A lithium-sulfur battery includes a casing, a top lid circumferentially welded to the casing, a negative contact surface positioned opposite the top lid, a positive terminal disposed within the casing, welded to the top lid, and configured as a mandrel, a glass insulator circumferentially wound around the mandrel, and a jelly roll including at least an anode and a cathode wound around the mandrel. The jelly roll may also include a top surface not in contact with the top lid, a bottom surface partially in contact with the negative contact surface, and partially in contact with a plurality of non-hollow carbonaceous spherical particles disposed between the bottom surface of the jelly roll and the negative contact surface. At least some of the non-hollow carbonaceous spherical particles may provide one or more electrically-conductive pathways between the bottom surface and the negative contact surface.

A battery module including: a battery stack of battery cells having opposite ends to which a plurality of electrode tabs are connected; end-side bus bar assemblies formed at opposite ends of the battery stack, respectively, and electrically connecting the electrode tabs of the battery cells; and a case accommodating the battery stack and the end-side bus bar assemblies.

To provide a secondary battery in which a side reaction does not easily occur at an interface between a positive electrode active material and a solid electrolyte, an interface between the positive electrode active material and a positive electrode current collector, or the like even when charge and discharge are repeated. In one embodiment of the present invention, a buffer layer or a protective layer is provided on a current collector surface or between a current collector layer and an active material layer to prevent deterioration such as oxidation of the current collector. As the buffer layer or the protective layer, it is possible to use a titanium compound such as titanium oxide, titanium oxide in which nitrogen is substituted for part of oxygen, titanium nitride, titanium nitride in which oxygen is substituted for part of nitrogen, or titanium oxynitride (TiO.sub.xN.sub.y, where 0<x<2 and 0<y<1). Titanium nitride is particularly preferable because it has high conductivity and has a high capability of inhibiting oxidation.

To provide a secondary battery in which a side reaction does not easily occur at an interface between a positive electrode active material and a solid electrolyte, an interface between the positive electrode active material and a positive electrode current collector, or the like even when charge and discharge are repeated. In one embodiment of the present invention, a buffer layer or a protective layer is provided on a current collector surface or between a current collector layer and an active material layer to prevent deterioration such as oxidation of the current collector. As the buffer layer or the protective layer, it is possible to use a titanium compound such as titanium oxide, titanium oxide in which nitrogen is substituted for part of oxygen, titanium nitride, titanium nitride in which oxygen is substituted for part of nitrogen, or titanium oxynitride (TiO.sub.xN.sub.y, where 0<x<2 and 0<y<1). Titanium nitride is particularly preferable because it has high conductivity and has a high capability of inhibiting oxidation.

According to one embodiment, a separator is provided. The separator includes a composite membrane. The composite membrane includes a substrate layer, a first composite layer, and a second composite layer. The first composite layer is located on one surface of the substrate layer. The second composite layer is located on the other surface of the substrate layer. The composite membrane has a coefficient of air permeability of 1×10.sup.−14 m.sup.2 or less. The first composite layer has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is in contact with the substrate layer. The second surface is located on an opposite side to the first surface. Denseness of a portion including the first surface is lower than denseness of a portion including the second surface in the first composite layer.

Provides is a cathode active material comprising particles each containing a lithium composite oxide, a coating layer containing an ammonium phosphate compound containing a metal other than lithium. The coating layer coats each of the particles. The metal other than lithium includes at least one selected from the group consisting of manganese, nickel, and cobalt.

Apparatus, systems, and methods described herein relate to safety devices for electrochemical cells comprising an electrode tab electrically coupled to an electrode, the electrode including an electrode material disposed on a current collector. In some embodiments, a fuse can be operably coupled to or formed in the electrode tab. In some embodiments, the fuse can be formed by removing a portion of the electrode tab. In some embodiments, the fuse can include a thin strip of electrically resistive material configured to electrically couple multiple electrodes. In some embodiments, the current collector can include a metal-coated deformable mesh material such that the current collector is self-fusing. In some embodiments, the fuse can be configured to deform, break, melt, or otherwise discontinue electrical communication between the electrode and other components of the electrochemical cell in response to a high current condition, a high voltage condition, or a high temperature condition.

Electrically-conductive articles are provided that include a current collector having a conductive coating. The current collector has nanoporous structure, such as that from etched metal, and a carbon coating in contact with the current collector. The carbon coating is free of binder. In some embodiments, the current collector includes etched aluminum. The provided electrically-conductive articles can be electrochemical capacitors or lithium-ion electrochemical cells.

The invention provides process for producing a stable Si or Ge electrode structure comprising cycling a Si or Ge nanowire electrode until a structure of the Si nanowires form a continuous porous network of Si or Ge ligaments.

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.