The present invention concerns a new solid material according to general formula (I) as follows: Li.sub.4−2xZn.sub.xP.sub.2S.sub.6 (I) wherein 0<x≤1. The invention also refers to a method for producing a solid material comprising at least bringing at least lithium sulfide, phosphorous sulfide, and a zinc compound, optionally in one or more solvents. The invention also refers to said solid materials and their use as solid electrolytes notably for electrochemical devices.

The present invention refers to a dry composition for chemical and physical sun protection, the composition comprising a) at least one calcium carbonate, and b) from 0.1 wt.-% to 100 wt.-%, based on the dry weight of the at least one calcium carbonate of step a) of at least one lignin. Furthermore, the present invention refers to a fluid composition comprising the inventive dry composition as well as to an emulsion comprising the inventive dry composition. The present invention also refers to the use of the inventive compositions for sun protection of plants and parts thereof as well as the use of the inventive emulsion for chemical and physical sun protection in a cosmetic formulation.

An object of the present invention is to provide carbon-coated Si—C composite particles capable of maintaining a high Si utilization rate and suppressing deterioration of initial coulombic efficiency due to oxidation over time of a lithium-ion secondary battery.

The carbon-coated Si—C composite particles of the present invention includes Si—C composite particles containing a carbon material and silicon; and a carbonaceous layer present on surfaces of the Si—C composite particles, wherein the carbon coverage thereof is 70% or more, wherein the BET specific surface area is 200 m.sup.2/g or less; wherein R value (I.sub.D/I.sub.G) is 0.30 or more and 1.10 or less and I.sub.Si/I.sub.G is 0.15 or less, when the peak attributed to Si is present at 450 to 495 cm.sup.−1 and the intensity of the peak is defined as I.sub.Si, in Raman spectrum of the carbon-coated Si—C composite particles: and wherein the full width at half maximum of the peak of a 111 plane of Si is 3.00 deg. or more, and (peak intensity of a 111 plane of SiC)/(peak intensity of the 111 plane of Si) is 0.01 or less, in the XRD pattern measured by powder XRD using a Cu-Kα ray of the carbon-coated Si—C composite particles.

A ternary positive electrode material, a method for preparing the same, a positive electrode sheet and a lithium ion battery in which the ternary positive electrode material has a chemical composition of Li.sub.a(Ni.sub.xCo.sub.yM.sub.1-x-y).sub.1-bM′bO.sub.2-cA.sub.c, wherein 0.75≤a≤1.2, 0.5≤x<1, 0<y≤0.1, 0≤b≤0.01, 0≤c≤0.2; M is at least one selected from the group consisting of Mn and Al; M′ is at least one selected from the group consisting of Al, Zr, Ti, Y, Sr, W and Mg; A is at least one selected from the group consisting of S, F and N; and 2%≤C.sub.Col−C.sub.Co, 5%≤C.sub.Al−C.sub.All. The lithium ion battery shows better short-term kinetic performances and long-term kinetic performances, and it also exhibits excellent stability in long-term cycles.

A composite nanomaterial of ZnO impregnated by, e.g., a green copper phthalocyanine compound (CuPc) can be an efficient solar light photocatalyst for water remediation. The composite may include hollow shell microspheres and hollow nanospheres of CuPc-ZnO. CuPc may function as a templating and/or structure modifying agent, e.g., for forming hollow microspheres and/or nanospheres of ZnO particles. The composite can photocatalyze the degradation of organic pollutants such as crystal violet (CV) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid as well as microbes in water under solar light irradiation. The ZnO-CuPc composite can be stable and recyclable under solar irradiation.

As for a secondary battery using lithium cobalt oxide as a positive electrode active material, the positive electrode active material with which a decrease in battery capacity due to repeated charge and discharge is inhibited is provided. Alternatively, a positive electrode active material particle which hardly deteriorates is provided. The positive electrode active material includes lithium, cobalt, oxygen, magnesium, aluminum, and fluorine and is a crystal represented by a layered rock-salt structure. The space group of the crystal is represented by R−3m. The concentration of fluorine in a surface portion of the crystal is higher than that inside the crystal. The concentration of magnesium in the surface portion of the crystal is higher than that inside the crystal. The atomic ratio of magnesium to aluminum in the surface portion of the crystal is higher than that inside the crystal.

An electrode material of the present disclosure is an electrode material that includes a compound represented by the chemical formula BaZr.sub.1-x-yM.sub.xCo.sub.yO.sub.3-δ. M is In or Yb, and the chemical formula satisfies 0<x<1, 0<y<1, 0<(x+y)<1, and 0<δ<1. A membrane electrode assembly of the present disclosure includes a first electrode including the electrode material, and an electrolyte membrane provided on a first main surface of the first electrode.

The present invention relates to an anode active material, a method of manufacturing the anode active material, and an anode and a secondary battery including the anode active material, the anode active material including secondary carbon particles formed by flocculation of a plurality of primary carbon particles having an average particle diameter (D.sub.50) in a range from 5 to 200 nm, wherein the secondary carbon particles have an average particle diameter (D.sub.50) in a range from 0.5 to 20 μm.

The present invention relates to a granular thermal insulation material comprising hydrophobized silicon dioxide and at least one IR opacifier, having a tamped density of up to 250 g/l and a compressive strength according to DIN EN 826:2013 at 50% compression of 150 to 300 kPa or greater than 300 kPa, to processes for production thereof and to the use thereof for thermal insulation.

The production method is a method for producing a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery which contains at least nickel and lithium, the method including: a firing process in which a mixture of a nickel compound powder and a lithium compound powder is fired; and a water washing process in which a lithium-nickel composite oxide powder obtained in the firing process is washed with water, wherein the firing process is performed under conditions such that a value obtained by dividing a ratio of an amount-of-substance of lithium to a total amount-of-substance of transition metals other than lithium in the lithium-nickel composite oxide powder after the washing with water by a ratio of an amount-of-substance of lithium to a total amount-of-substance of transition metals other than lithium in the lithium-nickel composite oxide powder before the washing with water exceeds 0.95.