Areal weight or thickness of a moving coated metal sheet along its entire cross directional width is derived by correlating thermographic image data to online, scanning basis weight measurements. Thermal imaging camera captures thermal images of a heated moving coated metal sheet material along a cross direction at a first position along the machine direction to generate sequential temperature profiles. Scanning beta gauge measures the areal weight of the moving coated metal sheet downstream at a second position. An infrared temperature sensor also measures the temperature of the moving coated metal sheet which is at a lower temperature at or near the second position. The temperature differential between the cross directional thermographic image data and the latter infrared temperature is a function of the basis weight. Basis weight measurements from the beta gauge is used to extrapolate cross directional basis weight data.

A layer combination for an electrode can be used in rechargeable electrochemical cells. The rechargeable electrochemical cells are in the form of lithium batteries, e.g. a lithium-sulfur battery or a lithium-oxygen battery. The layer combination includes at least one superhydrophobic, nanostructured protective layer which repels polar substances.

A high-quality coating film with a uniform thickness is produced without crush of coating particles even in a case where a wet coating material that does not require a step of drying the coating material is used, while maintaining high productivity. By providing a surface layer with an optimized hardness on the surface of a roll used for supply of a mixture coating material, a high-quality coating film with a uniform thickness can be produced, even in a case where a wet coating material that does not require a step of drying the coating material is used, while maintaining high productivity.

Polymers used as rolling lubricating agents, to compositions including said polymers, and to alkali metal films including the polymers or compositions on the surface(s) thereof. The use of said polymers and compositions is also described for strip-rolling alkali metals or alloys thereof in order to obtain thin films. Methods for producing said thin films, which are suitable for use in electrochemical cells, are also described. An improved lubricant according to formula I, which, for example, achieves enhanced conductivity, and/or enables the production of electrochemical cells having an improved life span in cycles.

A composite electrolyte (151). The composite electrolyte (151) including a binder, a solvent, a non-solvent, and a ceramic filler. The non-solvent is configured to cause the binder to self-interact. The composite electrolyte (151) may be cast (138) or printed (144).

Provided are an organic electrolytic solution and a lithium battery including the organic electrolytic solution, wherein the organic electrolytic solution includes an organic solvent, a lithium salt, a borate compound represented by Formula 1 below, and an ionic metal complex represented by Formula 2 below: ##STR00001##
wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, and R.sub.3 are each independently a hydrogen; a C.sub.1-C.sub.5 alkyl group substituted or unsubstituted with a halogen; or a C.sub.1-C.sub.5 cyanoalkyl group substituted or unsubstituted with a halogen, at least one of the R.sub.1, R.sub.2, and R.sub.3 includes a cyanoalkyl group, Me is an element selected from the group consisting of transition metals and Groups 13 to 15 elements of the periodic table, M is a metal ion, a is an integer from 1 to 3, b is an integer from 1 to 3, s=b/a, p is an integer from 0 to 8, q is 0 or 1, r is an integer from 1 to 4, X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 are each independently O, S, or NR.sub.6, R.sub.4 and R.sub.6 are each independently a halogen, a C.sub.1-C.sub.5 alkyl group substituted or unsubstituted with a halogen, or a C.sub.1-C.sub.5 aryl group substituted or unsubstituted with a halogen, and R.sub.5 is a C.sub.1-C.sub.5 alkylene group substituted or unsubstituted with a halogen or a C.sub.4-C.sub.10 arylene group substituted or unsubstituted with a halogen.

A thin film production apparatus which includes: a substrate feeding mechanism configured to continuously feed a substrate; a substrate receiving mechanism configured to receive the substrate; a substrate conveying mechanism; a film formation roller; a first film formation source configured to form a first thin film on a film formation surface of the substrate traveling on an upstream side of the film formation roller in a substrate conveyance direction along the substrate conveying mechanism; and a second film formation source configured to form a second thin film on a roller circumferential surface of the film formation roller. The film formation roller is placed so that the second thin film is joined to the first thin film. The second thin film is formed to a greater thickness and/or at a higher deposition rate than the first thin film.

A manufacturing method of a lithium ion secondary battery includes: forming a first mixture by mixing powder of a first electrode material, which is one of the active material and the conductive material, with powder of trilithium phosphate; forming a second mixture by mixing the first mixture with powder of a second electrode material which is the other one of the active material and the conductive material; forming a wet granulated body by mixing the second mixture with the binder and a solvent; and forming the active material layer by attaching the wet granulated body to the surface of the current collector foil.

Methods, systems, and compositions for the liquid-phase deposition (LPD) of thin films. The thin films can be coated onto the surface of porous components of electrochemical devices, such as battery electrodes. Embodiments of the present disclosure achieve a faster, safer, and more cost-effective means for forming uniform, conformal layers on non-planar microstructures than known methods. In one aspect, the methods and systems involve exposing the component to be coated to different liquid reagents in sequential processing steps, with optional intervening rinsing and drying steps. Processing may occur in a single reaction chamber or multiple reaction chambers.

The present invention discloses a method of manufacturing a lithium-ion secondary battery electrode. The method includes the steps of: supplying composite particles (1), each containing an active material (2) and a binder (4), onto a sheet collector (42); and rolling the composite particles (1) supplied onto the collector (42), thus forming an active material layer (44). The rolling step includes a first rolling sub-step involving first rolling, and a second rolling sub-step to be performed after the first rolling sub-step. Rubber rolls (R1) are preferably used in the first rolling sub-step.