A method and a device for producing bipolar plates for fuel cells. A bipolar plate is formed by joining an anode plate to a cathode plate, wherein the anode plate and the cathode plate are formed by forming a substrate plate. In order to provide a cost-effective and automated method, it is proposed that a plate already provided with a reactive coating or catalyst coating, which is transported, automatically driven, via a transport device from the forming device to the joining device, is used as substrate plate.

An electrode catalyst and a method for producing the electrode catalyst are described, in which the electrode catalyst includes catalyst metal particles containing platinum or a platinum alloy, and carrier particles supporting the catalyst metal particles. The carrier particles are made of a carbonaceous material with a BET specific surface area of 700 m.sup.2/g or more. The catalyst metal particles have an average particle size of 2.5 to 4.5 nm, and a standard deviation of the particle size of the catalyst metal particles is 1.30 nm or less. The electrode catalyst has a high initial activity and is able to maintain that activity over a long period of time.

A method for producing a button cell includes providing a cell cup, a cell top and an electrode-separator assembly winding, the electrode-separator assembly winding having a positive electrode and a negative electrode. An electrically insulating seal is applied at least to an outer portion of the cell top casing. The electrode-separator assembly winding is inserted into the cell top. The cell top is inserted into the cell cup to form a housing. A pressure is applied in a radial direction perpendicular to an axis of the electrode-separator assembly winding so as to seal the housing.

Provided is a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery, including a positive electrode with a positive electrode active material capable of absorbing and releasing a metal ion; a negative electrode with a negative electrode active material capable of absorbing and releasing a metal ion; and a nonaqueous electrolyte solution; wherein the positive electrode active material includes a lithium transition metal compound, and the positive electrode active material includes at least Ni, Mn and Co, wherein the molar ratio of Mn/(Ni+Mn+Co) is larger than 0 and not larger than 0.32, the molar ratio of Ni/(Ni+Mn+Co) is 0.55 or more, the plate density of the positive electrode is 3.0 g/cm.sup.3 or more; and the nonaqueous electrolyte solution includes a monofluorophosphate and/or a difluorophosphate. A total content of the monofluorophosphate and/or difluorophosphate is 0.01% by mass or more in terms of the concentration in the nonaqueous electrolyte solution.

A rewind system includes a conveyor assembly and a rewind apparatus. The conveyor assembly is configured to convey strips along a plurality of paths each configured to convey at least one strip. The rewind apparatus includes a drum and a plurality of shafts. The strip on each path is rewound around one of the shafts. Two adjacent shafts do not take up strips simultaneously. The drum is configured to rotate around an axis of the drum. The drum is configured to switch each of the strips on different paths from one shaft onto another shaft after the drum rotates by a predetermined angle.

A positive electrode material, including a core and a shell layer are provided. In some embodiments, a molecular formula of the core is Li.sub.1+aNi.sub.xCo.sub.yMn.sub.1-x-yM1.sub.zO.sub.2, 0.8≤x<1.0, 0<y<0.2, 0<a<0.1, 0≤z<0.1, and M1 is selected from at least one of Al, Ta, and B; and a molecular formula of the shell layer is Li.sub.1+bCo.sub.mA1.sub.nNb.sub.1-m-nM2.sub.cO.sub.2, 0.85≤m<1.0, 0<n<0.15, 0<b<0.1, 0.001≤1-m-n≤0.02, 0≤c<0.05, and M2 is selected from at least one of W, Mo, Ti, Zr, Y, and Yb.

Cyanophosphines other than P(CN).sub.3 react with lithium dicyanamide to produce lithiated carbon phosphonitrides with mobile Li.sup.+ ions.

To provide a cathode active material with which it is possible to obtain a lithium ion secondary battery having a high discharge capacity and being excellent in the cycle characteristic, and its production process. A cathode active material, comprising particles of a lithium-containing composite oxide, the lithium-containing composite oxide being represented by Li.sub.αNi.sub.aCo.sub.bMn.sub.cTi.sub.dM.sub.eO.sub.2+δ wherein α is from 1 to 1.8, a is from 0.15 to 0.5, b is from 0 to 0.09, c is from 0.33 to 0.8, d is from 0.01 to 0.1, e is from 0 to 0.1, δ is from 0 to 0.8, a+b+c+d+e=1, and M is Mg, Al, Ca or the like, wherein in an X-ray diffraction pattern, the ratio (H.sub.020/H.sub.003) of the height of a peak of (020) plane assigned to a crystal structure with space group C2/m to the height of a peak of (003) plane assigned to a crystal structure with space group R-3m is at least 0.02, and D.sub.90/D.sub.10 is at most 4.

Provided is a positive electrode active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a LiNi composite oxide having low internal resistance and excellent thermal stability. The positive electrode active material is obtained by performing a water washing process using a water spray on a LiNi composite oxide powder obtained by a firing step until the filtrate has an electric conductivity of 30 to 60 mS/cm, and then dried, where the LiNi composite oxide is represented by the composition formula (1): Li.sub.bNi.sub.1-aM1.sub.aO.sub.2, where M1 represents at least one kind of element selected from transition metal elements other than Ni, group 2 elements, and group 13 elements, and 0.01≤a≤0.5, and 0.85≤b≤1.05.

Hybrid particles having improved electrical conductivity and thermal and chemical stabilities are disclosed. The hybrid particles are for use in conductive pastes. The hybrid particles include a nanoparticle selected from a graphene-containing material, a dichalcogenide material, a conducting polymer, or a combination thereof encapsulated in a conducting metal. The hybrid particles include a nanoparticle selected from a graphene-containing material, a dichalcogenide material, or a combination thereof encapsulated in a conducting polymer, and optionally further in a conducting metal. Suitable conducting metals include nickel or silver. Suitable conducting polymers include polyaniline, polypyrrole, or polythiophene. Suitable dichalcogenide materials include MoS.sub.2 or MoSe.sub.2. The hybrid particles can further include a conducting polymer layer on an outer surface of the conducting metal. Methods of making the hybrid particles are also disclosed.