An electrode material, its manufacturing method, and its use as a cathode material in batteries are provided. The electrode material comprises a plurality of nanoparticles, each having a diameter of approximately 100-400 nm and comprising a core and a shell encapsulating the core. The shell comprises carbon and nitrogen, respectively having a mass fraction of approximately 70-90% and approximately 5-20% relative to a total mass of the shell. The core comprises sulfur, having a mass fraction of approximately 40-97% relative to a total mass of the core. The core has a mass fraction of approximately 50-90% relative to a total mass of each nanoparticle. The electrode material can be used in a cathode of a Li—S battery, which has a good energy storage capacity, a high electrochemical stability, and a low capacity decay.

Provided is a positive electrode manufacturing method including the step of mixing carbon particles, a first binder, a first dispersant, and a first solvent to form a first dispersion, the step of mixing carbon nanotubes, a second binder, a second dispersant, and a second solvent to form a second dispersion, the step of mixing one of the first dispersion or the second dispersion with a positive electrode active material to form a third dispersion, the step of mixing the other one of the first dispersion or the second dispersion with the third dispersion to form a fourth dispersion, and the step of applying the fourth dispersion to a positive electrode current collector to form a positive electrode material mixture layer.

A solid-state composite electrode includes active electrode particles, ionically conductive particles, and electrically conductive particles. Each of the ionically conductive particles is at least partially coated with an isolation material that inhibits inter-diffusion of the ionically conductive particles with the active electrode particles. A battery cell includes a first current collector, a solid electrolyte layer, a first solid-state composite electrode having ionically conductive particles coated with an isolation material and positioned between the first current collector and the solid electrolyte layer, a second current collector, and a second electrode positioned between the solid electrolyte layer and the second current collector. A method of forming a solid-state composite electrode includes mixing together active electrode particles and electrically conductive particles with ionically conductive particles that are each at least partially coated with an isolation material. The mixture is formed into a film via tape-casting, and sintered at a temperature greater than 600° C.

An apparatus for pre-lithiating a negative electrode includes a pre-lithiation reactor having a pre-lithiation solution accommodated therein, a high-pressure chamber surrounding the pre-lithiation reactor, wherein an internal air pressure of the high-pressure chamber is configured to exceed atmospheric pressure, at least one lithium metal counter electrode disposed in the pre-lithiation solution, the lithium metal counter electrode being disposed to face a negative electrode receivable in the pre-lithiation solution in a state that the lithium metal counter electrode is spaced apart from the negative electrode by a predetermined interval, and a charge and discharge unit being connectable to the negative electrode and the lithium metal counter electrode to provide a circuit.

An electropositive metal electrode coated by an ion-selective conformable polymer provides the negative electrode and the solid-state electrolyte for a rechargeable bi-electrolyte displacement battery that further includes a molten salt electrolyte having a melting temperature below 140° C. interposed between the conformable polymer coating and a positive electrode. Suitable electropositive metals include lithium, sodium, magnesium, and aluminum and the molten salt incorporates a soluble salt of the metal of the negative electrode. Positive electrodes may incorporate metals including Fe, Ni, Bi, Pb, Zn, Sn, and Cu, and thanks to the ion-selective conformable solid-state electrolyte the molten salt is able to incorporate a soluble salt of the metal of the positive electrode. The conformable polymer-coated electropositive metal electrode may be manufactured by a process involving electroplating electropositive metal through a conformable polymer-coated conductive substrate. The conformable polymer-coated conductive substrate may be prepared by coating the conductive substrate in a conformable polymer solution followed by evaporating the solvent. Alternatively, an electropositive metal electrode may be coated directly with the conformable polymer.

A method of manufacturing an all-solid-state battery electrode, an all-solid-state battery electrode manufactured by the method, and an all-solid-state battery including the electrode are disclosed. In the method, a specific type of binder included in the electrode is prepared in a fiber form by applying pressure to the binder under specific conditions, so that the fiber-form binder thus prepared has an average fineness that satisfies a specific range. Therefore, the all-solid-state battery including the electrode has an advantage of having high capacity even in the case of electrode thickening for high loading.

A method for manufacturing a lithium secondary battery, including the steps: (S1) forming a preliminary negative electrode by coating a negative electrode slurry including a negative electrode active material, conductive material, binder and a solvent onto at least one surface of a current collector, followed by drying and pressing the negative electrode slurry coated current collector, to form a negative electrode active material layer surface on the current collector; (S2) coating lithium metal foil onto the negative electrode active material layer surface of the preliminary negative electrode in the shape of a pattern in which pattern units are arranged; (S3) cutting the preliminary negative electrode on which the lithium metal foil is pattern-coated to obtain negative electrode units; (S4) impregnating the negative electrode units with an electrolyte to obtain a pre-lithiated negative electrode; and (S5) assembling the negative electrode obtained from step (S4) with a positive electrode and a separator.

A method for producing a lithium-ion cell is provided. The electrochemically active coating of an electrode is brought into contact with an electrolyte or an auxiliary liquid before a winding or cutting operation. This method is suitable in particular for continuously producing lithium-ion cells by means of processes proceeding at high speed, such as winding processes.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a current collector for a battery or a supercapacitor, the manufacturing method comprising a phase of connecting a metal element and a metal strip coated with a coating, the coating being made of a coating material, the coating material being distinct from the strip material, the connecting phase comprising: a superimposing step of the strip and the metal element on a superposition surface, and a step of applying ultrasound by a sonotrode of an ultrasonic welder on the superimposing surface along a line for welding the superimposing surface.

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.