A polyolefin microporous membrane is disclosed. The membrane includes a polyolefin resin having an MFR value of not greater than 2.0 g/10 min, and a crystal nucleating agent. The polyolefin microporous membrane has an air permeation resistance scaled to a thickness of 20 μm of from 100 to 500 sec/100 cc, a porosity of from 20% to 60%, and a mean flow pore size of not greater than 100 nm.

A separator is described having high safety, high output characteristics, and excellent heat resistance, and a nonaqueous battery including the separator. The separator is characterized in that it is a porous sheet formed using a specifically fibrillated raw material that has fibrillated, regenerated-cellulose fibers as necessary main components. Average pore diameter of through-holes is 0.03 μm to 1.0 μm inclusive. A nonaqueous battery is then manufactured using this separator.

Provided is an all-solid-state lithium battery including an oriented positive electrode plate composed of an oriented polycrystalline body made of lithium transition metal oxide grains, a solid electrolyte layer, a negative electrode layer, and an end insulator insulating and coating ends of the oriented positive electrode plate. The surface of the end insulator and the surface of the oriented positive electrode plate adjacent the solid electrolyte layer form one continuous surface no step exists. Alternatively, the height of the surface of the end insulator adjacent the solid electrolyte layer is lower than that of the surface of the oriented positive electrode plate adjacent the solid electrolyte layer to form a discontinuous surface with proviso that a step between the end insulator and the surface of the oriented positive electrode plate adjacent the solid electrolyte layer is smaller than the thickness of the solid electrolyte layer.

A carbon-metal/alloy composite material includes a composition represented by (1-a)Sn.sub.1-xM.sup.1.sub.x+aM.sup.2+cC, wherein: M.sup.1 includes one or more transition metals, metals, or metalloids; M.sup.2 includes one or more transition metals, metals, or metalloids; x is 0≦x≦1; a is 0≦a≦1; and c is 0<c≦99. A method of forming the carbon-metal/alloy composite material includes the steps of dissolving one or more precursor materials in a solvent to form a solution; adding an organic carbon forming precursor to the solution to form a mixture; heating the mixture in an autoclave reactor for a prescribed period of time; separating solids formed from the mixture after the heating; washing the separated solids with a washing solvent; and heating the washed solids under a non-oxidizing atmosphere to form the carbon-metal/alloy composite material.

A separator for a battery interposed between a cathode and an anode, and a method of manufacturing the same are provided, the separator for a lithium ion secondary battery including a porous polymer sheet having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface, and in which a pore communicating the first surface and the second surface is formed, and a heat resistant inorganic material layer coating at least the first surface and a surface of the pore, and formed in an atomic layer deposition method, wherein the heat resistant inorganic material layer formed on the first surface or the second surface has a thickness of 20 nm to 100 nm, porosity of the separator after the heat resistant inorganic material layer is formed is 30% to 70%, and a gurley value is 100 s/100 ml to 1000 s/100 ml.

The disclosure provides a laminated polyolefin microporous membrane having propylene-α-olefin copolymer and methods of producing the same. The laminated polyolefin microporous membrane has a two-type three layer structure in which first polyolefin microporous layers are surface layers and a second polyolefin microporous layer is an intermediate layer which is different from the first polyolefin microporous layer.

Electrolyte materials for use in electrochemical cells, electrochemical cells comprising the same, and methods of making such materials and cells, are generally described. In some embodiments, the materials, processes, and uses described herein relate to electrochemical cells comprising sulfur and lithium such as, for example, lithium sulfur batteries. The electrolyte can comprise a polymeric material and, in some cases, an absorbed auxiliary material. For example, the electrolyte material can be capable of forming a gel, and the auxiliary material can comprise an electrolyte solvent. In some instances, the electrolyte material can comprise at least one organic (co)polymer selected from polyethersulfones, polyvinylalcohols (PVOH) and branched polyimides (HPI). The non-fluid material in the electrolyte, when configured for use, can, alone or in combination with the optional absorbed auxiliary material, have a yield strength greater than that of lithium metal, in some embodiments.

Provided herein are nanostructured electrode separators comprising metal organic materials capable of attaching to one or more electrodes and electrically insulating at least one electrode while allowing migration of ionic charge carriers through the nanostructured electrode separator. Methods of using such electrode separators include positioning a nanostructured electrode separator between two electrodes of an electrochemical cell.

The present invention refers to a method of preparing a separator, a separator prepared therefrom and an electrochemical device having the separator. The method of preparing a separator according to the present invention comprises providing a planar and porous substrate having multiple pores; and coating a first slurry on at least one surface of the porous substrate through a slot section to form a porous coating layer, while continuously coating a second slurry on the porous coating layer through a slide section adjacent to the slot section to form a layer for adhesion with an electrode, the first slurry comprising inorganic particles, a first binder polymer and a first solvent, and the second slurry comprising a second binder polymer and a second solvent.

Provided are a method of fabricating an anode for lithium-sulfur batteries and a lithium-sulfur battery. The method includes: mixing a carbon raw material and a binder; obtaining a carbon layer by preparing the mixture of the carbon raw material and the binder in the form of a layer; drying the carbon layer; forming a carbon thin layer by compressing the dried carbon layer; and stacking the carbon thin layer on an anode for lithium-sulfur batteries.