A positive-electrode material for a lithium secondary battery is provided. The material includes a lithium oxide compound or a complex oxide as reactive substance. The material also includes at least one type of carbon material, and optionally a binder. A first type of carbon material is provided as a coating on the reactive substance particles surface. A second type of carbon material is carbon black. And a third type of carbon material is a fibrous carbon material provided as a mixture of at least two types of fibrous carbon material different in fiber diameter and/or fiber length. Also, a method for preparing the material as well as lithium secondary batteries including the material is provided.

Described herein are improved composite anodes and lithium-ion batteries made therefrom. Further described are methods of making and using the improved anodes and batteries. In general, the anodes include a porous composite having a plurality of agglomerated nanocomposites. At least one of the plurality of agglomerated nanocomposites is formed from a dendritic particle, which is a three-dimensional, randomly-ordered assembly of nanoparticles of an electrically conducting material and a plurality of discrete non-porous nanoparticles of a non-carbon Group 4A element or mixture thereof disposed on a surface of the dendritic particle. At least one nanocomposite of the plurality of agglomerated nanocomposites has at least a portion of its dendritic particle in electrical communication with at least a portion of a dendritic particle of an adjacent nanocomposite in the plurality of agglomerated nanocomposites.

Described herein are improved composite anodes and lithium-ion batteries made therefrom. Further described are methods of making and using the improved anodes and batteries. In general, the anodes include a porous composite having a plurality of agglomerated nanocomposites. At least one of the plurality of agglomerated nanocomposites is formed from a dendritic particle, which is a three-dimensional, randomly-ordered assembly of nanoparticles of an electrically conducting material and a plurality of discrete non-porous nanoparticles of a non-carbon Group 4A element or mixture thereof disposed on a surface of the dendritic particle. At least one nanocomposite of the plurality of agglomerated nanocomposites has at least a portion of its dendritic particle in electrical communication with at least a portion of a dendritic particle of an adjacent nanocomposite in the plurality of agglomerated nanocomposites.

Provided is a method for manufacturing an electrode by doping an active material included a layer of an electrode precursor with alkali metal. The electrode precursor and a counter electrode member are brought into contact with a solution containing an alkali metal ion in a dope bath. The counter electrode member includes a conductive base material, an alkali metal-containing plate, and a member having an opening. The member having the opening is located between the conductive base material and the alkali metal-containing plate. The member having the opening is, for example, a resin film having an opening.

A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a nonaqueous electrolyte solution; the negative electrode comprises a negative electrode collector and a negative electrode active material layer that is provided on the negative electrode collector; the negative electrode active material layer contains, as negative electrode active materials, graphite particles A and graphite particles B; the graphite particles A have an internal void fraction of 5% or less; the graphite particles B have an internal void fraction of from 8% to 20%; if the negative electrode active material layer is halved in the thickness direction, a region on the half closer to the outer surface contains more graphite particles A than a region on the half closer to the negative electrode collector.

A fuel cell assembly includes multiple fuel cells that are electrically coupled. Each fuel cell includes an electrolyte, an anode, and a cathode that can be fabricated from decorated or non-decorated carbon particles. The carbon particles can be produced by a methane dissociating reactor that converts methane into solid carbon and hydrogen. The electrolyte particles form an electrolyte structure that has a pattern of grooves on the anode and cathode facing surfaces. The electrolyte structure is sintered with microwave energy to fuse the adjacent electrolyte particles at contact points. The anode and cathode layers are deposited on opposite sides of the electrolyte and sintered. The anode and cathode layers are then processed to form multiple electrically fuel cells. The anode layers of the fuel cells are electrically coupled with interconnects to cathode layers of the adjacent fuel cells.

A fuel cell assembly includes multiple fuel cells that are electrically coupled. Each fuel cell includes an electrolyte, an anode, and a cathode that can be fabricated from decorated or non-decorated carbon particles. The carbon particles can be produced by a methane dissociating reactor that converts methane into solid carbon and hydrogen. The electrolyte particles form an electrolyte structure that has a pattern of grooves on the anode and cathode facing surfaces. The electrolyte structure is sintered with microwave energy to fuse the adjacent electrolyte particles at contact points. The anode and cathode layers are deposited on opposite sides of the electrolyte and sintered. The anode and cathode layers are then processed to form multiple electrically fuel cells. The anode layers of the fuel cells are electrically coupled with interconnects to cathode layers of the adjacent fuel cells.

In an anode for a secondary battery, a method for preparing the anode, a secondary battery including the anode, and an apparatus for applying a magnetic field, the anode for a secondary battery includes an anode mixture layer on at least one surface of an anode current collector, in which a z-tensor value of a pore in the anode mixture layer is 0.25 or more. The method includes applying an anode mixture slurry including an anode active material to at least one surface of an anode current collector; and drying the anode mixture slurry to form an anode mixture layer. During at least one of the applying and the drying, a magnetic field in which a direction of a line of magnetic force and magnetic force strength change is applied from both upper and lower surfaces of the anode current collector to orient the anode active material and the pore.

In an anode for a secondary battery, a method for preparing the anode, a secondary battery including the anode, and an apparatus for applying a magnetic field, the anode for a secondary battery includes an anode mixture layer on at least one surface of an anode current collector, in which a z-tensor value of a pore in the anode mixture layer is 0.25 or more. The method includes applying an anode mixture slurry including an anode active material to at least one surface of an anode current collector; and drying the anode mixture slurry to form an anode mixture layer. During at least one of the applying and the drying, a magnetic field in which a direction of a line of magnetic force and magnetic force strength change is applied from both upper and lower surfaces of the anode current collector to orient the anode active material and the pore.

A negative electrode for a rechargeable lithium and a rechargeable lithium battery, and the negative electrode includes a current collector and a negative active material layer positioned on the current collector, wherein the negative active material layer includes a plurality of holes at a hole density of about 90 pt/mm.sup.2 or more.