A method of manufacturing a negative electrode for a lithium-ion secondary battery, the method comprising: (a) a process of obtaining a mixture that comprises a graphitizable binder and at least one selected from the group consisting of a graphitizable aggregate and graphite; (b) a process of obtaining a molded product by molding the mixture, in which the graphitizable binder is in a softened state; (c) a process of obtaining a graphitized product by graphitizing the molded product; and (d) a process of obtaining a pulverized product by pulverizing the graphitized product.

This negative electrode material for lithium ion secondary batteries has a C of 5.5 or less, C being a value obtained from a formula C=(pressure Bpressure A)/(1.701.35), where pressure A (kN/cm.sup.2) is defined as the pressure at which, when a 3.0 g specimen packed into a column space having a diameter of 15 mm is pressed down at a rate of 10 mm/min, a density of 1.35 g/cm.sup.3 is obtained, and pressure B (kN/cm.sup.2) is defined as the pressure at which a density of 1.70 g/cm.sup.3 is obtained.

Described are structural electrode and structural batteries having high energy storage and high strength characteristics and methods of making the structural electrodes and structural batteries. The structural batteries provided can include a liquid electrolyte and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer electrodes comprising metallic tabs. The structural electrodes and structural batteries provided can be molded into a shape of a function component of a device such as ground vehicle or an aerial vehicle.

A method for producing a secondary battery electrode, according to the present invention, comprises: a slicing step for producing an active material film by slicing an active material bulk; and a binding step for combining a current collector and the active material film. A method for producing a secondary battery electrode according to the present invention produces an active material film by slicing an active material bulk, which is a free-standing molded body or pellet, thus allowing binder-free active material film to be produced, and as no actual restrictions exist for the thickness of the active material film, thick active material film can be produced, and thus electrodes having high-loading and high composite density can be produced.

Disclosed are methods of making porous zinc electrodes. Taken together, the steps are: forming a mixture of water, a soluble compound that increases the viscosity of the mixture, an insoluble porogen, and metallic zinc powder; placing the mixture in a mold to form a sponge; optionally drying the sponge; placing the sponge in a metal mesh positioned to allow air flow through substantially all the openings in the mesh; heating the sponge in an inert atmosphere at a peak temperature of 200 to 420 C. to fuse the zinc particles to each other to form a sintered sponge; and heating the sintered sponge in an oxygen-containing atmosphere at a peak temperature of 420 to 700 C. to form ZnO on the surfaces of the sintered sponge. The heating steps burn out the porogen.

In an embodiment, a metal or metal-ion battery cell, includes anode and cathode electrodes, a separator electrically separating the anode and the cathode, and a solid electrolyte ionically coupling the anode and the cathode, wherein the solid electrolyte comprises a material having one or more rearrangeable chalcogen-metal-hydrogen groups that are configured to transport at least one metal-ion or metal-ion mixture through the solid electrolyte, wherein the solid electrolyte exhibits a melting point below about 350 C. In an example, the solid electrolyte may be produced by mixing different dry metal-ion compositions together, arranging the mixture inside of a mold, and heating the mixture while arranged inside of the mold at least to a melting point (e.g., below about 350 C.) of the mixture so as to produce a material comprising one or more rearrangeable chalcogen-metal-hydrogen groups.

An alkaline electrochemical cell has a central cathode having a corresponding cathode current collector electrically connected with a positive terminal of the electrochemical cell. The cathode current collector has a tubular shape, such as a cylindrical shape or rectangular shape, extending parallel with the length of the central cathode. The cathode current collector is embedded within the central cathode, such as at a medial point of a radius of the central cathode, thereby minimizing the distance between the cathode current collector and any portion of the central cathode, thereby increasing the mechanical strength of the cathode and facilitating charge transfer to the cathode current collector.

An alkaline electrochemical cell has a central cathode having a corresponding cathode current collector electrically connected with a positive terminal of the electrochemical cell. The cathode current collector has a tubular shape, such as a cylindrical shape or rectangular shape, extending parallel with the length of the central cathode. The cathode current collector is embedded within the central cathode, such as at a medial point of a radius of the central cathode, thereby minimizing the distance between the cathode current collector and any portion of the central cathode, thereby increasing the mechanical strength of the cathode and facilitating charge transfer to the cathode current collector.

A method of manufacturing a free-standing electrode film includes preparing a mixture including an electrode active material, a conductive material, and a binder, heating the mixture to 70 C. or higher, subjecting the mixture to a shear force, and, after the mixture has been subjected to the shear force, pressing the mixture into a free-standing film. The method may further include adding a solvent to the mixture. A resulting free-standing electrode film may include an amount of binder less than 4% by weight.

This disclosure relates to semi-solid electrodes which are pre-formed prior to inclusion in lithium ion batteries, lithium ion batteries which incorporate the semi-solid electrodes and methods of making the semi-solid electrodes. An electrochemical cell includes a semi-solid anode formed of anode active material injected with an electrolyte and a first electrolyte additive, the semi-solid anode having a first SEI layer; and a semi-solid cathode formed of a cathode active material injected with an additional electrolyte and a second electrolyte additive, the semi-solid cathode having a second SEI layer, wherein the first electrolyte additive and the second solid electrolyte additive are different.