Batteries and battery packs are provided. In one embodiment, the battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte including a fluidic electrolyte and a non-fluidic electrolyte. The fluidic electrolyte is configured to be imaged as a void image in a secondary electron image and a reflection electron image obtained by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and the non-fluidic electrolyte is configured to be imaged in the secondary electron image and the reflection electron image with a non-fluidic electrolyte contrast different from a contrast associated with a member selected from the group consisting of a solid current collector, an active material, a conductive material, a binding material and a separator.

A nonaqueous battery includes at least one positive electrode plate, at least one negative electrode plate and at least one separator formed of a microporous resin film and laminated between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate. The separator has a square or rectangular shape with four sides, two of which are perpendicular to a machine direction of the microporous resin film and have been subjected to heat and the other two of which are parallel to the machine direction of the microporous resin film and have not been subjected to heat.

An electrode assembly, comprises one or more first electrodes comprising a cathode; one or more second electrodes comprising an anode; and a separator sheet having a zigzag form interposed therebetween. The separator sheet comprises a first porous polymer substrate; a first coating layer formed on one surface of the first porous polymer substrate and comprising a polymer binder, the first coating layer being faced with the cathode; and a second coating layer formed on the other surface of the first porous polymer substrate and comprising a mixture a polymer binder and inorganic particles, the second coating layer being faced with the anode and having a composition, a thickness and a porosity different from those of the first porous coating layer. A separator has porous coating layers with a different composition, thickness or porosity formed on each surface thereof.

Methods and apparatus to form biocompatible energization elements are described. In some embodiments, the methods and apparatus to form the biocompatible energization elements involve forming cavities comprising active cathode chemistry. The active elements of the cathode and anode are sealed with a laminate stack of biocompatible material. In some embodiments, a field of use for the methods and apparatus may include any biocompatible device or product that requires energization elements.

A device for producing a packaged electrode includes: a conveyance unit configured to sequentially overlay the electrode and the pair of separators from a front end side in a conveying direction while conveying the electrode and the pair of separators; a first joining chip configured to join lateral edges of the pair of separators together; at least one second joining chip positioned downstream of the first joining chip in the conveying direction and configured to join the lateral edges of the pair of separators together. Front ends of the lateral edges of the pair of separators being sequentially overlaid while being conveyed by the conveyance unit are joined together by the first joining chip positioned upstream before the front ends are conveyed to the second joining chip positioned downstream.

Disclosed is a multilayer cable-type secondary battery including a first electrode assembly comprising one or more first inner electrodes and a sheet-type first separation layer-outer electrode complex spirally wound to surround outer surfaces of the first inner electrodes, a separation layer surrounding the first electrode assembly to prevent short circuit of the electrodes, and a second electrode assembly comprising one or more second inner electrodes surrounding an outer surface of the separation layer and a sheet-type second separation layer-outer electrode complex spirally wound to surround outer surfaces of the second inner electrodes.

Lithium-metal batteries with improved dimensional stability are presented along with methods of manufacture. The lithium-metal batteries incorporate an anode cell that reduces dimensional changes during charging and discharging. The anode cell includes a container having a first portion and a second portion to form an enclosed cavity. The first portion is electrically-conductive and chemically-stable to lithium metal. The second portion is permeable to lithium ions and chemically-stable to lithium metal. The anode cell also includes an anode comprising lithium metal and disposed within the cavity. The anode is in contact with the first portion and the second portion. The cavity is configured such that volumetric expansion and contraction of the anode during charging and discharging is accommodated entirely therein.

Provided are a separator for a nonaqueous cell that has air permeability and is small in thickness while maintaining strength properties; and a nonaqueous cell having this separator. The separator includes a fiber sheet in which a polyvinyl alcohol fiber is incorporated in a proportion of 30% or more by mass (based on the fiber sheet). The fiber has a fiber breaking temperature in heated water of lower than 100° C. and higher than 85° C.

Methods and apparatus to form biocompatible energization elements are described. In some embodiments, the methods and apparatus to form the biocompatible energization elements involve forming cavities comprising active cathode chemistry. The active elements of the cathode and anode are sealed with a laminate stack of biocompatible material. In some embodiments, a field of use for the methods and apparatus may include any biocompatible device or product that requires energization elements.

A battery for use in electronic devices and which is safely ingested into a body and a related method of making the battery. The battery includes an anode, a cathode and a quantum tunneling composite coating. The quantum tunneling composite coating covers at least a portion of at least one of the anode or the cathode and provides pressure sensitive conductive properties to the battery including a compressive stress threshold for conduction. The compressive stress threshold may be greater than a pre-determined applied stress in a digestive tract of the body in order to prevent harm if the battery is ingested. The battery may include a waterproof seal that extends between the quantum tunneling composite coating and a gasket separating the anode and cathode to inhibit the battery from short circuiting in a conductive fluid below the compressive stress threshold.