Transfer films, articles made therewith, and methods of making and using transfer films to form an electrical stack are disclosed. The transfer films (100) may include a plurality of co-extensive electrical protolayers (22, 23, 24) forming an electrical protolayer stack (20), at least selected or each electrical protolayer independently comprising at least 25 wt % sacrificial material and a thermally stable material and having a uniform thickness of less than 25 micrometers. The transfer films may include a plurality of co-extensive electrical protolayers forming an electrical protolayer stack, at least selected or each protolayer independently exhibiting a complex viscosity of between 10.sup.3 and 10.sup.4 Poise at a shear rate of 100/s when heated to a temperature between its Tg and T.sub.dec.

An electrode structure and its method of manufacture are disclosed. The disclosed electrode structures may be manufactured by depositing a first release layer on a first carrier substrate. A first protective layer may be deposited on a surface of the first release layer and a first electroactive material layer may then be deposited on the first protective layer. The first release layer may have a low mean peak to valley surface roughness, which may enable the formation of a thin protective layer with a low mean peak to valley surface roughness.

A device for sealing an electrochemical cell including a carrier on which an anode is situated and a separator situated between the anode and a cathode, having an elastic connection of the carrier and the separator, an action of force on the separator, caused by a change in volume of the anode, being capable of being absorbed by the elastic connection of the carrier and the separator. In addition, a corresponding method for sealing an electrochemical cell is described.

A direct welding process for joining a current collector to a terminal pin in the construction of electrochemical cells is described. The resistance welding process utilizes increased current combined with an applied force to bond dissimilar metals with a melting temperature differential of preferably more than 500° C. Preferably, the method is used to bond the terminal pin to the cathode current collector. This method of attachment is suitable for either primary or secondary cells, particularly those powering implantable biomedical devices.

The present disclosure provides a pressing device which comprises: at least two floating heads which are arranged side by side; a positioning member connecting with each floating head and defining a position of each floating head; a cover plate positioned above each floating head; and elastic members, each elastic member being provided between the cover plate and the corresponding floating head so as to make the cover plate slide up and down relative to each floating head. The pressing device can be adapted to a step type cell or a step type battery having a certain tolerance in thickness and can ensure that every step surface of the step type cell or the step type battery is uniformly pressed, thereby improving the quality of the battery.

Provided are a carbon structure, a method of manufacturing the carbon structure, and an energy storage device having the carbon structure. According to the method of manufacturing the carbon structure, a reaction solution containing a catalyst and an organic solvent containing an aromatic compound is provided. Plasma is generated in the reaction solution, thereby forming a crystalline carbon structure.

A lattice energy converter (LEC) is disclosed that produces ionizing radiation and/or electricity based on the thermal energy in the lattice of a specially prepared working electrode comprised in whole or in part of hydrogen host materials that are occluded with hydrogen or the isotopes of hydrogen and wherein the hydrogen host materials may include vacancies, superabundant vacancies, and other lattice defects. When the hydrogen host material is occluded with hydrogen, the LEC was found to self-initiate the production of ionizing radiation and, when the hydrogen host materials are in fluidic contact with a gas or vapor containing hydrogen or isotopes of hydrogen, the LEC was found to self-sustain the production of ionizing radiation. When the LEC includes one or more additional electrodes or electrode structures, the ionizing radiation was found to be converted to electrical energy. Materials that are normally considered to be radioactive are not required.

A battery capable of changing its form safely is provided. A bendable battery having a larger thickness is provided. A battery with increased capacity is provided. For an exterior body of the battery, a film in the shape of a periodic wave in one direction is used. A space is provided in an area surrounded by the exterior body and between an end portion of the electrode stack that is not fixed and an interior wall of the exterior body. Furthermore, the phases of waves of a pair of portions of the exterior body between which the electrode stack is located are different from each other. In particular, the phases are different from each other by 180 degrees so that wave crest lines overlap with each other and wave trough lines overlap with each other.

Various embodiments are directed to an electrochemical cell having a non-homogeneous anode. The electrochemical cell includes a container, a cathode forming a hollow cylinder within the container, an anode positioned within the hollow cylinder of the cathode, and a separator between the cathode and the anode. The anode defines a characteristic gradient between an interior portion of the anode and the outermost surface of the anode adjacent the separator. The characteristic gradient may be defined as, for example, an average active material particle size within the anode that changes as a function of the radial location within the anode or a surfactant concentration gradient that changes as a function of the radial location within the anode.

A slurry is prepared by mixing active material particles, capsule-shaped particles, a binder, and an organic solvent. The slurry is applied to a surface of a substrate to form a coating film. The coating film is heated to dry to form an active material layer. The active material layer is compressed to produce an electrode. Each of the capsule-shaped particles includes a thermoplastic resin. The thermoplastic resin softens when heated in the presence of the organic solvent. When the thermoplastic resin softens, the capsule-shaped particles shrink to form voids in the active material layer.