Disclosed is a method of preparing a cathode active material useful in a sodium ion secondary battery having high reversible capacity and excellent cycle characteristics. The method for preparing a cathode active material composed of Zr.sub.w-doped Na.sub.xLi.sub.yM.sub.zO.sub.a includes the steps of (A) doping Li.sub.yM.sub.zO.sub.a with Zr.sub.w to provide Zr.sub.w-doped Li.sub.yM.sub.zO.sub.a; and (B) dissociating Li ion from the Zr.sub.w-doped Li.sub.yM.sub.zO.sub.a and inserting Na ion thereto to provide the Zr.sub.w-doped Na.sub.xLi.sub.yM.sub.zO.sub.a, wherein M is selected from Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Mo, Ru, and combinations thereof, and wherein 0.005<w<0.05, 0.8≤x≤0.85, 0.09≤y≤0.11, 7≤x/y≤10, 0.7≤z≤0.95, and 1.95≤a≤2.05. When the cathode active material is used for manufacturing a cathode for a sodium ion secondary battery, the battery can substitute for a conventional, expensive lithium ion secondary battery.

A method for identifying a cell quality during cell formation includes: conducting a beginning of life cycling following an initial cell formation charge of multiple cells; collecting and preprocessing a discharge data set generated by one of the multiple cells during the beginning of life cycling; calculating a statistical variance from the discharge data set identifying an estimated probability of meeting a target cell usage time; and projecting a life span of the multiple cells.

A lithium-ion rechargeable battery includes a positive electrode mixture that includes a positive electrode active material and a lithium salt. The lithium salt reacts with hydrogen fluoride generated in an electrolytic solution to produce an organic acid that is a weak acid relative to the hydrogen fluoride, an acid dissociation constant of the organic acid being 3.15 or higher.

The present invention provides a lithium secondary battery that has high energy density and excellent cycle characteristics, and a method for using this battery. The present invention relates to a lithium secondary battery comprising: a positive electrode current collector; a positive electrode formed on at least one surface of the positive electrode current collector and having a positive electrode active material; a negative electrode free of a negative electrode active material; and a separator or solid electrolyte disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, wherein the positive electrode contains a Li(Ni, Co, Mn)O.sub.2 crystal and/or a Li(Ni, Co, Al)O.sub.2 crystal whose full width at half maximum for the diffraction peak of the (003) plane as measured by X-ray diffraction that is greater than 0.00° and 0.10° or less in an amount of 20% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less relative to the total mass of the positive electrode active material.

Provided herein are an all-solid-state battery having an intermediate layer including a metal and a metal nitride, and a method for manufacturing the same.

A battery electrode composition is provided that comprises composite particles. Each composite particle may comprise, for example, active fluoride material and a nanoporous, electrically-conductive scaffolding matrix within which the active fluoride material is disposed. The active fluoride material is provided to store and release ions during battery operation. The storing and releasing of the ions may cause a substantial change in volume of the active material. The scaffolding matrix structurally supports the active material, electrically interconnects the active material, and accommodates the changes in volume of the active material.

The problem of high rate electrodeposition of metals such as copper during electrowinning operations or high rate charging of lithium or zinc electrodes for rechargeable battery applications while avoiding the adverse effects of dendrite formation such as causing short-circuiting and/or poor deposit morphology is solved by pulse reverse current electrodeposition or charging whereby the forward cathodic (electrodeposition or charging) pulse current is “tuned” to minimize dendrite formation for example by creating a smaller pulsating boundary layer and thereby minimizing mass transport effects leading to surface asperities and the subsequent reverse anodic (electropolishing) pulse current is “tuned” to eliminate the micro- and macro-asperities leading to dendrites.

A degassing system of a pouch for a secondary battery is provided. In the degassing system, after inhaling gas regardless of the size of a cell pocket, the gas may be processed, and the convenience of work may be increased by setting the period of degassing time or the amount of gas to be discharged according to the size of a pouch, and an abnormality in a suction line for degassing may be automatically detected according to a comparison value by comparing the amount of discharged gas with a reference value preset by each pouch size.

Electrodes and electrochemical cells that can be operated at high voltages and related methods are generally described.

Solid-state lithium-ion cells described herein can operate at pressures. In some embodiments, the solid-state lithium-ion cells undergo little or no volume change during cycling. A conditioning process that that significantly improves the performance of a cell at reduced pressures can involve cycling the cell at high pressure.