The present application relates to a battery module, which includes a first type of battery cells and a second type of battery cells electrically connected in series. The first type of battery cells and the second type of battery cells are battery cells with different chemical systems. The first type of battery cells includes N first battery cells, and the second type of battery cells includes M second battery cells, where N and M are greater than or equal one. The present application also relates to a battery pack and an electric apparatus including the battery module, and method and device for manufacturing the battery module.

A cathode structure for a battery includes a substrate having an electrically conductive surface and an electrode deposited onto the electrically conductive surface. The electrode is made of two or more electrode materials, including (i) one or more active materials, and (ii) specified weight percentage ranges of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (“MWCNTs”), or milled carbon fibers (“MCFs”), or a mixture of MWCNTs and MCFs. Using the specified weight percentage ranges, the electrode may be produced with a thickness of greater than 120 μm. Also disclosed are a slurry formulation for producing thick electrodes for a battery, and a method of fabricating a cathode structure for a battery.

A cathode structure for a battery includes a substrate having an electrically conductive surface and an electrode deposited onto the electrically conductive surface. The electrode is made of two or more electrode materials, including (i) one or more active materials, and (ii) specified weight percentage ranges of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (“MWCNTs”), or milled carbon fibers (“MCFs”), or a mixture of MWCNTs and MCFs. Using the specified weight percentage ranges, the electrode may be produced with a thickness of greater than 120 μm. Also disclosed are a slurry formulation for producing thick electrodes for a battery, and a method of fabricating a cathode structure for a battery.

Provided is a lithium-containing oxide precursor solution for coating an electrode active material that is capable of improving the coverage of a coating layer that is formed by applying the lithium-containing oxide precursor solution to the surface of powder of the electrode active material and king it, and that is easy to handle in a normal atmosphere because a solution composed mainly of water is used as a solvent. The lithium-containing oxide precursor solution for coating an electrode active material includes Li in an amount of 0.1 mass % or more and 5.0 mass % or less, at least one element selected from Nb, F, Fe, P, Ta, V, Ge, B, Al, Ti, Si, W, Zr, Mo, S, Cl, Br, and I in an amount of 0.05 mass % or more and 35 mass % or less, and water in an amount of 60 mass % or more and 98.4 mass % or less. The value of absorbance of the solution at a wavelength of 660 nm is 0.1 or less, and the value of surface energy thereof is 72 mN/m or less.

Provided is a lithium-containing oxide precursor solution for coating an electrode active material that is capable of improving the coverage of a coating layer that is formed by applying the lithium-containing oxide precursor solution to the surface of powder of the electrode active material and king it, and that is easy to handle in a normal atmosphere because a solution composed mainly of water is used as a solvent. The lithium-containing oxide precursor solution for coating an electrode active material includes Li in an amount of 0.1 mass % or more and 5.0 mass % or less, at least one element selected from Nb, F, Fe, P, Ta, V, Ge, B, Al, Ti, Si, W, Zr, Mo, S, Cl, Br, and I in an amount of 0.05 mass % or more and 35 mass % or less, and water in an amount of 60 mass % or more and 98.4 mass % or less. The value of absorbance of the solution at a wavelength of 660 nm is 0.1 or less, and the value of surface energy thereof is 72 mN/m or less.

A method for forming a treated sintered composition includes: providing a slurry precursor including a lithium-, sodium-, or magnesium-based compound; tape casting the slurry precursor to form a green tape; sintering the green tape at a temperature in a range of 500° C. to 1350° C. for a time in a range of less than 60 min to form a sintered composition; and heat treating the sintered composition at a temperature in a range of 700° C. to 1100° C. for a time in a range of 1 min to 2 hrs in an oxygen-containing atmosphere to form the treated sintered composition.

A method for forming a treated sintered composition includes: providing a slurry precursor including a lithium-, sodium-, or magnesium-based compound; tape casting the slurry precursor to form a green tape; sintering the green tape at a temperature in a range of 500° C. to 1350° C. for a time in a range of less than 60 min to form a sintered composition; and heat treating the sintered composition at a temperature in a range of 700° C. to 1100° C. for a time in a range of 1 min to 2 hrs in an oxygen-containing atmosphere to form the treated sintered composition.

A positive-electrode material for a lithium ion secondary battery contains a lithium complex compound that is represented by the formula: Li.sub.1+aNi.sub.bMn.sub.cCo.sub.dTi.sub.eM.sub.fO.sub.2+α, and has an atomic ratio Ti.sup.3+/Ti.sup.4+ between Ti.sup.3+ and Ti.sup.4+, as determined through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, of greater than or equal to 1.5 and less than or equal to 20. In the formula, M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Zr, Mo, and Nb, and a, b, c, d, e, f, and a are numbers satisfying −0.1≤a≤0.2, 0.7<b≤0.9, 0≤c<0.3, 0≤d<0.3, 0<e≤0.25, 0≤f<0.3, b+c+d+e+f=1, and −0.2≤α≤0.2.

A positive-electrode material for a lithium ion secondary battery contains a lithium complex compound that is represented by the formula: Li.sub.1+aNi.sub.bMn.sub.cCo.sub.dTi.sub.eM.sub.fO.sub.2+α, and has an atomic ratio Ti.sup.3+/Ti.sup.4+ between Ti.sup.3+ and Ti.sup.4+, as determined through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, of greater than or equal to 1.5 and less than or equal to 20. In the formula, M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Zr, Mo, and Nb, and a, b, c, d, e, f, and a are numbers satisfying −0.1≤a≤0.2, 0.7<b≤0.9, 0≤c<0.3, 0≤d<0.3, 0<e≤0.25, 0≤f<0.3, b+c+d+e+f=1, and −0.2≤α≤0.2.

The invention relates to a method for producing an electrochemical cell comprising at least one porous electrode (2′), the method comprising at least the following method steps: (a) providing an electrode composition in the form of a homogeneous mixture comprising (i) at least one particulate active material (3); (ii) at least one particulate binder (5); (iii) at least one particulate pore-forming agent (4); and (iv) optionally at least one conducting additive (6); (b) forming a mouldable mass from the electrode composition; (c) applying the electrode composition to at least one surface of a substrate (1) to obtain a compact electrode (2); (d) producing an electrochemical cell comprising at least one compact electrode (2) which comprises the electrode composition according to method step (a); and (e) heating the at least one compact electrode (2) to liquefy the at least one particulate pore-forming agent (4); and/or (f) bringing the compact electrode (2) into contact with at least one liquid electrolyte composition or at least one liquid constituent of an electrolyte composition for an electrochemical cell which is capable of at least partially dissolving the at least one particulate pore-forming agent (4) to obtain a porous electrode (2), wherein method steps (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) are carried out substantially without solvents.