The present invention is to provide a method for producing a catalyst for fuel cells with excellent durability, and a fuel cell comprising a catalyst for fuel cells produced by the production method. Disclosed is a method for producing a catalyst for fuel cells, the catalyst comprising fine catalyst particles, each of which comprises a palladium-containing core particle and a platinum-containing outermost layer covering the core particle, and carbon supports on which the fine catalyst particles are supported, wherein the method comprises the steps of: preparing carbon supports on which palladium-containing particles are supported; fining the carbon supports; and covering the palladium-containing particles with a platinum-containing outermost layer after the fining step.

Disclosed is a method of preparing inorganic particles using a hydrothermal synthesis device, including introducing a precursor liquid or slurry stream including a reaction precursor for preparation of an inorganic material into a hydrothermal synthesis reactor, introducing a supercritical liquid stream including water into the hydrothermal synthesis reactor, preparing an inorganic slurry by hydrothermal reaction in the hydrothermal synthesis reactor and discharging the inorganic slurry therefrom, and filtering the discharged inorganic slurry, wherein the precursor liquid or slurry stream includes an NH.sub.3 source at a high temperature of the supercritical liquid stream and thus clogging of the stream in the hydrothermal synthesis reactor is inhibited by pH changes in the hydrothermal reaction.

A rechargeable battery includes an electrode assembly including first and second electrodes; a case accommodating the electrode assembly; a cap plate having a short-circuit opening; a first terminal coupled to the first electrode; a second terminal coupled to the second electrode; and a short-circuit member at the cap plate, corresponding to the short-circuit opening, and configured to deform to electrically couple the first and second electrodes; and a short-circuit protrusion at the second terminal and configured to contact the short-circuit member, wherein a surface roughness of the short-circuit protrusion is greater than that of the cap plate.

A rechargeable battery that includes: an electrode assembly with a first electrode and a second electrode that include uncoated regions and coated regions; a case; a first electrode tab and a second electrode tab coupled to the first and second electrodes; and a laminating tape attached to opposite surfaces of a front end portion disposed at a center of the electrode assembly and opposite surfaces of a terminal end portion disposed at an outermost side of the electrode assembly. The second electrode tab is coupled to the uncoated region of the second electrode toward the uncoated region of the first electrode in the terminal end portion that is disposed at the outermost side of the electrode assembly, the first electrode tab is coupled to the uncoated region of the first electrode while being disposed closer to the coated region than the second electrode tab in the terminal end portion that is disposed at the outermost side of the electrode assembly, and an insulating laminating tape for preventing the second electrode tab and the uncoated region of the first electrode from electrically contacting each other is further included.

To provide a lithium ion secondary battery capable of suppressing thermal run-away when internal short circuiting occurs. The lithium ion secondary battery includes: a positive electrode including a current collector, a positive electrode active material layer that is formed on the current collector and that contains a lithium-containing complex oxide having a layered rock salt structure and being represented by general formula: Li.sub.aNi.sub.bCo.sub.cMn.sub.dD.sub.eO.sub.f (0.2≦a≦1; b+c+d+e=1; 0≦e<1; D is at least one element selected from Li, Fe, Cr, Cu, Zn, Ca, Mg, S, Si, Na, K, and Al; 1.7≦f≦2.1), and a thermal run-away suppressing layer formed on the positive electrode active material layer and containing a lithium transition metal silicate; and a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material. A ratio of the mass of the lithium-containing complex oxide with respect to the mass of the lithium transition metal silicate in the positive electrode is not lower than 1.5.

An organic expander for a lead storage battery, the organic expander containing lignin in which the methoxy group content relative to the solid content is 3 to 20 mass %, wherein the organic expander contains an organic acid in an amount of 0.0001 to 5 mass % relative to the solid content of the organic expander. It is possible to improve charge acceptance while maintaining the discharge characteristics of the lead storage battery.

A test device for testing an oxidation potential of an electrolyte is provided. The test device comprises a cavity, a test unit, a detector, a processing unit, and a display. The test unit comprises a positive plate comprising a first through hole, a negative plate comprising a second through hole, a first infrared window covering the first through hole, a second infrared window covering the second through hole, and an electrolyte located between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate. The first through hole and the second through hole penetrate each other. The first infrared window, the positive plate, the negative plate, and the second infrared window are stacked with each other. An infrared light beam passes through the first infrared window, the first through hole, the electrolyte, the second through hole, and the second infrared window in sequence and then is detected by the detector;

An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a method of producing metal compound particle group for an electricity storage device electrode that has an improved rate characteristic, the metal compound particle group, and an electrode formed of the metal compound particle group. The method of producing metal compound particle group applied for an electrode of an electricity storage device, the method includes a step of combining a precursor of metal compound particle with a carbon source to obtain a first composite material, a step of producing the metal compound particle by heat processing the first composite material under a non-oxidizing atmosphere to obtain a second composite material having the metal compound particle combined with carbon, and a step of eliminating carbon by heat processing the second composite material under an oxygen atmosphere to obtain the metal compound particle group having the metal compound particle coupled in a three-dimensional mesh structure.

The present disclosure provides a preparing method of a positive electrode additive for a lithium secondary battery capable of reducing the amount of Li-based byproduct and unreacted lithium oxide generated in a preparing process, thereby significantly reducing the amount of gas generated when the electrode is operated.

Devices and methods for preparing a slurry for coating onto a substrate. The devices and methods of the present disclosure relate to providing a slurry in a closed volume with at least one passage. The slurry includes a solvent, a powder, and a binder. The slurry can also include a dispersion agent. The slurry is forced repeatedly under high pressure through the at least one passage in a first flow direction and then back through the at least one passage in a second flow direction, opposite the first flow direction. The forcing homogenously disperses the powder and the binder within the solvent. Both sides of the substrate are then coated simultaneously with the slurry extruded from the closed volume after the forcing. Curing of the coated slurry includes freeze drying to preserve the porosity of the slurry on the substrate.