water with respect to the oxide particles, and a W compound or a W compound and a Li compound, the W-containing mixture having a molar ratio of the total amount of Li contained in water and the solid W compound or the W compound and the Li compound of 3 to 5 with respect to the amount of W contained therein; and a heat treatment step of heating the W-containing mixture to form lithium tungstate on the surface of the primary particles of the Li metal composite oxide particles.

Abstract: Provided is a positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries that is represented by the general formula (1): LiaNi1-x-yCoxMyWzO2+? (where 0?x?0.35, 0?y?0.35, 0.0008?z?0.030, 0.97?a?1.25, and 0???0.20, and M is at least one element selected from Mn, V, Mg, Mo, Nb, Ti, and Al) and is constituted by a Li-metal composite oxide composed of primary particles and secondary particles formed by aggregation of the primary particles, wherein a compound including Li and W is formed on the surface of the primary particles of the composite oxide and the amount of W contained in the compound is such that the number of atoms of W is 0.08 to 0.30 at % with respect to the total number of atoms of Ni, Co, and M contained in the positive electrode active material.

Abstract: Provided is a positive electrode active material that is capable of simultaneously improving the battery capacity, output characteristics and cycling characteristics of a secondary battery. When obtaining a transition metal-containing composite hydroxide that is a precursor to the positive electrode active material, by adjusting the pH value of a reaction aqueous solution to be within the range 12.0 to 14.0 and performing generation of nuclei (nucleation), and then adjusting the pH value of the reaction aqueous solution to be within the range 10.5 to 12.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing the positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, including a first step of mixing a Li-metal composite oxide powder which is represented by the general formula: LizNi1-x-yCoxMyO2 (where 0?x?0.35, 0?y?0.35, and 0.97?z?1.30 are satisfied, and M is at least one element selected from Mn, V, Mg, Mo, Nb, Ti and Al) and constituted by primary particles and secondary particles, to an alkaline solution with a W compound dissolved therein, and immersing a resulting mixture, followed by solid-liquid separation, to obtain a W mixture with W uniformly dispersed on the surface of the primary particles of the composite oxide, and a second step of heat-treating the W mixture to thereby form a compound containing W and Li on the surface of the primary particles of the composite oxide powder.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide: an alkaline earth metal silicate phosphor to which Eu is added as an activator, and which has an emission peak wavelength of 600 nm or more, high luminance and excellent color rendering properties; and a method for producing the alkaline earth metal silicate phosphor. An alkaline earth metal silicate phosphor of the present invention is represented by composition formula (1) and having an emission peak wavelength of 600 nm or more and a circularity of 85% or more. Composition formula (1): (SraCabBacEud)2SieOf (in the formula, a, b, c, d, e and f satisfy 0.4<a<0.6, 0.4<b<0.6, 0.01<c<0.05, 0.01?d<0.4,0.7?e?1.3, 3.0?f?5.0 and a+b+c+d=1).

Abstract: A method for producing a positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, includes: a mixing step of adding a W compound powder having a solubility A adjusted to 2.0 g/L or less to a Li-metal composite oxide powder and stirring in water washing of the composite oxide powder, the solubility A being determined by stirring the W compound in water having a pH of 12.5 at 25° C. for 20 minutes, the composite oxide powder being represented by the formula: LicNi1-x-yCoxMyO2 and composed of primary and secondary particles, followed by solid-liquid separation, to thereby obtain a tungsten-containing mixture with the tungsten compound dispersed in the composite oxide powder; and a heat-treating step of heat-treating the mixture to uniformly disperse W on the surface of primary particles and thereby form a compound containing W and Li from the W and Li in the mixture, on the surface of primary particles.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, including: a water-washing step of mixing, with water, Li—Ni composite oxide particles represented by the formula: LizNi1-x-yCoxMyO2 and composed of primary particles and secondary particles formed by aggregation of the primary particles to water-wash it, and performing solid-liquid separation to obtain a washed cake; a mixing step of mixing a W compound powder free from Li with the washed cake to obtain a W-containing mixture; and a heat treatment step of heating the W-containing mixture, the heat treatment step including: a first heat treatment step of heating the W-containing mixture to disperse W on the surface of the primary particles; and subsequently, a second heat treatment step of heating it at a higher temperature than in the first heat treatment step to form a lithium tungstate compound on the surface of the primary particles.

Abstract: Provided is a positive electrode active material that can be used to fabricate a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery having excellent output characteristics not only in an environment at normal temperature but also in all temperature environments from extremely low to high temperatures. A positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, the positive electrode active material includes a boron compound and lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese composite oxide of general formula (1) having a layered hexagonal crystal structure. The lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese composite oxide includes secondary particles composed of agglomerated primary particles. The boron compound is present on at least part of the surface of the primary particles, and contains lithium.

Abstract: A positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, including primary particles of a lithium nickel composite oxide represented by the formula: LibNi1-x-yCoxMyO2 wherein M represents at least one element selected from Mg, Al, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Nb, Zr and Mo; b represents a number satisfying 0.95?b?1.03; and x represents a number satisfying 0<x?0.15 and y represents a number satisfying 0<y?0.07, wherein the sum total of x and y is 0.16 or smaller, i.e., x+y?0.16) and secondary particles that are aggregates of the primary particles, wherein microparticles containing W and Li are present on the surface of each of the primary particles, and the length of axis-c of the lithium nickel composite oxide is 14.183 angstroms or more as determined by a Rietveld analysis of X-ray diffraction data on the oxide.

Abstract: Provided are a method for producing a Cu—Ga alloy powder, by which a high quality Cu—Ga alloy powder to be produced readily; a Cu—Ga alloy powder; a method for producing a Cu—Ga alloy sputtering target; and a Cu—Ga alloy sputtering target. Specifically, a Cu—Ga alloy powder is produced by stirring a mixed powder containing a Cu powder and a Ga in a mass ratio of 85:15 to 55:45 at a temperature of 30 to 700° C. in an inert atmosphere thereby accomplishing alloying. Also a Cu—Ga alloy sputtering target is produced by molding the Cu—Ga alloy powder followed by sintering.

Abstract: To provide a method for producing a positive electrode active material that does not impair the original battery characteristics of the positive electrode active material, improves water resistance, and can suppress the gelation of a positive electrode mixture material paste. A method for producing a positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries includes a mixing step of preparing a mixture including fine carbon particles, an organic dispersant, a hydrophobic coat forming agent, an organic solvent, and positive electrode active material particles, a drying step of drying the mixture to obtain the mixture containing the organic solvent in a reduced amount, and a heat treatment step of heat-treating the mixture containing the organic solvent in the reduced amount to obtain a coated positive electrode active material.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide: an alkaline earth metal silicate phosphor to which Eu is added as an activator, and which has an emission peak wavelength of 600 nm or more, high luminance and excellent color rendering properties; and a method for producing the alkaline earth metal silicate phosphor. An alkaline earth metal silicate phosphor of the present invention is represented by composition formula (1) and having an emission peak wavelength of 600 nm or more and a circularity of 85% or more. Composition formula (1): (SraCabBacEud)2SieOf (in the formula, a, b, c, d, e and f satisfy 0.4<a<0.6, 0.4<b<0.6, 0.01<c<0.05, 0.01?d<0.4, 0.7?e?1.3, 3.0?f?5.0 and a+b+c+d=1).

Abstract: Provided are a porous valve metal thin film having a great surface area, a method for the production thereof, and a thin film capacitor having a great capacity density utilizing the thin film as an anode. The porous valve metal thin film is produced by preparing a thin film in which a valve metal and a hetero-phase component have a particle diameter within a range of from 1 nm to 1 ?m and the valve metal and the hetero-phase component are uniformly distributed, subjecting the thin film to a heat treatment so as to adjust the particle diameter and to appropriately sinter the film, and removing the hetero-phase portion.

Abstract: Provided are a method for producing a Cu—Ga alloy powder, by which a high quality Cu—Ga alloy powder to be produced readily; a Cu—Ga alloy powder; a method for producing a Cu—Ga alloy sputtering target; and a Cu—Ga alloy sputtering target. Specifically, a Cu—Ga alloy powder is produced by stirring a mixed powder containing a Cu powder and a Ga in a mass ratio of 85:15 to 55:45 at a temperature of 30 to 700° C. in an inert atmosphere thereby accomplishing alloying. Also a Cu—Ga alloy sputtering target is produced by molding the Cu—Ga alloy powder followed by sintering.

Abstract: A porous valve metal thin film, a method for the production thereof, and a thin film capacitor utilizing the thin film as an anode. The porous valve metal thin film has an integral continuous structure that includes the valve metal, an outside surface, and micropores connected to the outside surface. The thin film has a surface area that is at least double a surface area of the outside surface if the outside surface of the thin film were flat. The valve metal is niobium, tantalum, a niobium alloy or a tantalum alloy and has a particle diameter within a range of 10 nm to 1 ?m. The micropores have pore diameters within a range of 10 nm to 1 ?m.

Abstract: Provided are a porous valve metal thin film having a great surface area, a method for the production thereof, and a thin film capacitor having a great capacity density utilizing the thin film as an anode. The porous valve metal thin film is produced by a method comprising: 1) a step of preparing a thin film in which a valve metal and a hetero-phase component have a particle diameter within a range of from 1 nm to 1 ?m, and the valve metal and the hetero-phase component are uniformly distributed; 2) a step of subjecting the thin film to a heat treatment so as to adjust the particle diameter and to appropriately sinter the film; and 3) a step of removing the hetero-phase portion.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing niobium and/or tantalum powder consisting of: a first-stage reduction process of reducing niobium and/or tantalum oxides with alkali metals and/or alkaline-earth metals to obtain low-grade oxide powder represented by (NbTa) Ox, where x=0.06 to 0.35, a process of removing the oxide of alkali metals and/or alkaline-earth metals generated in the first-stage reduction process, and a second-stage reduction process of reducing the low-grade oxide powder obtained in the first-stage reduction process, with a melt solution of alkali metals and alkaline-earth metals to obtain niobium and/or tantalum powder.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing niobium and/or tantalum powder consisting of: a first-stage reduction process of reducing niobium and/or tantalum oxides with alkali metals and/or alkaline-earth metals to obtain low-grade oxide powder represented by (NbTa) Ox, where x=0.06 to 0.35, a process of removing the oxide of alkali metals and/or alkaline-earth metals generated in the first-stage reduction process, and a second-stage reduction process of reducing the low-grade oxide powder obtained in the first-stage reduction process, with a melt solution of alkali metals and alkaline-earth metals to obtain niobium and/or tantalum powder.