Abstract: Electrode active materials comprising lithium or other alkali metals, a transition metal, a phosphate or similar moiety, and a halogen or hydroxyl moiety.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an anode material excellent in its charging and discharging characteristics and a secondary battery excellent in its charging and discharging cyclic characteristics. An anode active material is used for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery including an anode having the anode active material, a cathode having a cathode active material and a nonaqueous electrolyte. The capacity of the anode is expressed by the sum of a capacity component obtained when light metal is doped and dedoped in an ionic state and a capacity component obtained when the light metal is deposited and dissolved. The light metal includes an anode base material capable of doping and dedoping the light metal in an ionic state and a fibrous material having an electric conductivity.

Abstract: Sodium ion batteries are based on sodium based active materials selected among compounds of the general formula:

Abstract: A composition suitable for use as a cathode material of a lithium battery includes a core material having an empirical formula LixM′zNi1−yM″yO2. “x” is equal to or greater than about 0.1 and equal to or less than about 1.3. “y” is greater than about 0.0 and equal to or less than about 0.5. “z” is greater than about 0.0 and equal to or less than about 0.2. M′ is at least one member of the group consisting of sodium, potassium, nickel, calcium, magnesium and strontium. M″ is at least one member of the group consisting of cobalt, iron, manganese, chromium, vanadium, titanium, magnesium, silicon, boron, aluminum and gallium. A coating on the core has a greater ratio of cobalt to nickel than the core. The coating and, optionally, the core can be a material having an empirical formula Lix1Ax2Ni1−y1−z1Coy1Bz1Oa. “x1” is greater than about 0.1 and equal to or less than about 1.3.

Abstract: A pre-passivated electrode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising an uncharged current collecting substrate, an active material layer associated with the substrate, and a solid electrolyte interface layer associated with the active material layer. The pre-passivated electrode fabricated in accordance with the present invention exhibits, among other things, increased coulombic efficiency and capacity.

Abstract: A lithium-containing composite nitride with an alkaline metal or an alkaline earth metal added thereto is used as the negative electrode active material, or used as surface layers of core particles of a lithium-containing composite nitride, to provide a negative electrode material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery with large capacity and high reliability improved in oxidation and decomposition resistance property and thus capacity recovery property after overdischarge.

Abstract: Provided are methods of preparing a cathode/separator assembly for use in electrochemical cells in which a microporous separator layer is coated on a temporary carrier substrate and a cathode active layer is then coated or laminated on the separator layer prior to removing the temporary carrier substrate from the separator layer. The microporous separator layer may comprise one or more microporous xerogel layers. Optionally, the cathode/separator assembly may comprise one or more protective coating layers which are in contact with at least one of the microporous xerogel layers, and one of the protective coating layers may be coated on the temporary carrier substrate prior to coating the separator layer. Also, provided are methods of preparing electrochemical cells utilizing cathode/separator assemblies prepared by such methods, and cathode/separator assemblies and electrochemical cells prepared by such methods.

Abstract: A lithium secondary battery comprises a negative electrode containing lithium metal or a material previously storing lithium as an active material, a positive electrode containing a positive active material, and an electrolyte containing a non-aqueous electrolyte solution. The positive active material is a thin film formed by depositing on a substrate from vapor phase or liquid phase and including an oxide containing at least iron as a main constituent by a sputtering method, a reactive deposition method, a vacuum deposition method, a chemical vapor deposition method, a spraying method, a plating method, or a method in combination of these methods.

Abstract: A high capacity rechargeable lithium battery cell comprising a positive electrode member, a negative electrode member, and an interposed separator member providing an electrolyte includes an active electrode material comprising a crystalline nitride of a metal which be lithium-alloying, such Zn, or non-alloying, such as Cu. The metal nitride electrode materials effectively replace carbonaceous negative electrode materials in Li-ion cells, providing significantly improved stable gravimetric capacity ranging to about 450 mAh/g and volumetric capacity ranging to more than five-fold that of graphite.

Abstract: A method to reduce the initial irreversible capacity in an alkali metal-based electrochemical cell, and thus the necessity for the presence of an additional alkali metal source material in the cell comprising a pre-charging step performed by either electrochemical or chemical means.

Abstract: An electrode for use in an electrochemical cell comprising a current collector, an electrode active material layer, and means for substantially increasing surface compatibility between the electrode active material layer and at least one of the current collector and an associated electrolyte. The surface compatibility increasing means includes at least a portion of the electrode active material layer associated with an interface modifying component, such as the product of a hydrosilated allylether.

Abstract: Disclosed is a secondary battery in which the characteristic can be improved by optimizing the relation between the thickness of a positive electrode mixture layer and the thickness of a negative electrode mixture layer. The secondary battery comprises a rolled electrode body in which a band-shaped positive electrode and negative electrode are rolled with a separator in between. Lithium metal is to be precipitated in the negative electrode during charging. The capacity of the negative electrode is expressed by the sum of a capacity component by occluding/releasing lithium and a capacity component by precipitating/dissolving lithium metal. The ratio of the thickness of the positive electrode mixture layer to the thickness of the negative electrode mixture layer is 0.92 or more. Thereby, stable precipitation of lithium metal in the negative electrode can be achieved and a high energy density and an excellent cycle characteristic can be obtained.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell having a cathode and an anode in contact with an electrolyte. Both electrodes or one of them has an electrically conducting non-metal receptacle defining a chamber with a first metal having a melting point in the range of from about room temperature to about 800° C. inside said receptacle chamber. A second metal with a melting point greater than about 800° C. is in contact with the first metal inside the receptacle chamber and extends outside of the receptacle chamber to form a terminal for the anode. The electrolyte may include the oxides, halides or mixtures thereof of one or more of Li, V, U, Al and the lanthanides. Metal may be produced at the cathode during operation of the cell and oxygen or chlorine at the anode.

Abstract: An electrode active material composition containing a pyrolytic plasticizer, a polymer electrolytic matrix composition and a preparation method of a lithium ion polymer battery using the same are provided. Since a separate plasticizer extraction step using an organic solvent is not necessary, the preparation cost is reduced and the preparation process can be kept clean. In particular, since a uniform porosity plate can be fabricated after removing the plasticizer, a lithium ion polymer battery with improved high-rate charge and discharge characteristics can be prepared.

Abstract: An electrode component for an electrochemical cell or a capacitor is described wherein the electrode is produced by physical vapor depositing an electrode active material onto a substrate to coat the substrate. The thusly produced electrode is useful as a cathode in a primary electrochemical cell and as a cathode and an anode in a secondary cell, and as an electrode in an electrochemical capacitor and an electrolytic capacitor.

Abstract: A method for making a composite positive electrode material for use in electrochemical cells. The composite material includes a particle of positive electrode material and a conductive material at least partially embedded within the interior of the particle of positive electrode material.

Abstract: A thermal electrochemical cell having a LiAl anode with a salt additive in the range of 10% to 40%, a transition metal fluoride cathode and an alkali metal fluoride salt mixture electrolyte. Preferably, the cathode is CuF2 and the electrolyte is selected from the group consisting of LiF—KF, LiF—KF—NaF, LiF—RbF, LiF—KF—RbF, LiF—NaF—RbF, and LiF—KF—RbF.

Abstract: Disclosed is a polymer electrolyte battery affording a high capacity density in which a layer of electrode active material mixture containing a polymer has an adequately regulated porosity and/or polymer content. The battery includes a unitary laminated battery sheet composed of a negative electrode combined with positive electrodes, with a porous polymer separator being placed on both surfaces of the negative electrode. Each of the electrodes comprises a current collector and a layer of active material mixture disposed on both surfaces of the current collector, and the polymer is capable of absorbing and retaining nonaqueous electrolyte. The separator and the layer of electrode active material mixture have a porosity of 30 to 60%. Preferable polymer contents in the layer of active material mixture are in a range of 5 to 10 wt % for the positive electrode and in a range of 7 to 16 wt % for the negative electrode.

Abstract: A carbonaceous electrode having improved capacities for doping and dedoping of a cell active substance, such as lithium, and suitable for a non-aqueous solvent secondary battery, is constituted by a carbonaceous material having a true density as measured by a butanol substitution method of at most 1.46 g/cm3, a true density as measured by a helium substitution method of at least 1.7 g/cm3, a hydrogen-to-carbon atomic ratio H/C of at most 0.15 as measured according to elementary analysis, a BET specific surface area of at most 50 m2/g as measured by nitrogen adsorption BET method, and a carbon dioxide adsorption capacity of at least 10 ml/g. The carbonaceous material is advantageously produced by carbonizing an organic material originated from bamboo genera of family Gramineae, particularly genus Pleioblastus or Bambusa, at 1000-1400° C. under a reduced pressure or under a flowing inert gas stream to provide an appropriate porous structure.

Abstract: The development of a novel negative electrode material has led to the provision of a battery with a nonaqueous electrolyte which has a combination of a high discharge capacity with excellent cycling characteristics. The battery with a nonaqueous electrolyte comprises: a positive electrode; a negative electrode having a negative electrode active material capable of occluding and releasing an alkali metal; and a nonaqueous electrolyte. The negative electrode active material contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of group 4B elements and group 5B elements and has at least one crystal structure selected from the group consisting of BiF3 structure, Cu2MnAl structure, and AgAsMg structure. And the negative electrode active material contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Si, Ge, Sn, P, Sb and Bi and has at least one crystal structure selected from the group consisting of BiF3 structure, Cu2MnAl structure, and AgAsMg structure.

Abstract: A method for forming lithium electrodes having protective layers involves plating lithium between a lithium ion conductive protective layer and a current collector of an “electrode precursor.” The electrode precursor is formed by depositing the protective layer on a very smooth surface of a current collector. The protective layer is a glass such as lithium phosphorus oxynitride and the current collector is a conductive sheet such as a copper sheet. During plating, lithium ions move through the protective layer and a lithium metal layer plates onto the surface of the current collector. The resulting structure is a protected lithium electrode. To facilitate uniform lithium plating, the electrode precursor may include a “wetting layer” which coats the current collector.

Abstract: A material for a negative electrode capable of preventing change in the volume of an active material occurring when lithium is doped/dedoped to improve resistance against cycle operations. A material for a negative electrode contains a mixture of a non-carbon material and a carbon material, wherein when an assumption is made that the average particle size of the non-carbon material is RM and the average particle size of the carbon material is RC, the ratio RM/RC is not higher than one, and when an assumption is made that the weight of the non-carbon material is WM and the weight of the carbon is WC, the ratio WM/WC is not higher than one or a mixture of a silicon compound and a carbon material, wherein when an assumption is made that the average particle size of the silicon compound is RSi and the average particle size of the carbon material is RC, the ratio RSi/RC is not higher than one.

Abstract: A layered structure manganese dioxide (MnO2) of which oxide lattices are in the pattern of pseudo-hexagonal close packing ( . . . AABB . . . ) and has hexagonal P63/mmc space group or orthorhombic Cmcm space group. The present invention also provides a process for producing said layered structure manganese dioxide (MnO2) which comprises heat treating a mixture of an alkali metal compound and a manganese compound at a high temperature. During the process, bismuth compounds or lead compounds may be added in order to stabilize the layered crystal structure of MnO2, or lithium compounds may be added in order to improve the reversibility of charge and discharge. The layered structure MnO2 is suitable for use as a cathode material in lithium rechargeable cells, since it does not transform into a spinel phase during charge and discharge cycling, thus having an excellent charging and discharging reversibility.

Abstract: A positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery is provided. The positive active material is characterized by formulas 1 or 2. The positive active material exhibits good cycle life characteristics and high capacity. LiaNi1−(x+y+z)CoxMyNzOb  (1) (where 0.95≦a≦1.05, 0.01≦x+y≦0.5, 0<y≦0.1, 0≦z≦0.05, 1.7≦b ≦2.3, M is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of La and Ce, and N is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Mg and Sr.) LiaNbNi1−(x+y)CoxMyOz  (2) (where 0.95≦a+b≦1.05, 0≦b≦0.5, 0.01≦x+y≦0.5, <0≦0.1, 1.7≦z ≦2.3, M is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of La and Ce, and N is Mg.

Abstract: A carbon-based material containing an allotrope of carbon, such as single-walled carbon nanotubes, is capable of accepting and intercalated alkali metal. The material exhibits a reversible capacity ranging from approximately 650 mAh/g-1,000 mAh/g. The high capacity of the material makes it attractive for a number of applications, such as a battery electrode material. A method of producing a single-walled carbon nanotube material includes purifying an as-recovered nanotube material, and depositing the purified material onto a conductive substrate. The coated substrate is incorporated into an electrochemical cell, an its ability to accept intercalated materials, such as an alkali metal (e.g.—lithium) is measured.

Abstract: An electrode composition that includes an electrode material consisting essentially of a plurality of electrochemically active metal elements in which the electrode material has a microstructure comprising these elements in the form of a mixture that is essentially free of domains measuring greater than about 1000 angstroms.

Abstract: A battery apparatus comprising a casing, at least two stacked lithium ion cells a member for maximizing the utilization of the casing and a member for precluding inadvertent deformation of the casing. The casing includes a non-uniform inner periphery. Each of at least two stacked lithium ion cells is positioned within the casing. The utilization maximizing member maximizes the utilization of the inner periphery of the casing by facilitating the independent shaping of each of the at least two stacked lithium ion cells to confirm to the inner periphery. As a result, the shape of one cell does not limit or dictate the shape of any other cell. The deformation precluding member is associated with each of the at least two lithium ion cells, and, substantially precludes inadvertent deformation of the casing by the at least two lithium ion cells, during cell cycling and storage. The invention further includes a process for fabricating a battery apparatus.

Abstract: A novel layered material for use in electrochemical cells is provided, together with a method for producing the layered material, and a cell having the layered material as the positive electrode. The material is of the form QqMnyMzO2, where Q and M are each any element, y is any number greater than zero, and q and z are each any number greater than or equal to zero, and the material has a layered structure. Methods of preparing the manganese oxide material are provided, using an ion exchange reaction or an ion removal reaction. Use of the material in an electrochemical cell is demonstrated.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cathode for use in a secondary electrochemical cell, such cathode being coated with a very thin, protective film, permeable to ions. The protective film of the cathode usually has a thickness of up to about 0.1 &mgr;m and it provides protection against high voltage charging and overdiscbarging. The present invention further provides a secondary electrochemical cell comprising such a cathode.

Abstract: A lithium secondary battery includes a cathode which can be dischargeably charged with lithium ions, an anode made of lithium metal, a lithium alloy or any other anode material which can be releasably doped with lithium ions, and an electrolyte which allows migration of lithium ions between both electrodes. The cathode contains a halogen compound which releases halogen atoms, halogen ions or a reactive halogen-containing substance for reacting with the anode, thereby deactivating the anode to prevent excessive heat generation before oxygen released from the cathode due to a temperature rise reacts with the anode.