Aspects of the invention are based on the discovery that cathode materials and lithium ion batteries comprising the cathode material, having improved thermal stability may be produced from a cathode material that is comprised of a mixture of a lithium metal oxide and a lithium metal phosphate wherein the lithium metal phosphate comprises a volume fraction of secondary particles having a size of 0.1 to 3 μm that is from 5 to 100%, based on the total content of lithium metal phosphate. More specifically cathodes comprising lithium metal phosphates having the recited secondary particle ranges help provide cathode materials that are capable of passing the nail penetration test without generating smoke or flames. Methods of forming the cathode and lithium ion battery comprising the cathode are also provided.

Aspects of the invention are based on the discovery that cathode materials and lithium ion batteries comprising the cathode material, having improved thermal stability may be produced from a cathode material that is comprised of a mixture of a lithium metal oxide and a lithium metal phosphate wherein the lithium metal phosphate comprises a volume fraction of secondary particles having a size of 0.1 to 3 μm that is from 5 to 100%, based on the total content of lithium metal phosphate. More specifically cathodes comprising lithium metal phosphates having the recited secondary particle ranges help provide cathode materials that are capable of passing the nail penetration test without generating smoke or flames. Methods of forming the cathode and lithium ion battery comprising the cathode are also provided.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a slurry for a positive electrode of a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery containing an alkali metal complex oxide, the method making it possible to reliably deaerate surplus carbonic acid gas after an alkali component of a slurry containing the alkali metal complex oxide is neutralized within a short period of time. The method for manufacturing a slurry for a positive electrode of a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a step of manufacturing an electrode slurry including a step of performing a neutralization treatment on an alkali component in the slurry by using inorganic carbon dissolved in a solvent of the slurry and a step of deaerating the inorganic carbon in the slurry as carbonic acid gas by causing cavitation.

A secondary cell has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte, and the positive electrode contains insoluble sulfur.

A secondary cell has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte, and the positive electrode contains insoluble sulfur.

The present invention relates to a method of producing carbon-coated lithium metal phosphate from a raw material containing lithium, comprising providing a solution containing lithium bicarbonate from an industrial process stream; reacting the lithium bicarbonate in the solution with metal ions, phosphate ions and a carbon source; separating the solids from the solution containing lithium bicarbonate by solid-liquid separation; and heat treating the solids to provide a carbon covered lithium metal phosphate. The method can be carried out continuously to produce lithium ion cathode chemicals in particular for the electrochemical industry, e.g. for ion cathode chemicals.

A nonaqueous electrolyte battery includes: a positive electrode containing a positive electrode active material made of a compound represented by a compositional formula of LiMn.sub.1-xFe.sub.xA.sub.yPO.sub.4 (wherein A is at least one selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Al, Ti, Zn and Zr, 0≦x≦0.3, and 0≦y≦0.1); a negative electrode containing a negative electrode active material made from a titanium composite oxide; and a nonaqueous electrolyte, wherein a ratio (I.sub.P—F/I.sub.P—O) of a peak intensity (I.sub.P—F) of a P—F bond to a peak intensity (I.sub.P—O) of a P—O bond on the surface of the positive electrode, which are measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis, is 0.4 or more and 0.8 or less.

Provided are negative electrode assemblies containing lithium sulfide anolyte layers, electrochemical cells including these assemblies, and methods of forming thereof. An anolyte layer may be disposed over a metal layer of a current collector and may be used to separate the current collector from the rest of the electrolyte. The metal layer may include copper or any other suitable metal that forms in situ a metal sulfide during fabrication of the electrode assembly. Specifically, a sulfur containing layer, such as a solid electrolyte, is formed on the metal layer. Sulfur from this layer reacts with the metal of the current collector and forms a metal sulfide layer. When lithium is later added to the metal sulfide layer, a lithium sulfide anolyte layer is formed while the metal layer is recovered. Most, if not all operations may, be performed in situ during fabrication of electrochemical cells.

Disclosed is lithium iron phosphate having an olivine crystal structure, wherein the lithium iron phosphate has a composition represented by the following Formula 1 and carbon (C) is coated on the particle surface of the lithium iron phosphate containing a predetermined amount of sulfur (S).
Li.sub.1+aFe.sub.1−xM.sub.x(PO.sub.4−b)X.sub.b  (1) (wherein M, X, a, x, and b are the same as defined in the specification).

A method for producing an electrode comprising a porous garnet-type ion-conducting oxide sintered body with high ion conductivity, the electrode, and an electrode-electrolyte layer assembly comprising the electrode and an electrolyte layer comprising a dense garnet-type ion-conducting oxide sintered body with high ion conductivity. Disclosed is a method for producing an electrode, the method comprising: preparing crystal particles of a garnet-type ion-conducting oxide; preparing a lithium-containing flux; preparing the electrode active material; preparing an electrolyte material by mixing the crystal particles of the garnet-type ion-conducting oxide and the flux; and sintering the electrolyte material and the electrode active material by heating at a temperature of 650° C. or less, wherein a number average particle diameter of the flux is larger than a number average particle diameter of the crystal particles of the garnet-type ion-conducting oxide.