Abstract: A lithium iron phosphate cathode material has high electron conductivity and high lithium ion conductivity, in other words, has excellent performance as an electrode material, which is provided by a carbon coating formed using a small amount of a carbon material. A method for producing the lithium iron phosphate cathode material is also provided. In particular, a lithium iron phosphate cathode material has primary particles of lithium iron phosphate coated with a conductive carbon cover layer. The conductive carbon cover layer is characterized by having thick layer portions with a thickness of 2 nm or greater and thin layer portions with a thickness of smaller than 2 nm.

Abstract: A negative electrode 10 for a nonaqueous secondary battery has an active material layer 12 containing active material particles 12a. The particles 12a are coated at least partially with a metallic material 13 having low capability of lithium compound formation. The active material layer 12 has voids located between the metallic material-coated particles 12a with a void fraction of 15% to 45%. The metallic material 13 on the surface of the particles is preferably present throughout the thickness of the active material layer. The active material particles 12a are preferably of a silicon-based material. The active material layer 12 preferably contains 1% to 3% by weight of an electroconductive carbon material based on the weight of the active material particles 12a.

Abstract: [Object] A safe hydrogen storage tank in a highly reliable form where it is difficult for fatigue failure to occur is provided as a hydrogen storage tank where a cartridge is filled with a hydrogen occluding substance and contained within an integrally molded liner made of a metal.

Abstract: A negative electrode 10 for a nonaqueous secondary battery, has an active material layer 2 containing active material particles 2a. The active material layer 2 has a metallic material 4 deposited among the particles by electroplating. The negative electrode 10 has a large number of holes 5 open on at least one side thereof and extending through the thickness of the active material layer. The negative electrode 10 further has a pair of current collecting layers 3a and 3b adapted to be brought into contact with an electrolyte. The active material layer 2 is between the current collecting layers 3a and 3b. The holes 5 open on the negative electrode 10 preferably have an opening area ratio of 0.3% to 30%. At least one of the pair of the current collecting layers 3a and 3b preferably has a thickness of 0.3 to 10 ?m.

Abstract: A nonaqueous secondary battery having a negative electrode containing a silicon active material and a nonaqueous solvent containing a fluorine-containing solvent. The active material layer has a fluorine content of 5 to 30 wt % based on the silicon content after at least 100 charge/discharge cycles at a rate of 50% or more of the battery's capacity. The battery is suitably produced by a method including applying a slurry containing silicon active material particles to a current collector, electroplating the resulting coating layer using a plating bath at a pH higher than 7 to coat at least part of the surface of the particles with copper, acid washing the coating layer to make a negative electrode, assembling the negative electrode together with a positive electrode, a separator, and a nonaqueous electrolyte containing a fluorine-containing solvent into a nonaqueous secondary battery, and subjecting the battery to a first charge operation at a low rate of 0.005 to 0.03 C.

Abstract: A negative electrode 1 for nonaqueous secondary batteries characterized by having an active material layer 5 and a metallic lithium layer 3 both between a pair of current collecting surface layers 4. The negative electrode 1 has two negative electrode precursors 2 each composed of the current collecting surface layer 4 and the active material layer 5 on one side of the surface layer 4. The two negative electrode precursors 2 are united with their active material layers 5 facing each other and with the metallic lithium layer 3 sandwiched therebetween. A metallic material having low capability of forming a lithium compound penetrates through the whole thickness of the active material layer 5.

Abstract: A negative electrode (10) for use in a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprises an active material layer (12) containing a particle (12a) of an active material. At least a part of the surface of the particle (12a) is coated with a metal material (13) having a poor ability of forming a lithium compound. A void is formed between the particles (12a) that are coated with the metal material (13). The active material layer has a void ratio of 15 to 45%. Preferably, the metal material (13) is present over the entire area of such a part of the surface of the particle that extends in the thickness-wise direction of the active material layer. Also preferably, the particle (12a) of the active material is composed of a silicone material, and the active material layer (12) contains a conductive carbon material in an amount of 1 to 3% by weight relative to the weight amount of the particle (12a) of the active material.

Abstract: A negative electrode 10 for a nonaqueous secondary battery includes an active material layer 12 containing active material particles 12a. The active material particles 12a are coated at least partially with a metallic material 13 having low capability of forming a lithium compound. The active material layer 12 has voids formed between the metallic material-coated active material particles 12a. The metallic material 13 has an average crystallite size of 0.01 to 1 ?m and covers 5% to 95% of the surface of the particles 12a. The metallic material covering the surface of the particles preferably has a thickness of 0.05 to 2 ?m on average.

Abstract: An electrode (10) characterized by an output terminal (9) being led out from the surface of a part where an active substance layer (3) exists when viewed from the thickness direction of the electrode. Active substance contained in the active substance layer (3) preferably comprises a material having a low electron conductivity. The electrode (10) preferably comprises a pair of current collecting surface layers (4) having a surface touching electrolyte, and at least one active substance layer (3) containing particles (2) of an active substance having a high lithium compound forming power and interposed between the surface layers (4). In the active substance layer (3), a metal material having a low lithium compound forming power permeates between the particles of active substance and the opposite sides are conducting electrically. The entire electrode preferably has a current collecting function as a whole.

Abstract: A process of producing a nonaqueous secondary battery comprising the steps of disposing a separator between a member containing a silicon-based material and a positive electrode, together with interposing a metallic lithium layer between the separator and the member to obtain an assembly, and aging the resulting assembly for a prescribed period of time to alloy lithium with the silicon-based material. Lithium alloying is preferably performed to a degree such that the amount of lithium in the silicon-based material is 5% to 50% based on the theoretical initial charge capacity of silicon. When the positive electrode has a lithium-containing active material for positive electrode, lithium alloying is preferably performed to a degree satisfying formula (1): 4.

Abstract: An anode for a nonaqueous secondary battery comprising a current collector having formed thereon a first covering layer containing tin, a tin alloy, aluminum or an aluminum alloy and a second covering layer containing a metal having low capability of forming a lithium compound in that order. The anode may have an additional first covering layer formed on the second covering layer. A covering layer containing a copper etc. may be formed as an uppermost layer. Each layer can be formed by heat treating to get desired property. As heat treatment can be done in a short time, it has a great cost merit.

Abstract: [Object] A safe hydrogen storage tank in a highly reliable form where it is difficult for fatigue failure to occur is provided as a hydrogen storage tank where a cartridge is filled with a hydrogen occluding substance and contained within an integrally molded liner made of a metal.

Abstract: A cylindrical reinforcing collar is fitted onto a cylindrical gas discharge section of a tank body and then engaged integrally on the exterior of the tank body between the cylindrical gas discharge section and the dome section by shrink fitting. This provides, easily and inexpensively, a high-pressure tank capable of withstanding high pressures of 35 to 75 MPa while keeping its lightness in weight.

Abstract: A negative electrode for nonaqueous secondary batteries is disclosed. The negative electrode has a pair of current collecting surface layers of which the surfaces are adapted to be brought into contact with an electrolyte and at least one active material layer interposed between the surface layers. The active material layer contains particles of an active material having high capability of forming a lithium compound. The material constituting the surfaces is preferably present over the whole thickness of the active material layer to electrically connect the surfaces so that the electrode exhibits a current collecting function as a whole. The surface layers each preferably have a thickness of 0.3 to 10 ?m.

Abstract: An anode for nonaqueous secondary batteries is disclosed. The anode has a pair of current collecting surface layers of which the surfaces are adapted to be brought into contact with an electrolytic solution and at least one active material layer interposed between the surface layers. The active material layer contains particles of an active material having high capability of forming a lithium compound. The material constituting the surfaces is preferably present over the whole thickness of the active material layer to electrically connect the surfaces so that the electrode exhibits a current collecting function as a whole. The surface layers each preferably have a thickness of 0.3 to 10 ?m.

Abstract: A negative electrode 10 for a nonaqueous secondary battery, has an active material layer 2 containing active material particles 2a. The active material layer 2 has a metallic material 4 deposited among the particles by electroplating. The negative electrode 10 has a large number of holes 5 open on at least one side thereof and extending through the thickness of the active material layer. The negative electrode 10 further has a pair of current collecting layers 3a and 3b adapted to be brought into contact with an electrolyte. The active material layer 2 is between the current collecting layers 3a and 3b. The holes 5 open on the negative electrode 10 preferably have an opening area ratio of 0.3% to 30%. At least one of the pair of the current collecting layers 3a and 3b preferably has a thickness of 0.3 to 10 ?m.

Abstract: Disclosed is a negative electrode for a nonaqueous secondary battery included of a current collector and an active material structure containing an electro-conductive material having low capability of forming a lithium compound on at least one side of the current collector, the active material structure containing 5 to 80% by weight of active material particles containing a material having high capability of forming a lithium compound. The active material structure preferably has an active material layer containing the active material particles and a surface coating layer formed on the active material layer.

Abstract: A negative electrode 1 for nonaqueous secondary batteries characterized by having an active material layer 5 and a metallic lithium layer 3 both between a pair of current collecting surface layers 4. The negative electrode 1 has two negative electrode precursors 2 each composed of the current collecting surface layer 4 and the active material layer 5 on one side of the surface layer 4. The two negative electrode precursors 2 are united with their active material layers 5 facing each other and with the metallic lithium layer 3 sandwiched therebetween. A metallic material having low capability of forming a lithium compound penetrates through the whole thickness of the active material layer 5.

Abstract: Disclosed is a negative electrode for a nonaqueous secondary battery comprised of a current collector and an active material structure containing an electro-conductive material having low capability of forming a lithium compound on at least one side of the current collector, the active material structure containing 5 to 80% by weight of active material particles containing a material having high capability of forming a lithium compound. The active material structure preferably has an active material layer containing the active material particles and a surface coating layer formed on the active material layer.

Abstract: An anode for a nonaqueous secondary battery comprising a current collector having formed thereon a first covering layer containing tin, a tin alloy, aluminum or an aluminum alloy and a second covering layer containing a metal having low capability of forming a lithium compound in that order. The anode may have an additional first covering layer formed on the second covering layer. A covering layer containing a copper etc. may be formed as an uppermost layer. Each layer can be formed by heat treating to get desired property. As heat treatment can be done in a short time, it has a great cost merit.