A coated method for the preparation of a separator comprising multiple layers of glass or glass and ceramic particles for use in an electrochemical cell, an electrochemical cell comprising such a separator and the use of such an electrochemical cell. The method comprises the steps of providing a mixture of an organic polymeric material, glass or glass and ceramic particles and at least one solvent, and preparing a multilayer by phase inversion.

The electric storage device disclosed herein is a stacked type electric storage device. The electric storage device includes a separator insulating a first electrode from a second electrode. The electric storage device includes a first conductive path from a first electrode terminal to the first electrode, a second conductive path from a second electrode terminal to the second electrode, and a current interruption device disposed between the second electrode terminal and the second electrode, the current interruption device being configured to interrupt the second conductive path. The separator includes a first surface part covering the one surface of the first electrode, a second surface part covering the other surface of the first electrode, and a connection part connected to both the first and second surface parts. The connection part is disposed between the current interruption device and an end of the first electrode on a current interruption device side.

A fabricating method of a unit structure for accomplishing an electrode assembly formed by a stacking method, and an electrochemical cell including the same are disclosed. The fabricating method of the electrode assembly is characterized with fabricating the unit structure by conducting a first process of laminating and forming a bicell having a first electrode/ separator/ second electrode/ separator/ first electrode structure, conducting a second process of laminating a first separator on one of the first electrode among two of the first electrodes, and conducting a third process of laminating second separator/second electrode one by one on the other first electrode among the two of the first electrodes.

The present invention is directed to compositions useful for use in separators for use in lithium ion batteries, and membranes, separators, and devices derived therefrom.

A method of manufacturing a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes: preparing a separator substrate; forming a porous layer, which contains at least a fluorophosphate and a binder, on a surface of the separator substrate; preparing an electrode body by laminating a positive electrode and a negative electrode to face each other with a separator including the porous layer interposed therebetween, in which the separator is arranged such that the porous layer faces the positive electrode; preparing a battery assembly including the electrode body and a nonaqueous electrolyte; and charging the battery assembly at least once.

An object of the present invention is to provide a filler-containing resin film in which shedding of inorganic materials or the like is suppressed, a resin composition that can be used in production of the filler-containing resin film, and a method for producing the filler-containing resin film. The filler-containing resin film of the present invention is a filler-containing resin film comprising: a vinylidene fluoride copolymer obtained by copolymerizing vinylidene fluoride and a compound represented by formula (1) (in formula (1), R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 are each independently hydrogen atoms, chlorine atoms, or alkyl groups having from 1 to 5 carbons; and X′ is an atomic group having a molecular weight of 472 or less and having a main chain configured from 1 to 19 atoms); and an insulating inorganic filler. The resin film is produced by applying onto a substrate and then drying a resin composition containing the vinylidene fluoride copolymer, the insulating inorganic filler, and an organic solvent.

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A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes: an electrode assembly; a nonaqueous electrolyte; and a battery case. The electrode assembly includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator. The positive electrode includes a positive electrode active material layer. The negative electrode includes a negative electrode active material layer. The separator is interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The battery case accommodates the electrode assembly and the nonaqueous electrolyte. Ends of contact faces of the negative electrode active material layer and the separator are at least partially bonded to each other.

The present invention provides: i) a lithium-sulfur battery in which solid sulfur is introduced into an electrolytic region between a positive electrode and a negative electrode; ii) a lithium-sulfur battery comprising a middle layer containing elemental sulfur (S.sub.8) or lithium sulfide (Li.sub.2S) in an electrolytic region between a positive electrode and a negative electrode; and iii) a lithium-sulfur battery having a separator supporting sulfur particles or lithium sulfide particles between a positive electrode and a negative electrode.

A laminated polyolefin microporous membrane is disclosed. The laminated polyolefin microporous membrane includes a first polyolefin microporous membrane, and a second polyolefin microporous membrane. A shutdown temperature of the laminated polyolefin microporous membrane is from 128° C. to 135° C., an air permeation resistance increase rate from 30° C. to 105° C. per 20 μm of thickness of the laminated polyolefin microporous membrane is less than 1.5 sec/100 cc Air/° C., and a variation range in an F25 value of the laminated polyolefin microporous membrane in a longitudinal direction is not greater than 1 MPa. The F25 value represents a value determined by dividing the load at 25% elongation of a sample of the laminated polyolefin microporous membrane as measured with a tensile tester by the cross-sectional area of the sample polyolefin microporous membrane.

An electrochemical device includes an electrode structure provided with a composite separator having a porous substrate with a plurality of pores and a porous coating layer formed on at least one surface of the porous substrate and made of a mixture of electrode active material particles and a binder polymer. The porous coating layer of the composite separator improves thermal stability of the porous substrate and plays a function of electrode active material layer of the electrochemical device. Accordingly, this electrochemical device has excellent stability and good economical efficiency since the electrode structure does not need coating of an electrode active material layer on a surface of a current collector.