A carbon-metal/alloy composite material includes a composition represented by (1-a)Sn.sub.1-xM.sup.1.sub.x+aM.sup.2+cC, wherein: M.sup.1 includes one or more transition metals, metals, or metalloids; M.sup.2 includes one or more transition metals, metals, or metalloids; x is 0≦x≦1; a is 0≦a≦1; and c is 0<c≦99. A method of forming the carbon-metal/alloy composite material includes the steps of dissolving one or more precursor materials in a solvent to form a solution; adding an organic carbon forming precursor to the solution to form a mixture; heating the mixture in an autoclave reactor for a prescribed period of time; separating solids formed from the mixture after the heating; washing the separated solids with a washing solvent; and heating the washed solids under a non-oxidizing atmosphere to form the carbon-metal/alloy composite material.

There is provided a secondary zinc battery including: a unit cell including; a positive-electrode plate including a positive-electrode active material layer and a positive-electrode collector; a negative-electrode plate including a negative-electrode active material layer containing zinc and a negative-electrode collector; an LDH separator covering or wrapping around the entire negative-electrode active material layer; and an electrolytic solution. The positive-electrode collector has a positive-electrode collector tab extending from one edge of the positive-electrode active material layer, and the negative-electrode collector has a negative-electrode collector tab extending from the opposite edge of the negative-electrode active material layer and beyond a vertical edge of the LDH-like compound separator. The unit cell can thereby collects electricity from the positive-electrode collector tab and the negative-electrode collector tab that are disposed at opposite edges of the unit cell. The LDH-like compound separator has at least two continuous closed edges.

Provided are a micro-porous hybrid film and a method for preparing the same, and more particularly, a micro-porous hybrid film capable of improving reliability of a battery by simultaneously improving thermal stability at a high temperature and water properties, and a method for preparing the same. In addition, the present invention relates to a micro-porous hybrid film suitable for a separator of a high capacity/high output lithium secondary battery capable of increasing production stability, long term stability, and performance of the battery by improving adhesive force between a micro-porous film and a coating layer and permeability and minimizing a water content by the coating layer.

A battery according to the invention includes, as a separator, a first separator and a second separator having mutually different characteristics. The first separator and the second separator are disposed inside an electrode assembly in a state where the separators are not in contact with each other in a stacking direction of the electrode assembly. The first separator and the second separator have the following characteristic: when the battery is constructed including an electrode assembly formed by stacking the positive electrode, the first separator and the negative electrode, a resistance increase rate X=Delta X/Delta P satisfies X>0 (positive value), X being evaluated from a change amount Delta P of surface pressure applied in the stacking direction of the electrode assembly and a resistance increment Delta X of the battery upon application of the surface pressure change amount Delta P, and when the battery is constructed including an electrode assembly formed by stacking the positive electrode, the second separator and the negative electrode, a resistance increase rate Y=Delta Y/Delta P satisfies Y<0 (negative value), Y being evaluated from a change amount Delta P of surface pressure applied in the stacking direction of the electrode assembly and a resistance increment Delta Y of the battery upon application of the surface pressure change amount Delta P.

A lithium ion battery includes a positive and a negative electrode, and a nanoporous or microporous polymer separator soaked in electrolyte solution and disposed between the electrodes. At least two different chelating agents are included and selected to complex with: i) two or more different transition metal ions; ii) a transition metal ion in two or more different oxidation states; or iii) both i) and ii). The at least two different selected chelating agents are to complex with transition metal ions in a manner sufficient to not affect movement of lithium ions across the separator during operation of the battery. The chelating agents are: dissolved or dispersed in the electrolyte solution; grafted onto the polymer of the separator; attached to the binder material of the negative and/or positive electrode; disposed within pores of the separator; coated on a surface of the separator; and/or coated on a surface of an electrode.

An alkaline electrochemical cell includes a cathode, an anode which includes an anode active material, and a non-conductive separator disposed between the cathode and the anode, wherein from about 20% to about 50% by weight of the anode active material relative to a total amount of anode active material has a particle size of less than about 75 μm, and wherein the separator includes a unitary, cylindrical configuration having an open end, a side wall, and integrally formed closed end disposed distally to the open end.

Provided is an LDH-like compound separator that includes a porous substrate made of a polymer material and a layered double hydroxide (LDH)-like compound plugging pores in the porous substrate, and has a linear transmittance of 1% or more at a wavelength of 1000 nm.

A secondary battery separator includes a porous substrate; and a porous layer laminated on at least one surface of the porous substrate, the porous layer comprising fluorine resin particles and inorganic particles; wherein the fluorine resin particles are formed using a fluorine resin having a weight-average molecular weight of 100,000 or more and 5,000,000 or less, and have an average particle size of 0.01 μm or more and 1.00 μm or less; and wherein the inorganic particles have an average particle size of 0.10 μm or more and 5.0 μm or less.

Provided herein is a separator used for an electrochemical device such as a lithium-ion battery. The separator disclosed herein comprises a porous base material, and a protective porous layer coated on one or both surfaces of the porous base material disclosed herein, wherein the protective porous layer comprises an organic binder and an inorganic filler, and wherein the inorganic filler comprises a whisker-type material selected from the group consisting of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, ZrO.sub.2, BaO.sub.x, ZnO, CaCO.sub.3, TiN, AlN, MTiO.sub.3, K.sub.2O.nTiO.sub.2, Na.sub.2O.mTiO.sub.2, and combinations thereof, wherein x is 1 or 2; M is Ba, Sr or Ca; n is 1, 2, 4, 6 or 8; and m is 3 or 6. Also provided herein is a lithium-ion battery including the separator disclosed herein. The separator disclosed herein is excellent in terms of safety, ion permeability, and cycle characteristics.

A separator for an electrochemical device includes a first porous coating layer on a first surface of a porous polymer substrate. The first porous coating layer includes inorganic particles and a first binder polymer, and the first porous coating layer has an interstitial volume pore structure. The separator also includes a second porous coating layer on a second surface of the porous polymer substrate. The second porous coating layer includes second inorganic particles and a second binder polymer. The second porous coating layer having a node-filament pore structure. The separator also includes an electrode adhesion layer on a surface of the first porous coating layer opposite to the porous separator substrate. The electrode adhesion layer includes a third binder polymer. The separator for an electrochemical device has high heat resistance and improved adhesive property with electrode. An electrochemical device having the separator is also provided.