A secondary battery includes a battery element including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolytic solution, a housing member configured to accommodate the battery element, and a safety valve mechanism attached to the housing member. The safety valve mechanism includes a valve member including an opening valve portion configured to be opened; and an opening member including a plurality of opening portions radially arranged in a region opposed to the opening valve portion from a center of the region as a base point, and a plurality of protrusion portions radially arranged in a region outside the plurality of opening portions from the center and the plurality of protrusion portions protrude toward the plurality of opening portions. A number of the opening portions and a number of the protrusion portions are equal to each other, and each of the plurality of opening portions and each of the plurality of protrusion portions are opposed to each other in a direction toward the center.

A secondary battery includes a battery element including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolytic solution, a housing member configured to accommodate the battery element, and a safety valve mechanism attached to the housing member. The safety valve mechanism includes a valve member including an opening valve portion configured to be opened; and an opening member including a plurality of opening portions radially arranged in a region opposed to the opening valve portion from a center of the region as a base point, and a plurality of protrusion portions radially arranged in a region outside the plurality of opening portions from the center and the plurality of protrusion portions protrude toward the plurality of opening portions. A number of the opening portions and a number of the protrusion portions are equal to each other, and each of the plurality of opening portions and each of the plurality of protrusion portions are opposed to each other in a direction toward the center.

A method of producing microparticles by spray drying comprises the steps of providing a spray-drying feedstock solution comprising water, a volatile divalent metal salt, weak acid, 5-15% dairy or vegetable protein (w/v) and 1-20% active agent (w/v). The feedstock solution is adjusted to have a pH at which the volatile divalent metal salt is substantially insoluble. The feedstock solution is then spray-dried at an elevated temperature to provide atomised droplets, whereby the volatile divalent metal salt disassociates at the elevated temperature to release divalent metal ions which crosslink and aggregate the protein in the atomised droplets to produce microparticles having a crosslinked aggregated protein matrix and active agent dispersed throughout the matrix.

In an embodiment, a Li-ion battery cell comprises an anode electrode with an electrode coating that (1) comprises Si-comprising active material particles, (2) exhibits an areal capacity loading in the range of about 3 mAh/cm.sup.2 to about 12 mAh/cm.sup.2, (3) exhibits a volumetric capacity in the range from about 600 mAh/cc to about 1800 mAh/cc in a charged state of the cell, (4) comprises conductive additive material particles, and (5) comprises a polymer binder that is configured to bind the Si-comprising active material particles and the conductive additive material particles together to stabilize the anode electrode against volume expansion during the one or more charge-discharge cycles of the battery cell while maintaining the electrical connection between the metal current collector and the Si-comprising active material particles.

In an embodiment, a Li-ion battery cell comprises an anode electrode with an electrode coating that (1) comprises Si-comprising active material particles, (2) exhibits an areal capacity loading in the range of about 3 mAh/cm.sup.2 to about 12 mAh/cm.sup.2, (3) exhibits a volumetric capacity in the range from about 600 mAh/cc to about 1800 mAh/cc in a charged state of the cell, (4) comprises conductive additive material particles, and (5) comprises a polymer binder that is configured to bind the Si-comprising active material particles and the conductive additive material particles together to stabilize the anode electrode against volume expansion during the one or more charge-discharge cycles of the battery cell while maintaining the electrical connection between the metal current collector and the Si-comprising active material particles.

The present invention provides a composition for a gel polymer electrolyte, the composition including: an oligomer represented by Formula 1; an additive; a polymerization initiator; a lithium salt; and a non-aqueous solvent, the additive including at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a substituted or unsubstituted phosphate-based compound and a substituted or unsubstituted benzene-based compound, a gel polymer electrolyte prepared using the same, and a lithium secondary battery.

The present invention provides a composition for a gel polymer electrolyte, the composition including: an oligomer represented by Formula 1; an additive; a polymerization initiator; a lithium salt; and a non-aqueous solvent, the additive including at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a substituted or unsubstituted phosphate-based compound and a substituted or unsubstituted benzene-based compound, a gel polymer electrolyte prepared using the same, and a lithium secondary battery.

The present invention provides a composition for a gel polymer electrolyte, the composition including a first oligomer represented by Formula 1, a second oligomer including a first repeating unit represented by Formula 2a derived from a styrene monomer, a polymerization initiator, a lithium salt, and a non-aqueous solvent. The present invention also provides a gel polymer electrolyte prepared using the same, and a lithium secondary battery.

The present invention provides a composition for a gel polymer electrolyte, the composition including a first oligomer represented by Formula 1, a second oligomer including a first repeating unit represented by Formula 2a derived from a styrene monomer, a polymerization initiator, a lithium salt, and a non-aqueous solvent. The present invention also provides a gel polymer electrolyte prepared using the same, and a lithium secondary battery.

The process of making a lithium ion battery cathode comprises the step of forming a slurry of an active material, a nano-size conductive agent, a binder polymer, a solvent and a dispersant. The solvent consists essentially of one or more of a compound of Formula 1, 2, or 3, and the dispersant comprises an ethyl cellulose.