The present invention provides an aqueous electrolyte for use in rechargeable zinc-halide storage batteries that possesses improved stability and durability and improves zinc-halide battery performance. One aspect of the present invention provides an electrolyte for use in a secondary zinc bromine electrochemical cell comprising from about 30 wt % to about 40 wt % of ZnBr.sub.2 by weight of the electrolyte; from about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % of KBr; from about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % of KCl; and one or more quaternary ammonium agents, wherein the electrolyte comprises from about 0.5 wt % to about 10 wt % of the one or more quaternary ammonium agents.

A battery anode component for a battery cell including a current collector component having a lithium receiving side in which at least two spatially separated recesses are formed as lithium receiving chambers, at least two lithium-based anode material units which are situated in the at least two lithium receiving chambers, and a protective cover which covers the lithium receiving side at least partially and with the aid of which outer surfaces of the at least two lithium-based anode material units which are exposed by the current collector component are covered. A method is also described for manufacturing a battery anode component for a battery cell.

The present invention generally relates to batteries and, in particular, to electrodes for use in batteries such as non-aqueous metal-air batteries, for example, lithium-air batteries, as well as in other electrochemical devices. Such devices may exhibit improved performance characteristics (e.g. power, cycle life, capacity, etc.). One aspect of the present invention is generally directed to electrodes for use in such devices containing one or more pores or channels for transport of gas and/or electrolyte therein, e.g., forming an open porous network. In certain embodiments, the electrolyte may be a gel or a polymer. In some embodiments, there may be network of such channels or pores within the electrode such that no active site within the electrode is greater than about 50 micrometers distant from a gas channel. In some embodiments, such systems may be created using electrodes containing gel or electrolyte polymers, and/or by forming electrodes having different wettabilities such that certain regions preferentially attract the electrolyte compared to other regions, thereby causing self-organization of the electrolyte within the electrode. Other aspects of the invention are generally directed to methods of making such batteries or electrochemical devices, methods of using such batteries or electrochemical devices, kits involving such batteries or electrochemical devices, or the like.

An electrode assembly of the present invention comprises a cathode active material layer, a cathode current collector, a separator, an anode current collector, and an anode active material layer, which are stacked in order, wherein the current collectors have a plurality of through-holes formed to allow communication between the upper surface and the lower surface of the current collector. The electrode assembly of the present invention has the effect of preventing a rapid temperature increase if an internal short caused by damage to the separator occurs.

A composite anode active material, an anode including the composite anode active material, a lithium battery including the anode, and a method of preparing the composite anode active material. The composite anode active material includes: a shell including a hollow carbon fiber; and a core disposed in a hollow of the hollow carbon fiber, wherein the core includes a first metal nanostructure and a conducting agent.

A lithium-ion battery includes an electrode with microscale channels formed in the electrode material and a nanoscale conformal coating over the electrode material. The channels promote Li-ion transport to the interior of the electrode during charging, and the coating acts as an artificial solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) in place of the SEI that is typically formed during initial charge cycles of a Li-ion battery. The coating can be selected to have a lower impedance than a naturally formed SEI and can be formed in a more controlled manner prior to cell assembly. Cold-charging performance of the resulting battery is enhanced more than would be expected by the individual contributions of the channels and the coating.

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.

The current invention relates to continuous process for the production of a multitubular gauntlet, said process comprising the steps of: continuously providing at least one sheet of fabric with two lateral edges: overlapping two lateral edges: seaming said overlap by welding or gluing, forming a closing seam wherein both lateral edges are joined together creating a tubular fabric, seaming said tubular fabric along scams parallel to the closing seam, thereby forming flat tubes parallel to the closing seam; and thermoforming the plurality of flat tubes into the desired shape corresponding the electrode to be used, thereby obtaining the multitubular gauntlet. The invention further relates to a multitubular gauntlet for lead-acid batteries comprising at least one sheet of fabric with two lateral edges, said fabric forming a plurality of parallel tubes, wherein at least one lateral tube forming the edge of said gauntlet comprises an overlap of said lateral edges, wherein said overlap is seamed by welding or gluing.

An all-solid-state battery includes: a solid electrolyte layer; and a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer arranged with the solid electrolyte layer therebetween. The first electrode layer and second electrode layer respectively include a current collector including first current collecting portions spaced from each other by through holes in a first direction and second current collecting portions spaced from each other by the through holes in a second direction that is vertical to the first direction and crossing the first current collecting portions, and an electrode active material layer including a first layer disposed on one surface of the current collector and a second layer disposed in the through holes in the current collector.