Aspects of the disclosure include degas equipment and degassing process schemes for providing high throughput extraction of battery cell formation gas. An exemplary method can include loading a battery cell in a sampling chamber of a degas station and creating an opening in the battery cell to release formation gas. A first portion of the formation gas can be routed to a collection chamber of the degas station while the formation gas is prevented from venting. After routing the first portion of the formation gas to the collection chamber, a second portion of the formation gas can be vented until degassing is complete. The first portion of the formation gas can be diluted with a dilution fluid and the diluted first portion of the formation gas can be routed to a cell quality control gas manifold configured to measure battery cell formation gas compositions.

A lead-based alloy containing alloying additions of bismuth, antimony, arsenic, and tin is used for the production of doped leady oxides, lead-acid battery active materials, lead-acid battery electrodes, and lead-acid batteries.

A method of producing a pre-sulfurized active cathode layer for a rechargeable alkali metal-sulfur cell; the method comprising: (a) Preparing an integral layer of porous graphene structure having a specific surface area greater than 100 m.sup.2/g; (b) Preparing an electrolyte comprising a solvent and a sulfur source; (c) Preparing an anode; and (d) Bringing the integral layer and the anode in ionic contact with the electrolyte and imposing an electric current between the anode and the integral layer (serving as a cathode) to electrochemically deposit nano-scaled sulfur particles or coating on the graphene surfaces. The sulfur particles or coating have a thickness or diameter smaller than 20 nm (preferably <10 nm, more preferably <5 nm or even <3 nm) and occupy a weight fraction of at least 70% (preferably >90% or even >95%).

A lithium secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode having a negative electrode current collector that faces the positive electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte, wherein lithium metal deposits on the negative electrode during charge, and the lithium metal dissolves from the negative electrode into the non-aqueous electrolyte during discharge. The non-aqueous electrolyte includes an organic compound having a redox potential of 0 V or more and 4 V or less vs Li/Li.sup.+.

A method of manufacturing a lithium-ion secondary battery of the present invention includes at least four steps as follows: an initial charging step of charging the lithium-ion secondary battery, which has not been subjected to initial charging, under a temperature environment ranging of equal to or higher than −20° C. and equal to or lower than 15° C.; an aging step of leaving the lithium-ion secondary battery under a temperature environment ranging of equal to or higher than 30° C. and equal to or lower than 80° C. after the initial charging step; a short circuit detecting step of detecting the presence or absence of a short circuit of the lithium-ion secondary battery by measuring a voltage drop quantity of the lithium-ion secondary battery and comparing the voltage drop quantity with a reference value; and a sorting step of sorting out a lithium-ion secondary battery in which no short circuit is detected.

A metal battery (100) having a metal anode (103), e.g. a lithium metal battery, and an anode-free precursor thereof are disclosed. The metal battery or precursor contains an anode protection structure (105) containing a plasma-treated anode protection layer between an anode current collector (101) and a cathode (109). Plasma treatment may be He and or Ar plasma treatment. The plasma may further contain a fluorocarbon, e.g. CHF.sub.3.

A lithium free battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator, and a lithium non-aqueous electrolyte, wherein the negative electrode includes a lithium-metal alloy substrate, and a lithium plate layer on the lithium-metallic alloy substrate. The lithium-metal alloy substrate includes an alloy of lithium (Li) and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Al, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, As, Sb, Bi, Ag, Zn, Cd, P and Hg, and wherein an alloy ratio of the lithium and the metal is in a range of 4:1 to 1:4 on a weight basis.

Provided are negative electrode assemblies containing lithium sulfide anolyte layers, electrochemical cells including these assemblies, and methods of forming thereof. An anolyte layer may be disposed over a metal layer of a current collector and may be used to separate the current collector from the rest of the electrolyte. The metal layer may include copper or any other suitable metal that forms in situ a metal sulfide during fabrication of the electrode assembly. Specifically, a sulfur containing layer, such as a solid electrolyte, is formed on the metal layer. Sulfur from this layer reacts with the metal of the current collector and forms a metal sulfide layer. When lithium is later added to the metal sulfide layer, a lithium sulfide anolyte layer is formed while the metal layer is recovered. Most, if not all operations may, be performed in situ during fabrication of electrochemical cells.

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for diagnosing low voltage of a secondary battery cell. The method for diagnosing low voltage of a secondary battery cell according to an embodiment of the present invention includes pre-aging a battery cell, charging the battery cell according to a preset charging condition, measuring a parameter for determining low voltage failure of the battery cell, comparing the measured parameter with a reference parameter, and performing formation when the battery cell is determined to be normal.

A method for manufacturing a secondary battery includes accommodating an electrode assembly in a battery case including an accommodation part and a gas pocket part connected to the accommodation part to collect a gas generated in the accommodation part, performing sealing along an outer circumferential surface of the battery case except for an end of the gas pocket part, injecting an electrolyte into the accommodation part through the end of the gas pocket part, performing double sealing on the end of the gas pocket part so that a first sealing part is formed at a side closer to the accommodation part, and a second sealing part is formed at a side that is farther from the accommodation part, removing a portion, on which the second sealing part is formed, from the battery case, and applying electricity to the electrode assembly to charge the secondary battery.