The present invention provides a method of producing sulfur-modified polyacrylonitrile, including: a step (1) of heating polyacrylonitrile and elemental sulfur in a rotating-type heating container including a discharge pipe and a sulfur vapor recovery unit while rotating the rotating-type heating container; a step (2) of liquefying a sulfur vapor by the sulfur vapor recovery unit while discharging hydrogen sulfide generated in the heating step; and a step (3) of returning the liquefied sulfur to a mixture of the sulfur and the polyacrylonitrile of the step (1).

Composites of silicon and various porous scaffold materials, such as carbon material comprising micro-, meso- and/or macropores, and methods for manufacturing the same are provided. The compositions find utility in various applications, including electrical energy storage electrodes and devices comprising the same.

Composites of silicon and various porous scaffold materials, such as carbon material comprising micro-, meso- and/or macropores, and methods for manufacturing the same are provided. The compositions find utility in various applications, including electrical energy storage electrodes and devices comprising the same.

Provided is a lithium battery, wherein the battery comprises an anode, a cathode, wherein the cathode comprises one or more transition metals, an electrolyte, and a porous separator interposed between the cathode and anode, wherein the separator comprises an anionic compound. Also provided are methods of manufacturing such batteries.

Provided is a lithium battery, wherein the battery comprises an anode, a cathode, wherein the cathode comprises one or more transition metals, an electrolyte, and a porous separator interposed between the cathode and anode, wherein the separator comprises an anionic compound. Also provided are methods of manufacturing such batteries.

A composite particle for an electrochemical device contains an electrode active material, a conductive material, a binder, and 0.1 parts by mass or more and 5 parts by mass or less of a thermally decomposable foaming agent per 100 parts by mass of the composite particle. When a cross section of the composite particle perpendicular to the long axis of the composite particle, and including the midpoint of the long axis is subjected to a map analysis using an electron beam microanalyzer, the value of the ratio of the integrated values of the detection intensities of carbon atoms contained outside and inside the range of the circle the center of which is coincides with the midpoint of the long axis and the diameter of which is one half of the length of the long axis is 4 or more and 15 or less.

An object is to suppress electrochemical decomposition of an electrolyte solution and the like at a negative electrode in a lithium ion battery or a lithium ion capacitor; thus, irreversible capacity is reduced, cycle performance is improved, or operating temperature range is extended. A negative electrode for a power storage device including a negative electrode current collector, a negative electrode active material layer which is over the negative electrode current collector and includes a plurality of particles of a negative electrode active material, and a film covering pan of the negative electrode active material. The film has an insulating property and lithium ion conductivity.

An object is to suppress electrochemical decomposition of an electrolyte solution and the like at a negative electrode in a lithium ion battery or a lithium ion capacitor; thus, irreversible capacity is reduced, cycle performance is improved, or operating temperature range is extended. A negative electrode for a power storage device including a negative electrode current collector, a negative electrode active material layer which is over the negative electrode current collector and includes a plurality of particles of a negative electrode active material, and a film covering pan of the negative electrode active material. The film has an insulating property and lithium ion conductivity.

This invention relates to particulate electroactive materials consisting of a plurality of composite particles, wherein the composite particles comprise: (a) a porous conductive particle framework including micropores and/or mesopores having a total volume of at least 0.4 to 2.2 cm.sup.3/g; (b) an electroactive material disposed within the porous conductive particle framework; and (c) a lithium-ion permeable filler penetrating the pores of the porous conductive particle framework and disposed intermediate the nanoscale silicon domains and the exterior of the composite particles.

The positive active material for an energy storage device according to one aspect of the present invention has an olivine-type crystal structure, has a surface at least partially coated with carbon, and satisfies either (A) or (B) below. (A) a pore volume in a range of a pore size of 60 nm or more and 200 nm or less determined by a BJH method from a desorption isotherm using a nitrogen gas adsorption method is 0.05 cm.sup.3/g or more and 0.25 cm.sup.3/g or less, and a pore specific surface area in a range of a pore size of 10 nm or more and 200 nm or less using a nitrogen gas adsorption method is 5 m.sup.2/g or more; (B) a full width at half maximum ratio (200)/(131) of a peak corresponding to a (200) plane to a peak corresponding to a (131) plane by a powder X-ray diffraction method using a CuKα ray in a charged state is 1.10 or less.