A gas diffusion layer for a metal-air battery, the gas diffusion layer including: a porous layer including non-conductive fiber structures, a conductive carbon layer including a carbon material that is disposed on a surface of a non-conductive fiber structure of the plurality of non-conductive fiber structures.

A lid assembly for use in a battery module includes a lid with apertures extending through the lid in a vertical direction, where each of the apertures is configured to receive a terminal of a battery cell of the battery module. The lid assembly also includes one or more extensions extending away from the lid in the vertical direction. Each of the one or more extensions is configured to couple the lid to a printed circuit board assembly of the battery module. The lid assembly also includes walls extending away from the lid in the vertical direction. Each of the walls is configured to extend between a first terminal of a first battery cell and a second terminal of a second battery cell.

A porous electrode substrate has a form of a tape material and contains a structure made of carbon fibers and a carbon matrix. A specific surface area, porosity, and pore distribution are determined by the carbon matrix. The carbon matrix contains carbon particles including activated carbon with a high specific surface area and a carbonized or graphitized residue of a carbonizable or graphitizable binder.

Nanostructured materials, and methods and apparatus for their production are provided. Nanostructured materials comprise nanofibers having nanoparticles deposited along the outer surface thereof. The size of the nanofibers and nanoparticles, and the spacing of such nanoparticles along the nanofibers may be controlled over a wide range. Nanostructured materials may comprise a plurality of such nanofibers interwoven together to form fiber cloth-like materials. Many materials may be used to form the nanofibers including polymer nanofiber materials (e.g., polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), etc.) along with compatible nanoparticle materials (e.g., salts or other crystallizable materials).

A composite cathode active material, a cathode including the composite cathode active material, and a lithium battery including the cathode are provided. The composite cathode active material includes a core including a lithium metal oxide and a coating layer on the core, wherein the lithium metal oxide includes two or more transition metals including nickel (Ni), an amount of Ni within one mole of the two or more transition metals included in the lithium metal oxide is about 0.65 mol or greater, the coating layer includes LiF, and a resistance of the composite cathode active material is lower than that of the core.

A battery module includes a housing configured to hold prismatic battery cells within a space defined by four interior walls of the housing. The housing includes a first interior wall that includes partitions extending upwards from a bottom of the housing and a second interior wall that includes partitions extending upwards from the bottom of the housing. The first interior wall faces opposite the second interior wall. The partitions disposed on the first interior wall and the partitions disposed on the second interior wall define slots between adjacent partitions, where each of the slots increases in width between the adjacent partitions from the bottom of the housing upwards. Each of the slots is configured to retain one of the prismatic battery cells.

An electrolytic copper foil, a current collector including the same, an electrode including the same, a secondary battery including the same and a method for manufacturing the same which can secure secondary batteries with high capacity maintenance. The electrolytic copper foil includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein each of the first and second surfaces has a peak count roughness R.sub.pc of 10 to 100.

Battery electrodes are provided that can include a conductive core supported by a polymeric frame. Methods for manufacturing battery electrodes are provided that can include: providing a sheet of conductive material; and framing the sheet of conductive material with a polymeric material. Batteries are provided that can include a plurality of electrodes, with individual ones of the electrodes comprising a conductive core supported by a polymeric frame.

A bus bar including a first end comprising a first material and a second end comprising a second material and a method of manufacture are provided. The first end is designed to be coupled to a terminal of a first battery cell of a battery module and includes a first collar disposed on the first end designed to receive and surround the terminal of the first battery cell of the battery module. The second end is designed to be coupled to a terminal of a second battery cell of the battery module and includes a second collar disposed on the second end designed to receive and surround the terminal of the second battery of the battery module. The first and second batteries of the battery module are adjacent to one another. Moreover, the bus bar includes a joint electrically and mechanically coupling the first end and the second end.

Rechargeable, high-density electrochemical devices are disclosed. These electrochemical devices may, for example, include high energy densities that store more energy in a given, limited volume than other batteries and still show acceptable power or current rate capability without any liquid or gel-type battery components. Certain embodiments may involve, for example, low volume or mass of all of the battery components other than the cathode, while simultaneously achieving high electrochemically active mass inside the positive cathode.