A method includes, by a folding station: receiving an anode assembly including anode collectors connected by anode interconnects and coated with a separator; receiving a cathode assembly including cathode collectors connected by cathode interconnects; locating a first anode collector over a folding stage; locating a first cathode collector over the first anode collector to form a first battery cell between the first anode collector and the first cathode collector; folding a first anode interconnect to locate a second anode collector over the first cathode collector to form a second battery cell between the first cathode collector and the second anode collector; folding a first cathode interconnect to locate a second cathode collector over the second anode collector to form a third battery cell between the second anode collector and the second cathode collector; wetting the separator with solvated ions; and loading the anode and cathode assemblies into a battery housing.

A method includes, by a folding station: receiving an anode assembly including anode collectors connected by anode interconnects and coated with a separator; receiving a cathode assembly including cathode collectors connected by cathode interconnects; locating a first anode collector over a folding stage; locating a first cathode collector over the first anode collector to form a first battery cell between the first anode collector and the first cathode collector; folding a first anode interconnect to locate a second anode collector over the first cathode collector to form a second battery cell between the first cathode collector and the second anode collector; folding a first cathode interconnect to locate a second cathode collector over the second anode collector to form a third battery cell between the second anode collector and the second cathode collector; wetting the separator with solvated ions; and loading the anode and cathode assemblies into a battery housing.

Provided is a pouch type secondary battery including a jelly roll in which a plurality of unit cells including a structure of a separator interposed between a positive electrode and a negative electrode are laminated, wherein a unit cell positioned in an outermost layer of the jelly roll includes a carbon dioxide adsorbent.

Novel or improved microporous single or multilayer battery separator membranes, separators, batteries including such membranes or separators, methods of making such membranes, separators, and/or batteries, and/or methods of using such membranes, separators and/or batteries are provided. In accordance with at least certain embodiments, a multilayer dry process polyethylene/polypropylene/polyethylene microporous separator which is manufactured using the inventive process which includes machine direction stretching followed by transverse direction stretching and a subsequent calendering step as a means to reduce the thickness of the multilayer microporous membrane, to reduce the percent porosity of the multilayer microporous membrane in a controlled manner and/or to improve transverse direction tensile strength. In a very particular embodiment, the inventive process produces a thin multilayer microporous membrane that is easily coated with polymeric-ceramic coatings, has excellent mechanical strength properties due to its polypropylene layer or layers and a thermal shutdown function due to its polyethylene layer or layers. The ratio of the thickness of the polypropylene and polyethylene layers in the inventive multilayer microporous membrane can be tailored to balance mechanical strength and thermal shutdown properties.

A separator including a porous base and a coating layer on at least one surface of the porous base, the coating layer including (a) a carbon nanotube including an oxygen functional group and (b) a lithium ion conducting polymer, and a lithium-sulfur battery including the same. Such a separator may be capable of resolving problems caused by lithium polysulfide occurring in a lithium-sulfur battery.

A negative electrode comprises a negative electrode collector, a first negative electrode mixture layer, and a second negative electrode mixture layer the ratio of the void fraction (S2) among the graphite particles in the second negative electrode mixture layer to the void fraction (S1) among the graphite particles in the first negative electrode mixture layer, namely S2/S1 is from 1.1 to 2.0: and the ratio of the packing density (D2) of the second negative electrode mixture layer to the packing density (D1) of the first negative electrode mixture layer, namely D2/D1 is from 0.9 to 1.1. A separator has a first surface that is in contact with a positive electrode and a second surface that is in contact with the negative electrode; and the contact angle of the first surface with ethylene carbonate is smaller than the contact angle of the second surface with ethylene carbonate.

A negative electrode comprises a negative electrode collector, a first negative electrode mixture layer, and a second negative electrode mixture layer the ratio of the void fraction (S2) among the graphite particles in the second negative electrode mixture layer to the void fraction (S1) among the graphite particles in the first negative electrode mixture layer, namely S2/S1 is from 1.1 to 2.0: and the ratio of the packing density (D2) of the second negative electrode mixture layer to the packing density (D1) of the first negative electrode mixture layer, namely D2/D1 is from 0.9 to 1.1. A separator has a first surface that is in contact with a positive electrode and a second surface that is in contact with the negative electrode; and the contact angle of the first surface with ethylene carbonate is smaller than the contact angle of the second surface with ethylene carbonate.

An energy storage device according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a negative electrode including a negative electrode substrate and a negative active material layer layered directly or indirectly on a surface of the negative electrode substrate; and a positive electrode. The negative active material layer contains a negative active material. The negative active material contains non-graphitizable carbon. In one direction of the negative electrode substrate, at least one end edge side of the negative active material layer is thicker than a central portion present between the one end edge side and the other end edge side facing the one end edge side. When a true density of the non-graphitizable carbon is A [g/cm.sup.3], an amount of charge B [mAh/g] of the negative electrode in a fully charged state satisfies the following formula 1.

[1]$-173\text{XA+1588}\le \text{B}\le \text{-830A+1800}$

A secondary battery is provided including an electrode wound body housed in a battery can, with the electrode wound body having a structure including a band-shaped positive electrode and a band-shaped negative electrode laminated and wound with a separator interposed therebetween, where the positive electrode includes a positive electrode active material layer on both sides of a band-shaped positive electrode foil, the negative electrode includes a negative electrode active material layer on both sides of a band-shaped negative electrode foil, the electrode wound body includes a positive electrode tab at a central part of the positive electrode, includes a negative electrode tab on a winding end side of the negative electrode, and includes a foil tab in a flat plate shape on a winding start side of either one or both of the positive electrode and the negative electrode.

An electrochemical apparatus includes an electrode assembly, a first adhesive member, and a second adhesive member. The electrode assembly includes electrode plates and a separator, the electrode plates and the separator are stacked sequentially and wound to form the electrode assembly, the electrode plate includes a current collector, and the electrode assembly includes a first straight section and a first bending section. Along a winding direction, a terminating end of the separator exceeds a terminating end of the current collector by 1 to 5 turns, the first adhesive member is disposed on an outer surface of the first straight section, and the second adhesive member is disposed on an outer surface of the first bending section or an outer surface of the outermost current collector at the first bending section.