A method of producing a powder mass for a lithium battery, comprising: (a) mixing graphene sheets and a sulfonated elastomer or its precursor in a liquid medium or solvent to form a suspension; (b) dispersing a plurality of particles of an anode active material in the suspension to form a slurry; and (c) dispensing the slurry and removing the solvent and/or polymerizing or curing the precursor to form the powder mass comprising multiple particulates, wherein at least one of the particulates is composed of one or a plurality of the particles encapsulated by a thin layer of a sulfonated elastomer/graphene composite having a thickness from 1 nm to 10 μm, a fully recoverable tensile strain from 2% to 500%, a lithium ion conductivity from 10.sup.−7 S/cm to 5×10.sup.−2 S/cm and an electrical conductivity from 10.sup.−7 S/cm to 100 S/cm.

Provided is a method of producing a rechargeable alkali metal-sulfur cell, comprising: (a) providing an anode layer; (b) providing particulates comprising primary particles of a sulfur-containing material encapsulated or embraced by a thin layer of a conductive sulfonated elastomer composite, wherein the conductive sulfonated elastomer composite comprises from 0% to 50% by weight of a conductive reinforcement material dispersed in a sulfonated elastomeric matrix material, and the conductive sulfonated elastomer composite has a thickness from 1 nm to 10 μm, a fully recoverable tensile strain from 2% to 500%, a lithium ion conductivity from 10.sup.−7 S/cm to 5×10.sup.−2 S/cm, and an electrical conductivity from 10.sup.−7 S/cm to 100 S/cm; (c) forming the particulates, a resin binder, and an optional conductive additive into a cathode layer; and (d) combining the anode layer, the cathode layer, an optional porous separator, and an electrolyte to form the alkali metal-sulfur cell.

A Li/CFx primary battery having a lithium-based anode and a fluorinated carbon cathode. The fluorinated carbon cathode includes fluorinated carbon nanoparticles. The structure and size distribution of the carbon precursor carbon nanotubes are configured to provide improved battery performance. The fluorinated carbon nanoparticles can be formed by fluorinating carbon nanoparticles using a fluorine-based reactive gas at a temperature in the range from 300 to 600 C., and the fluorinated carbon nanoparticles can further be used to form the cathode of the primary battery. Producing the Li/CFx primary batter can also include heating the fluorinated carbon nanoparticles under an inert atmosphere before the fluorinated carbon nanoparticles are used to form the cathode of the primary battery.

An electrochemical cell that converts chemical energy to electrical energy includes a cathode with an active material of fluorinated carbon on a perforated metal cathode current collector, a lithium anode on a perforated metal anode current collector, a stepped header, a stable electrolyte, and a separator. In various embodiments, an anode current collector design, a cathode current collector design, a stepped header design, a cathode formulation, an electrolyte formulation, a separator, and a battery incorporating the electrochemical cell are provided.

An electrochemical cell, preferably a secondary, rechargeable cell, including a casing comprised of a main body portion having opposed lower and upper open ends closed by respective lower and upper lids is described. The main body portion is composed of titanium Grades 5 or 23 having a relatively high electrical resistivity material while the lower and upper lids are composed of titanium Grades 1 or 2. The lids are preferably joined to the main body portion using laser welding. The combination of these differing titanium alloys provides a cell casing that effectively retards eddy current induced heating during cell recharging.

Articles and methods involving electrochemical cells and/or electrochemical cell preproducts comprising passivating agents are generally provided. In certain embodiments, an electrochemical cell includes first and second passivating agents. In some embodiments, an electrochemical cell may include a first electrode comprising a first surface, a second electrode (e.g., a counter electrode with respect to the first electrode) comprising a second surface, a first passivating agent configured and arranged to passivate the first surface, and a second passivating agent configured and arranged to passivate the second surface.

A negative electrode active material particle includes natural graphite and a coating. The surface of the natural graphite is coated with the coating. The coating contains low crystalline carbon and fluorine. The low crystalline carbon has lower crystallinity than the natural graphite and a structure in which carbon hexagonal net planes are layered in a portion of the low crystalline carbon. The peak of CF2 bonds is detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the negative electrode active material particle, and the fluorine concentration of the surface of the negative electrode active material particle is 10 atm % or more and 20 atm % or less.

Provided is an anode active material electrode for a lithium battery. This electrode layer comprises multiple particulates of an anode active material, wherein at least a particulate is composed of one or a plurality of particles of an anode active material being encapsulated by a thin layer of sulfonated elastomer/graphene composite having from 0.01% to 50% by weight of graphene sheets dispersed in a sulfonated elastomeric matrix material, wherein the encapsulating shell composite has a thickness from 1 nm to 10 m, a lithium ion conductivity from 10.sup.7 S/cm to 510.sup.2 S/cm, and an electrical conductivity from 10.sup.7 S/cm to 100 S/cm when measured at room temperature. The anode active material is preferably selected from Si, Ge, Sn, SnO.sub.2, SiO.sub.x, Co.sub.3O.sub.4, Mn.sub.3O.sub.4, etc., which has a specific capacity of lithium storage greater than 372 mAh/g (the theoretical lithium storage limit of graphite).

Novel graphene is provided. A novel graphene compound is provided. An electrode having a high output is provided. A novel electrode is provided. A secondary battery with little deterioration is provided. A secondary battery with a high degree of safety is provided. Graphene has a vacancy formed with a many-membered ring that is a nine- or more-membered ring composed of carbon atoms. One or more of the carbon atoms included in the many-membered ring are terminated with fluorine.

A lithium battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode containing lithium, and a nonaqueous electrolyte having lithium-ion conductivity, wherein the positive electrode contains at least one selected from the group consisting of manganese oxide and graphite fluoride, and a powdered or fibrous carbon material is attached to at least part of the surface of the negative electrode opposite the positive electrode. Further, the nonaqueous electrolyte includes a nonaqueous solvent, a solute, a first additive, and a second additive, the solute contains LiClO.sub.4, the first additive is LiBF.sub.4, and the second additive is a salt having an inorganic anion that contains sulfur and fluorine.