Abstract: A positive electrode sheet for air batteries according to an embodiment of this invention comprises a waved fibrous carbon and has a BET method specific surface area in a range of 300 to 1200 m2/g, a 5 to 1000 nm-diameter pore surface area in a range of 200 to 600 m2/g, a 0.1 to 10 ?m-diameter pore volume in a range of more than 2.0 to no more than 10.0 cm3/g, a 2 to 1000 nm-diameter pore volume in a range of 1.0 to 5.0 cm3/g, and a sheet density in a range of 0.05 to 0.23 g/cm3.

Abstract: The present invention addresses the problem of providing: a porous carbon structure that has a high micropore volume and can be self-contained; a manufacturing method therefor; a positive electrode material using the same; and a battery (particularly an air battery) using the same. The present invention is a porous carbon structure that is for a positive electrode for an air battery and has voids and a skeleton formed by incorporating carbon, the porous carbon structure satisfying all of the following conditions (a) to (d). (a) The t-plot external specific surface area is within the range of 300m2/g to 1600m2/g; (b) the total volume of micropores having a diameter of lnm to 200 nm is within the range of 1.2 cm3/g to 7.0cm3/g; (c) the total volume of micropores having a diameter of lnm to 1000 nm is within the range of 2.3cm3/g to 10.0 cm3/g; and (d) the overall porosity is within the range of 80% to 99%.

Abstract: The present invention has for its object to provide a non-aqueous electrolyte for lithium air batteries capable of simultaneously holding back positive electrode overvoltage, reactions of the negative electrode with the electrolyte and dendrite growth during charging thereby making an improvement in the output performance, and a lithium air battery using the same. The invention provides a non-aqueous electrolyte for lithium air batteries, containing an organic solvent and a lithium salt. The lithium salt contains at least LiX (where X stands for Br and/or I) and lithium nitrate. The molar concentration (mol/L) of LiX in the non-aqueous electrolyte satisfies a range of no less than 0.005 to no greater than 2.0, and the molar concentration (mol/L) of the lithium nitrate in the non-aqueous electrolyte satisfies a range of greater than 0.1 to no greater than 2.0.

Abstract: The present invention has for its object to provide a non-aqueous electrolyte for lithium air batteries capable of simultaneously holding back positive electrode overvoltage, reactions of the negative electrode with the electrolyte and dendrite growth during charging thereby making an improvement in the output performance, and a lithium air battery using the same. The invention provides a non-aqueous electrolyte for lithium air batteries, containing an organic solvent and a lithium salt. The lithium salt contains at least LiX (where X stands for Br and/or I) and lithium nitrate. The molar concentration (mol/L) of LiX in the non-aqueous electrolyte satisfies a range of no less than 0.005 to no greater than 2.0, and the molar concentration (mol/L) of the lithium nitrate in the non-aqueous electrolyte satisfies a range of greater than 0.1 to no greater than 2.0.

Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing a base material powder having a carbon nanocoating layer, the method including adding a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon to a base material powder, heating the mixture to a temperature that is higher than or equal to the boiling point of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and is lower than or equal to the relevant boiling point temperature+300° C., and that is higher than or equal to the thermal decomposition temperature of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, and thereby coating the surface of the base material powder with a layer of carbon having a thickness of 0.1 nm to 10 nm.

Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing a base material powder having a carbon nanocoating layer, the method including adding a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon to a base material powder, heating the mixture to a temperature that is higher than or equal to the boiling point of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and is lower than or equal to the relevant boiling point temperature +300° C., and that is higher than or equal to the thermal decomposition temperature of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, and thereby coating the surface of the base material powder with a layer of carbon having a thickness of 0.1 nm to 10 nm.

Abstract: A containment vessel of a thin lithium-air battery with improved safety is provided. By using the containment vessel, an explosive reaction (ignition) of the electrolyte including lithium metal or ion can be suppressed. The containment vessel (1001) includes: a containment chamber (201) containing the thin lithium-air battery (101). It further includes: a first gas pipe (202B) and a second gas pipe (202D) communicated with an inside of the containment chamber (201); a third gas pipe (202A) and a fourth gas pipe (202C) communicated with an inside of the thin lithium-air battery (101); and a valve (204C) that is provided to the third gas pipe (202A) and controls opening and closing of communication to the containment chamber (201), wherein an inert gas supply source is provided to the first gas pipe (202B), and an air or oxygen supply source is provided to the third gas pipe (202A).

Abstract: A containment vessel of a thin lithium-air battery with improved safety is provided. By using the containment vessel, an explosive reaction (ignition) of the electrolyte including lithium metal or ion can be suppressed. The containment vessel (1001) includes: a containment chamber (201) containing the thin lithium-air battery (101). It further includes: a first gas pipe (202B) and a second gas pipe (202D) communicated with an inside of the containment chamber (201); a third gas pipe (202A) and a fourth gas pipe (202C) communicated with an inside of the thin lithium-air battery (101); and a valve (204C) that is provided to the third gas pipe (202A) and controls opening and closing of communication to the containment chamber (201), wherein an inert gas supply source is provided to the first gas pipe (202B), and an air or oxygen supply source is provided to the third gas pipe (202A).

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing carbon nanohorns includes a production chamber configured to irradiate a solid carbon material with a laser beam to produce a product containing carbon nanohorns; and a separation mechanism configured to separate the product produced in the production chamber into a lightweight component and a heavyweight component. The heavyweight component includes carbon nanohorn aggregate with high purity, and high-purity carbon nanotubes can be obtained by collecting the heavyweight component.

Abstract: An adhesive layer 3 is disposed between a carbon particle 2 and a catalyst substance 1 of a catalyst-supporting particle for a fuel cell containing the carbon particle 2 and the catalyst substance 1. Thereby, the catalyst-supporting particle for fuel cell can be obtained in which a contact resistance between the catalyst substance and the carbon particle supporting the same is lower, and the aggregation of the catalyst substance is suppressed. A catalyst electrode for a fuel cell and the fuel cell using the above particle have a higher output power and an excellent durability.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to downsize a fuel cell, and to stably supply fuel to a fuel electrode. According to the present invention, the above described object is attained by providing a vaporized fuel container 1518 communicated with a liquid fuel container 1517 via a gas liquid separating film 1519 in the fuel cell 1516, in which a liquid fuel 124 supplied to a fuel electrode 102 is stored.

Abstract: A fuel cell is provided which can supply the stable power and has higher reliability and a longer period of life without the influence of the circumstances and the operation conditions. An absorbent disposed near an oxidant electrode of a fuel cell including a fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode approaches to the vicinity of or is in contact with the oxidant electrode surface or departs from the oxidant electrode. Thereby, the absorbent removes moisture on the oxidant electrode so that the fuel cell which can supply the stable power with the higher reliability and the longer period of life can be provided.

Abstract: In an Mn-containing perovskite oxide which is a conventional phase-change substance (A1?xBx)MnO3, when the mixing amount x is increased, the transition temperature (Tc) is shifted to higher temperature side, but the slope of a change in the emittance become gentle and ?? (? at higher temperature?? at lower temperature) also become small. In the present invention, the compositional formula of the phase-change substance is the Mn-containing perovskite oxide represented by (A1?xBx)Mn1+yO3 with 0<y in which the Mn ratio is changed from stoichiometric composition, thereby shifting the transition temperature (Tc) to a higher temperature with the emittance characteristic thereof comparable to that of the phase-change substance having the composition which is not changed from stoichiometric composition.

Abstract: An adhesion layer containing a second solid polymer electrolyte is disposed between a solid polymer electrolyte membrane and a fuel electrode and/or an oxidant electrode containing a first solid polymer electrolyte and a catalyst substance. The solid polymer electrolyte membrane and the adhesion layer are made of the same solid polymer electrolyte. In this manner, the adhesion at the interface between the electrode surface and the solid polymer electrolyte membrane is enhanced to implement the elevation of the cell characteristics and the elevation of the reliability of the cell.

Abstract: The operability of a fuel cell which uses a fuel cartridge housing a liquid fuel is improved. A fuel cartridge 1400 houses a liquid fuel 124. The fuel cartridge 1400 includes a gas-liquid separation film 1408 which divides a fuel housing section 1402 into a liquid housing chamber 1402a and a gas housing chamber 1402b. A fuel gas, which is the vaporized liquid fuel, is housed in the gas housing chamber 1402b. A gas exhaust pipe 1410 is connected to the gas housing chamber 1402b, and the fuel gas housed in the gas housing chamber 1402b is discharged to outside the fuel cartridge 1400 via a gas discharge port 1414.

Abstract: A fuel cell (100) which has an electrode-electrolyte joined article (101) composed of a fuel electrode (102), an oxidizing agent electrode (108) and, sandwiched thereby, a solid polymer electrolyte (114), characterized in that a separation film (330) comprising a material exhibiting an oxygen/nitrogen separation factor of more than 1 is provided on the surface of an oxidizing agent electrode side current collector (110) constituting the oxidizing agent electrode (108). The fuel cell is a liquid fuel supply type of fuel cell which has a simple structure and also is capable of supplying satisfactory oxygen to an oxidizing agent electrode.

Abstract: A fuel cartridge in a fuel cell is constructed so as to be removably mounted to a fuel cell body. The fuel cartridge is constructed so that a high-concentration fuel tank and a mixing tank are detachably connected at a fitting section. A low-concentration fuel, a recovered fuel recovered from a fuel container, and a high-concentration fuel in the high-concentration fuel tank are mixed in the mixing tank to be a fuel at a predetermined concentration of fuel component, and then the fuel is supplied to the fuel container.

Abstract: A fuel cell (100) is mounted with a fuel cartridge (1220) in a detachable manner. The fuel cartridge (1220) is provided with a connecting part (1225) and the fuel cell (100) is provided with a fitting part (1205) into which the connecting part (1225) is fitted. The fuel cell (100) identifies the fitted fuel cartridge (1220).

Abstract: A liquid fuel supply type fuel cell is provided in which water present in the oxidizer electrode is promptly removed and evaporated, thereby achieving high output. A fuel cell electrode and methods for manufacturing the same are also provided. In a fuel cell, a base material is provided with a hydrophobic layer on the surface in contact with a catalyst layer for discharging water promptly, and a hydrophilic layer from the hydrophobic layer towards the outside of the cell for evaporating water which has passed through the hydrophobic layer from the surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing carbon nanohorns includes a production chamber configured to irradiate a solid carbon material with a laser beam to produce a product containing carbon nanohorns; and a separation mechanism configured to separate the product produced in the production chamber into a lightweight component and a heavyweight component. The heavyweight component includes carbon nanohorn aggregate with high purity, and high-purity carbon nanotubes can be obtained by collecting the heavyweight component.