Provided is an improved method for forming a battery comprising a cathode and electrolyte. The method of forming the cathode comprises forming a first solution comprising a digestible feedstock of a first metal suitable for formation of a cathode oxide precursor and a multi-carboxylic acid. The digestible feedstock is digested to form a first metal salt in solution wherein the first metal salt precipitates as a salt of deprotonated multi-carboxylic acid thereby forming an oxide precursor and a coating metal is added to the oxide precursor. The oxide precursor is heated to form the coated lithium ion cathode material. The electrolyte is void of salts and additives.

An NTC component comprising a first electrode (1) and a second electrode (2) is specified. The NTC component further comprises an NTC element (3) disposed between the first electrode (1) and the second electrode (2), wherein the NTC element (3) comprises a ceramic having the general composition AB.sub.2O.sub.4, and where A and B each comprise one or more of the materials Mn, Ni, Co and Cu, and B additionally comprises one or more of the materials Fe, Y, Pr, Al, In, Ga and Sb.

A process for preparing a metal oxide-containing powder that comprises conducting spray pyrolysis that comprises aerosolizing a slurry that comprises solidphase particles in a liquid that comprises at least one precursor compound, which comprises one or more metallic elements of at least one metal oxide, to form droplets of said slurry, and calcining the droplets to at least partially decompose the at least one precursor compound and form the metal oxide-containing powder having a non-hollow morphology.

High SRI cementitious systems comprising integral concrete coloring admixtures, toppings, dry-shake hardeners, and other cementitious systems are provided. The high-SRI cementitious systems comprise one or more IR reflective pigments and other components to make-up the cementitious system, depending on the application. The high-SRI cementitious systems of the invention may be in the form of mixtures which increase the total solar reflectivity (TSR or albedo) and the Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) of concrete. The high-SRI cementitious systems may be toppings mixed with water for application to existing concrete surfaces, dry-shake hardeners for application to freshly-placed plastic concrete, or the IR reflective pigments may be mixed into integrally colored concrete in various forms, such as conventional cast-in-place concrete, lightweight concrete, pervious concrete and concrete building panels, pavers or masonry units.

A method for preparing an infrared radiation ceramic material includes mixing and ball milling raw materials of Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, MnO.sub.2 and CuO in a mass ratio to obtain a mixed powder; pressing the mixed powder; adjusting laser spot, laser power and laser sintering time of a laser; irradiating or sintering by a first laser the pressed mixed powder in a crucible for a high-temperature solid-phase reaction to obtain an AB.sub.2O.sub.4 type ferrite powder; obtaining a first mixture by mixing the AB.sub.2O.sub.4 type ferrite powder and a cordierite powder in a mass ratio; adding a sintering aid and a nucleating agent for ball milling; obtaining a second mixture by mixing the first mixture and a binder for aging; pressing the second mixture; and irradiating or sintering the pressed second mixture by a second laser to obtain the infrared radiation ceramic material.

The present invention relates to a positive electrode comprising a Mn composite oxide having a tetragonal structure represented by formula (1): Li.sub.a(M.sub.xMn.sub.2-x-yY.sub.y)(O.sub.4-wZ.sub.w)(wherein 1<a≦2.6, 0≦x≦1.2, 0≦y, x+y<2, 0≦w≦1; M is at least one selected from the group consisting of Co, Ni, Fe, Cr and Cu; Y is at least one selected from the group consisting of Li, B, Na, Mg, Al, Ti, Si, K and Ca; Z is at least one of F or Cl; and a composite oxide having a layered structure represented by formula (2): Li(Li.sub.xM.sub.1-x-yY.sub.y)O.sub.2 (wherein 0≦x<0.3, 0≦y<0.3; M is at least one selected from the group consisting of Co, Fe, Ni and Mn; Y is at least one selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Zr, Ti and Zn. According to the present invention, a lithium secondary battery having a high capacity and being excellent in cycle life can be provided.

Particles for a monolithic refractory are made of a spinet porous sintered body which is represented by a chemical formula of MgAl.sub.2O.sub.4, wherein pores having a pore size of 0.01 μm or more and less than 0.8 μm occupy 10 vol % or more and 50 vol % or less with respect to a total volume of pores having a pore size of 10 μm or less in the particles, and the particles for a monolithic refractory have grain size distribution in which particles having a particle size of less than 45 μm occupy 60 vol % or less, particles having a particle size of 45 μm or more and less than 100 μm occupy 20 vol % or more and 60 vol % or less, and particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more and 1000 μm or less occupy 10 vol % or more and 50 vol % or less.

A mixed conductor represented by Formula 1:
A.sub.1±xM.sub.2±yO.sub.4−δ  Formula 1
wherein, in Formula 1, A is a monovalent cation, and M is at least one of a monovalent cation, a divalent cation, a trivalent cation, a tetravalent cation, a pentavalent cation, or a hexavalent cation, 0≤x≤1, 0≤y≤2, and 0≤δ≤1, with the proviso that when M includes vanadium, 0<δ≤1, and wherein the mixed conductor has an inverse spinel crystal structure.

Provided is a lithium titanate powder for an electrode of an energy storage device, the lithium titanate powder comprising Li.sub.4Ti.sub.5O.sub.12 as a main component, wherein, when the volume surface diameter calculated from the specific surface area determined by the BET method is represented as D.sub.BET and the crystallite diameter calculated from the half-peak width of the peak of the (111) plane of Li.sub.4Ti.sub.5O.sub.12 by the Scherrer equation is represented as D.sub.X, D.sub.BET is 0.1 to 0.6 μm, D.sub.X is greater than 80 nm, and (D.sub.BET/D.sub.X (μm/μm)) the ratio of D.sub.BET to D.sub.X is 3 or less. Also provided are an active material including the lithium titanate powder and an energy storage device using the active material.

A positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery includes a first oxide particle having a layered structure and a second oxide layer located in a surface of the first oxide particle and including a second oxide represented by the following Chemical Formula 1: M.sub.aL.sub.bO.sub.c, wherein in Chemical Formula 1, 0<a≦3, 1≦b≦2, 3.8≦c≦4.2, M is at least one element selected from the group of Mg, Al, Ga, and combinations thereof, and L is at least one element selected from of group Ti, Zr, and combinations thereof.