A predoping method for a negative electrode active material to dope the negative electrode active material with lithium ions. The predoping method for a negative electrode active material includes: a predoping process and a post-doping modification process. In the predoping process, the negative electrode active material is doped with lithium ions, to thereby reduce a potential of the negative electrode active material relative to lithium metal. In the post-doping modification process, after the predoping process, reaction is caused between a reactive compound that is reactive with lithium ions and lithium ions doped into the negative electrode active material, to thereby increase the potential of the negative electrode active material relative to lithium metal. The potential of the negative electrode active material relative to lithium metal is 0.8 V or more at completion of the post-doping modification process.

Provided is a method for producing a negative electrode for an electric storage device, the method comprising the steps of preparing a negative electrode composition comprising a negative electrode active material that reversibly carries a sodium ion, metal sodium, and a liquid dispersion medium for dispersing them; allowing a negative electrode current collector to hold the negative electrode composition; evaporating at least part of the liquid dispersion medium from the negative electrode composition held by the negative electrode current collector, thereby giving a negative electrode precursor comprising the negative electrode active material, the metal sodium, and the negative electrode current collector; and bringing the negative electrode precursor into contact with an electrolyte having sodium ion conductivity, thereby doping the negative electrode active material with sodium eluted from the metal sodium.

A device for producing a negative electrode, which includes: a pre-lithiation bath containing a pre-lithiation solution, which is sequentially divided into an impregnation section, a pre-lithiation section, and an aging section; a negative electrode roll present outside the pre-lithiation solution, wherein the negative electrode roll is configured to allow a negative electrode structure to be wound and unwound; and one or more pre-lithiation rolls which are present inside the pre-lithiation solution, wherein the one or more pre-lithiation rolls allow the negative electrode structure unwound from the negative electrode roll to move in the pre-lithiation bath, wherein the pre-lithiation roll includes an inner ring, an outer ring which is formed on the inner ring and is rotatable, and a rolling element present between the inner ring and the outer ring, and the outer ring in the pre-lithiation roll comprises a non-conductor.

Electrode materials comprising an electrochemically active material, wherein said electrochemically active material comprises a layered potassium metal oxide. The layered potassium metal oxide may be of formula K.sub.xMO.sub.2. The invention also relates to electrodes, electrochemical cells and batteries comprising said electrode material. For example, said battery may be a lithium or lithium-ion battery, a sodium or sodium-ion battery, or a potassium or potassium-ion battery.

One or more trenches in a silicon substrate have an electrically active surface at a trench base and metal layer disposed on the electrically active surface. Precursor materials are disposed and/or formed on the metal layer in the trench. An anode is patterned either exclusively in the 3D trench or in the 3D trench, sidewalls and field of the substrate, where the anode patterning transforms and/or moves the precursor materials in the trench into some novel compositions of matter and other final operational structures for the device, e.g. layers of metallic Lithium for energy storage and different concentrations of Lithium-silicon species in the substrate. A multi-faceted mechanism is disclosed for Al2O3 silicon interfacial additives. When the anode is patterned both in and outside the 3D wells, Al2O3 provides an for electron-conductive Li-metal interface that enables homogenous plating on both the insulated substrate field as well as active silicon trench base where Al2O3 acts as a barrier to Li—Si diffusion. When the anode is patterned only in the 3D trench, Al2O3 additive creates a robust, flexible, Li-permeable interface upon charge cycling, which preserves the 3D textured structure of the porous silicon anode. Additionally, the Al2O3 additive is mobilized deeper into the bulk silicon in parallel with Li+ and a conductive plasticizer upon progressive cycling—where the lithiated Al2O3 particles nucleate at defect sites and prevent mechanical degradation of the silicon anode through a combined bridge and spacer mechanism. By selecting different defined anode patterns to deposit on the 3D substrate, final operational characteristics, properties, structures, and charge storage performance for the device can be predictably designed and manufactured.

An electrode manufacturing apparatus manufactures a strip-shaped doped electrode by doping an active material contained in a layer of a strip-shaped electrode precursor with alkali metal. The electrode manufacturing apparatus includes a sensor configured to detect a mark that the electrode precursor has, at least one doping tank that stores a solution that contains alkali metal ions, a conveyer member configured to convey the electrode precursor along a path passing through the doping tank, a counter electrode member that is accommodated in the doping tank, a connector configured to electrically connect the electrode precursor and the counter electrode member, a power source configured to flow an electric current to the counter electrode member via the connector, and a power controller configured to control the power source based on a result of detection by the sensor.

An electrochemical device includes a first electrode unit; a second electrode unit; a third electrode unit; a first lithium ion supply source, which is disposed between the first electrode unit and the third electrode unit and includes a first current collector that is a porous metal foil having a first main surface on the side of the first electrode unit; a second lithium ion supply source, which is disposed between the second electrode unit and the third electrode unit and includes a second current collector that is a porous metal foil having a third main surface on the side of the second electrode unit; and an electrolyte. Lithium ions are pre-doped from first metal lithium attached to the first main surface, and second metal lithium attached to the third main surface, into the negative electrode of each electrode unit.

An electrochemical apparatus includes a positive electrode plate including a positive electrode active material layer; a negative electrode plate including a negative electrode active material layer; and a separator disposed between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate. A mass ratio of fluorine to sulfur in a surface layer of the positive electrode active material layer is A, and a mass ratio of fluorine to sulfur in a surface layer of the negative electrode active material layer is B, where 30≤A≤300, and 5≤B≤50.

A method of manufacturing a battery cell is disclosed. The method comprises recovering a cathode module from a used battery cell, assembling a new battery cell using the recovered cathode module. The used battery cell may be from a battery pack which has failed or reached end-of-life. The new battery cell may comprise a new anode module, a new electrolyte and/or a new separator. This may allow a battery cell to be manufactured in a manner which is more cost effective and environmentally sustainable than prior techniques.

Proposed is a method of manufacturing an anode for a lithium secondary battery, including a pre-lithiation step.