Provided are a black mixed oxide that contains chromium per se of any valency as a main component, and fails to contain cobalt as the main component material, and has a high safety, an excellent color tone and economical efficiency, and a method for producing the same, and various products using the black mixed oxide material. The mixed oxides comprise oxides containing La, Mn and Cu as main components but containing neither Cr nor Co as a main component, wherein the contents of La, Mn and Cu in the mixed oxides satisfy the following ratios, as oxide equivalent amount with respect to 100% by weight of the oxide equivalent amount: the La content as La.sub.2O.sub.3 being 35-70 wt %; the Mn content as MnO.sub.2 being 25-60 wt %; and the Cu content as CuO being 0.5-10 wt %.

High power lithium-ion batteries are disclosed. Such batteries may be used, for example, as the sole electric starter motor power sources for automotive vehicles powered by multi-cylinder engines with reciprocating pistons when the vehicles are to be operated in an engine start-stop mode to conserve fuel. Such batteries typically utilize non-aqueous solutions of lithium salts, such as LiPF.sub.6 or LiBF.sub.4, in combination with durable lithium intercalating electrodes. In accordance with this disclosure the performance of the battery's electrolyte and cells over a wide ambient temperature range is enhanced by a mixture of five miscible solvents formed of lower alkyl moieties. The quinary solvent mixture comprises two cyclic alkyl carbonates, two linear alkyl carbonates, and with a major portion of an alkyl ester.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a superparamagnetic nanocomposite and a superparamagnetic nanocomposite manufactured using the same, and more particularly to a method of manufacturing a superparamagnetic nanocomposite suitable for use in magnetic separation for the detection of a target biomaterial and a superparamagnetic nanocomposite manufactured using the same. The method of manufacturing the superparamagnetic nanocomposite according to the present invention has a higher yield and a high rate without complicated processing than a conventional method of manufacturing a magnetic nanoparticle for magnetic separation and is capable of mass production of the superparamagnetic nanocomposite having excellent properties with uniform size and particle size distribution, high aqueous solution dispersibility and high magnetization and being capable of maintaining superparamagnetism.

Vessels selected from crucibles, pans, open cups and saggars essentially comprising of two components, from which (A) one component being a ceramic matrix composite, and (B) the second component being from metal or alloy, and wherein component (A) is the inner one.

A lithium cobalt-based positive electrode active material is provided. The lithium cobalt-based positive electrode active material includes a core portion including a lithium cobalt-based oxide represented by Formula 1 and a shell portion including a lithium cobalt-based oxide represented by Formula 2, wherein the lithium cobalt-based positive electrode active material includes 2500 ppm or more, preferably 3000 ppm or more of a doping element M based on the total weight of the positive electrode active material. An inflection point does not appear in a voltage profile measured during charging/discharging a secondary battery including the lithium cobalt-based positive electrode active material.

Electrode materials for electrochemical cells and batteries and methods of producing such materials are disclosed herein. A method of preparing an active lithium metal oxide material suitable for use in an electrode for a lithium electrochemical cell comprises the steps of: (a) contacting the lithium metal oxide material with an aqueous acidic solution containing one or more metal cations; and (b) heating the so-contacted lithium metal oxide from step (a) to dryness at a temperature below 200 C. The metal cations in the aqueous acidic solution comprise one or more metal cations selected from the group consisting of an alkaline earth metal ion, a transition metal ion, and a main group metal ion.

A lithium positive electrode active material intermediate including less than 80 wt % spinel phase and a net chemical composition of Li.sub.xNi.sub.yMn.sub.2-yO.sub.4- wherein 0.9x1.1; 0.4y0.5; and 0.1. Further, a process for the preparation of a lithium positive electrode active material with high tap density for a high voltage secondary battery where the cathode is fully or partially operated above 4.4 V vs. Li/Li+, comprising the steps of a)heating a precursor in a reducing atmosphere at a temperature of from 300 C. to 1200 C. to obtain a lithium positive electrode active material intermediate; b)heating the product of step a. in a non-reducing atmosphere at a temperature of from 300 C. to 1200 C.; wherein the mass of the product of step b. increases by at least 0.25% compared to the mass of the product of step a.

Provided are electrochemically active secondary particles that provide excellent capacity and improved cycle life. The particles are characterized by selectively enriched grain boundaries where the grain boundaries are enriched with Al and Co. The enrichment with Al reduces impedance generation during cycling thereby improving capacity and cycle life. Also provided are methods of forming electrochemically active materials, as well as electrodes and electrochemical cells employing the secondary particles.

Provided are electrochemical cells that include as a cathode active material within the cathode of the cell secondary particles that provide excellent capacity and improved cycle life. The particles are characterized by grain boundaries between adjacent crystallites of the plurality of crystallites and comprising a second composition having a layered -NaFeO.sub.2-type structure, a cubic structure, a spinel structure, or a combination thereof, wherein the electrochemically active cathode active material has an initial discharge capacity of 180 mAh/g or greater; and wherein the electrochemical cell has an impedance growth at 4.2V less than 50% for greater than 100 cycles at 45 C.

Methods of forming spinel ferrite nanoparticles containing a chromium-substituted copper ferrite as well as properties (e.g. particle size, crystallite size, pore size, surface area) of these spinel ferrite nanoparticles are described. Methods of preventing or reducing microbe growth on a surface by applying these spinel ferrite nanoparticles onto the surface in the form of a suspension or an antimicrobial product are also described.