Ngk Insulators, Inc.

Agency of Industrial Science and Technology

Ministry of International Trade & Industry

Hiroshi Hayashi

Kenshin Kitoh

Naohito Yamada

Kikuo Nakano

Taku Okamoto

Toshihiro Yoshida

Takashi Ryu

Naomi Saito

Hiroyoshi Takagi

Shiro Sano

Tenshiro Muta

Yuto Yamada

Tetsuo Yamamoto

Eri Asano

Yoshisada Hori

Hiroshi Matsubayashi

Shigeo Nagasaki

Nobumichi Ohnishi

Katsushi Kubo

Provided is a negative electrode for use in a zinc secondary battery containing (A) ZnO particles and (B) at least two selected from the group consisting of (i) metallic Zn particles having an average particle size D50 of 5 to 80 &#x3bc;m, (ii) at least one metal element selected from In and Bi, and (iii) a binder resin having a hydroxyl group.

Negative electrode and zinc secondary battery

Provided is a highly reliable nickel-zinc battery including a separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability. The nickel-zinc battery includes a positive electrode containing nickel hydroxide and/or nickel oxyhydroxide; a positive-electrode electrolytic solution in which the positive electrode is immersed, the electrolytic solution containing an alkali metal hydroxide; a negative electrode containing zinc and/or zinc oxide; a negative-electrode electrolytic solution in which the negative electrode is immersed, the electrolytic solution containing an alkali metal hydroxide; a hermetic container accommodating the positive electrode, the positive-electrode electrolytic solution, the negative electrode, and the negative-electrode electrolytic solution; and the separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability and disposed in the hermetic container so as to separate a positive-electrode chamber from a negative-electrode chamber. The alkali metal hydroxide concentration of the positive-electrode electrolytic solution differs from that of the negative-electrode electrolytic solution.

Nickel-zinc battery

Provided is a secondary battery including a hydroxide-ion-conductive ceramic separator. The secondary battery includes a positive electrode; a negative electrode; an alkaline electrolytic solution; a ceramic separator that is composed of a hydroxide-ion-conductive inorganic solid electrolyte and separates the positive electrode from the negative electrode; a porous substrate disposed on at least one surface of the ceramic separator; and a container accommodating at least the negative electrode and the alkaline electrolytic solution, wherein the inorganic solid electrolyte is in the form of a membrane or layer densified enough to have water impermeability, and the porous substrate has a thickness of 100 to 1,800 &#x3bc;m. According to the secondary battery of the present invention, the thickness and resistance of the ceramic separator are decreased without concern for reduced strength, and a reduction in energy density and an increase in internal resistance are effectively prevented.

Secondary battery with hydroxide-ion-conducting ceramic separator

Provided is a secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an alkaline electrolytic solution, a separator structure exhibiting water impermeability and separating the positive electrode from the negative electrode, and a container accommodating at least the negative electrode and the alkaline electrolytic solution. The separator structure includes a porous substrate-supported ceramic separator, and a reinforcement having a lattice structure having openings and reinforcing the periphery and/or at least one surface of the porous substrate-supported ceramic separator. The porous substrate-supported ceramic separator includes a ceramic separator composed of an inorganic solid electrolyte having hydroxide ion conductivity in the form of a membrane or layer densified enough to have water impermeability, and a porous substrate disposed on at least one surface of the separator. The battery includes a porous substrate-supported ceramic separator with hydroxide ion conductivity having a high strength meeting an increase in the area of the separator.

Secondary battery using hydroxide ion-conductive ceramic separator

Provided is a highly reliable nickel-zinc battery including a separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability. The nickel-zinc battery of the present invention includes a positive electrode containing nickel oxide and/or nickel oxyhydroxide; a positive-electrode electrolytic solution in which the positive electrode is immersed, the electrolytic solution containing an alkali metal hydroxide; a negative electrode containing zinc and/or zinc oxide; a negative-electrode electrolytic solution in which the negative electrode is immersed, the electrolytic solution containing an alkali metal hydroxide; a hermetic container accommodating the positive electrode, the positive-electrode electrolytic solution, the negative electrode, and the negative-electrode electrolytic solution; and the separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability and disposed in the hermetic container so as to separate a positive-electrode chamber accommodating the positive electrode and the positive-electrode electrolytic solution from a negative-electrode chamber accommodating the negative electrode and the negative-electrode electrolytic solution.

Provided is a highly reliable nickel-zinc battery including a separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability. The separator is disposed in a hermetic container to separate a positive-electrode chamber accommodating a positive electrode and a positive-electrode electrolyte from a negative-electrode chamber accommodating a negative electrode and a negative-electrode electrolyte. The positive-electrode chamber has an extra positive-electrode space having a volume that meets a variation in amount of water in association with reaction at the positive electrode during charge and discharge of the battery, and the negative-electrode chamber has an extra negative-electrode space having a volume meeting a variation in amount of water in association with reaction at the negative electrode during charge and discharge of the battery. The nickel-zinc battery further includes a gas flow channel that connects the extra positive-electrode space to the extra negative-electrode space such that the spaces are in gas communication with each other.

Provided is a separator structure for use in a zinc secondary battery. The separator structure includes a ceramic separator composed of an inorganic solid electrolyte and having hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability, and a peripheral member disposed along the periphery of the ceramic separator and composed of at least one of a resin frame and a resin film. The separator structure exhibits water impermeability as a whole. The separator structure of the present invention can reliably separate the positive electrode side from the negative electrode side in a zinc secondary battery, is readily sealed and bonded to a resin battery container, and exhibits significantly improved handleability during the assembly of the battery.

Separator structure body for use in zinc secondary battery

Provided is a highly reliable nickel-zinc battery, which includes a separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability. The separator is disposed in a hermetic container to separate a positive-electrode chamber from a negative-electrode chamber. The positive-electrode chamber has an extra positive-electrode space having a volume that meets part of a variation in amount of water in association with the positive electrode reaction, and the negative-electrode chamber has an extra negative-electrode space having a volume that meets part of a variation in amount of water in association with the negative electrode reaction. The battery further includes a gas-liquid flow channel that connects the extra positive-electrode space to the extra negative-electrode space, and the gas-liquid flow channel allows the electrolytic solution and gas in the positive-electrode and negative-electrode chambers to pass through the flow channel in response to a variation in amount of water caused by charge and discharge reactions.

Nickel-zinc Battery

Provided is a highly reliable nickel-zinc battery including a separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability. The nickel-zinc battery includes a positive electrode containing nickel oxide and/or nickel oxyhydroxide; a positive-electrode electrolytic solution in which the positive electrode is immersed, the electrolytic solution containing an alkali metal hydroxide; a negative electrode containing zinc and/or zinc oxide; a negative-electrode electrolytic solution in which the negative electrode is immersed, the electrolytic solution containing an alkali metal hydroxide; a hermetic container accommodating the positive electrode, the positive-electrode electrolytic solution, the negative electrode, and the negative-electrode electrolytic solution; the separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability and disposed in the hermetic container to separate a positive-electrode chamber accommodating the positive electrode and the electrolytic solution from a negative-electrode chamber accommodating the negative electrode and the electrolytic solution; and a porous substrate on a surface of the separator facing toward the positive electrode.

A solid oxide fuel cell includes a first cell, a second cell and an interconnector. The first cell and the second cell respectively include an anode containing NiO and CaZrO, a cathode, and a solid electrolyte layer disposed between the anode and the cathode. The interconnector is connected to the anode of the first cell and the current collector of the second cell. The interconnector contains LaCaCrO. The molar ratio of Ca to Zr in the anode is greater than 1.0.

Solid oxide fuel cell

A pressure sensor element is disclosed which essentially comprises a high-strength electric insulating ceramic substrate and a silver coating tightly deposited on the surface of the substrate. When a region of the element is subjected to a high pressure, the electric resistance in the region concerned changes in proportion to the magnitude of the pressure.

Pressure sensor element

A continuous carbon fiber reinforced SiC composite is produced by a method which comprises impregnating continuous carbon fibers coated with a SiC or titanium compound with a slurry mixture of silicon or a silicon compound with a thermosetting resin or a high-carbon caking agent, molding the impregnated continuous carbon fibers in a prescribed shape to obtain a shaped impregnated article, then curing the shaped article, heating the shaped article to obtain a carbon fiber-carbon composite having SiC or titanium compound, further impregnating liquid Si into the composite and heating the impregnated composite.

Method for production of continuous carbon fiber reinforced SiC composite

A sintered composite having spinel reinforced with short fibers of silicon carbide is produced by preparing a slurry consisting of spinel powder, short fibers of silicon carbide, and a solvent, drying and pulverizing the slurry, and sintering the produced powder. The sintered composite produced as described above has silicon carbide homogeneously dispersed in a matrix of spinel and, therefore, possesses great strength and excels in toughness.

Method for production of sintered composite having spinel reinforced

A magnesia ceramic for high-frequency electric insulation is produced by using, as the principal component, magnesia and adding thereto a calcium-magnesium-phosphate and at least one member selected from the group consisting of the oxides of aluminum, silicon, beryllium and tungsten.

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Nagoya, Japan

Hiroshi Hayashi