The interaction of elementary particles, in particular neutrinos of any kind and/or electromagnetic waves and/or gravitation, hereinafter referred to as kinetic energy of radiations, such as non-visible spectrum of solar or space radiation with metallic and/or non-metallic structures, in particular a film which is made of metal, a metal alloy or an electrically conductive plastic and which has a non-metallic nano-coating.

Methods of forming a composite material film can include providing a mixture comprising a precursor and silane-treated silicon particles. The methods can also include pyrolysing the mixture to convert the precursor into one or more carbon phases to form the composite material film with the silicon particles distributed throughout the composite material film.

A problem to be solved by the present invention is that there is no method for forming a dense structure on a porous structure at low cost. In addition, another object is to provide a high quality and inexpensive structure of a brittle material and a laminate thereof as an intermediate layer for facilitating formation of a dense structure on a porous structure. A structure is provided having a brittle particle assembly having a plurality of brittle particles, wherein the brittle particle assemblies are arranged adjacently to each other, and the brittle particles having a brittle material region in the periphery are crosslinked (connected) by the brittle material region to bond the brittle particles to each other, and thereby form a brittle material crosslinked structure region preventing the mobility of the brittle particles.

The present invention relates to a flame retardant polymer composition comprising at least the following components A) 2.0 to 49.8 wt.-% based on the overall weight of the polymer composition of a copolymer comprising ethylene units and units selected from the group consisting of methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate and mixtures thereof; B) 0.1 to 6.0 wt.-% based on the overall weight of the polymer composition of a polyethylene and/or polypropylene containing units originating from maleic acid anhydride; C) 0.1 to 5.0 wt.-% based on the overall weight of the polymer composition of a silicone fluid and/or a silicon gum; D) 50.0 to 70.0 wt.-% based on the overall weight of the polymer composition of a magnesium hydroxide; and E) 0 to 17.0 wt.-% based on the overall weight of the polymer composition of a copolymer of ethylene and a C4 to C10 alpha olefin comonomer having a density in the range of 860 kg/m3 to 950 kg/m.sup.3 determined according to ISO 1183; wherein the weight proportions of components A) to E) add up to 100 wt.-%. In addition, the present invention refers to a wire or cable comprising at least one layer comprising the polymer composition according to the present invention and to the use of the polyolefin composition according to the present invention as a flame retardant layer of a wire or cable.

A binder solution for manufacturing silicon-based anodes useful for lithium-ion electrochemical cells is described herein. The binder solution comprises a poly(carboxylic acid) binder dissolved in a mixed solvent system comprising an amide solvent of Formula I, as described herein, and a second solvent which can be water and/or an organic solvent. The binder preferably comprises poly(acrylic acid). The mixed solvent system comprises about 10 to about 99 vol % of the amide solvent of Formula I. The binder solution is utilized as a solvent for a slurry of silicon-containing particles for preparing a silicon-containing electrode. The slurries made with the mixed solvent systems have higher viscosity and are more stable than slurries containing the same concentrations of silicon particle, carbon particles, and binder in water as the sole solvent.

Systems and methods utilizing water soluble (aqueous) PAA-based polymer binders for silicon-dominant anodes may include an electrode coating layer on a current collector, where the electrode coating layer is formed from silicon and a pyrolyzed water soluble PAA-based polymer blend, wherein the water soluble PAA-based polymer blend comprises PAA and one or more additional water-soluble polymer components. The electrode coating layer may include more than 70% silicon and the anode may be in a lithium ion battery.

Electrolytes and electrolyte additives for energy storage devices comprising phosphazene based compounds are disclosed. The energy storage device comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is a Si-based electrode, a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode, an electrolyte comprising at least two electrolyte co-solvents, wherein at least one electrolyte co-solvent comprises a phosphazene based compound.

An silicon-containing electrode is formed by coating a silicon-containing slurry onto a conductive current collector. The slurry comprises a binder solution comprising a poly(carboxylic acid) binder dissolved in a mixed solvent system comprising an amide solvent of Formula I, as described herein, and a second solvent which can be water and/or an organic solvent. The binder preferably comprises poly(acrylic acid). The mixed solvent system comprises about 10 to about 99 vol % of the amide solvent of Formula I. The binder solution is utilized as a solvent for a slurry of silicon-containing particles for preparing the silicon-containing electrode. The slurries comprising the mixed solvent system have higher viscosity and are more stable than slurries containing the same concentrations of silicon particles, carbon particles, and binder in water as the sole solvent.

This fluorine-containing elastomer composition contains a fluorine-containing elastomer and a filler that has a particle diameter of from 10 nm to 100 nm. The fluorine-containing elastomer is a perfluoro elastomer or a fluorine rubber. The filler is composed of silicon particles, and silicon particles each having an oxide film. This fluorine-containing elastomer composition contains no other substance as a filler.

The present invention provides a method for producing a polymer compound for use as a binder for a secondary battery that exhibits reduced foaming when kneaded with an active material. A method for producing a polymer compound for use as a binder for a secondary battery, the polymer compound containing a repeating unit represented by formula (1) and a repeating unit represented by formula (2): [Formula 1]

wherein each R.sup.1 is independently a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, and each R.sup.2 is independently an NH.sub.2 group, an OH group, an ONa group, or an OLi group, the method comprising the steps of copolymerizing monomers for forming the polymer compound in the presence of an azo polymerization catalyst; and saponifying the resulting copolymer.