Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Penn State Research Foundation

University of Central Florida Research Foundation Inc

Yoshiya Fujiwara

Nariaki Kuriyama

Takanori Maebashi

Hajime Goto

Mitsumoto Kawai

Akihiro Kushima

Ju Li

Peter C Eklund

Terumi Furuta

Toshio Tokune

Tetsuya Koido

Avetik R Harutyunyan

James H Adair

Toshiyuki Ohashi

Yoshiyuki Morita

Hiroshi Ogasa

Bhabendra K Pradhan

Supriya Koul

Jennifer A Nelson

Kishore Sreenivasan

Fumika Fujisaki

A lithium (Li) secondary battery having a Li buffer layer compressed between a Li metal anode and an electrolyte of the battery cell and a porous structure positioned between the Li metal anode and a current collector of the battery cell. The Li buffer layer is effective in preventing uncontrollable dendrite growth. The porous structure layer is effective in guiding the location of the Li deposition, thereby reducing the volume changes of the Li anode during the charge and discharge cycles of the lithium secondary battery.

Lithium secondary battery and method of manufacture

An analytical cell includes a first substrate and a second substrate each having a through hole extending in a thickness direction thereof. The first substrate and the second substrate are partially overlapped with each other to form an overlapping portion. In the overlapping portion, a solid state joint is formed by solid state bonding of a first solid portion protruding from the first substrate and a second solid portion protruding from the second substrate, whereby the first substrate and the second substrate are spaced from each other by a predetermined distance, and joined together in a state where the first substrate and the second substrate are positioned to form an observation window. At the observation window, the through holes of the first substrate and the second substrate face each other, and an electron beam is transmitted through the observation window.

Analytical cell and method of producing the same

An air secondary battery has a positive electrode to which an oxygen-containing gas is supplied, a negative electrode containing a metal active material, and an electrolytic solution through which a metal ion generated from the metal active material is transported. The positive electrode contains a composite containing a matrix and a zeolite disposed in the matrix. The matrix is in the form of a porous body which the electrolytic solution permeates. In the matrix, the zeolite has an oxygen-containing gas passage through which only the oxygen-containing gas can flow.

Air secondary battery

A sample holder includes an adapter attached to an adapter attaching part. An analysis target, e.g., analytical cell, has first electrical connection members. The adapter has second electrical connection members. The number of the first electrical connection members and the number of the second electrical connection members are the same. Further, the adapter has third electrical connection members, and the adapter attaching part has fourth electrical connection members. The number of the third electrical connection members and the number of the fourth electrical connection members are the same. For example, the third electrical connection members are six electrically conductive membranes, i.e., a first electrically conductive membrane to a sixth electrically conductive membrane. Among the six electrically conductive membranes, only the third electrically conductive membrane is not electrically connected to any of the second electrical connection members and the first electrical connection members.

Sample holder

An air secondary battery has a cathode to which an oxygen-containing gas is supplied, an anode containing an active metal material, and an electrolyte interposed between the cathode and the anode. In a discharge process, metal ions are generated from the active metal material, transferred through the electrolyte, and then reacted and bonded with oxygen molecules in the oxygen-containing gas on the cathode. Thus, the oxygen is reduced to generate a metal oxide. The cathode has a trap portion for confining the metal oxide. For example, the cathode has a first cathode layer and a second cathode layer having different average pore diameters. The first cathode layer located adjacent to the electrolyte and having a smaller average pore diameter acts as the trap portion.

Air secondary battery including cathode having trap portion

Substrates forming an overlapping portion of an analytical cell have through holes each having a shape tapered from an outer surface of the substrate facing to outside of the overlapping portion toward an inner surface thereof facing to inside thereof. An observation window is formed between the through holes facing each other. In the overlapping portion, at least one of negative and positive electrode active materials is provided between transmission membranes of the observation window, and at least one pillar is provided between first and second positions. At the first position, edge portions of the through holes of the outer surfaces are face-to-face with each other. At the second position, edge portions of the through holes of the inner surfaces are face-to-face with each other. At least one spacer is further provided at a position shifted from the first position toward a circumferential edge of the overlapping portion.

Analytical cell

An analytical cell includes a first substrate with a first through hole formed therein, and a second substrate with first and second through holes formed therein. First and second solid portions protruding respectively from the first and second substrates are solid-state bonded together to form a solid state joint. By the solid state joint, the first and second substrates are joined together such that transmission membranes of the first and second substrates are mutually spaced by a predetermined distance, to form an overlapping portion. In the overlapping portion, an observation window is formed at a position where the first through holes face each other, and an accommodating part is formed between a lid member and the first substrate through the second through hole. One of negative and positive electrode active materials is provided in the accommodating part, and the other is provided between the transmission membranes of the observation window.

An analytical cell includes first and second holders. The first and second holders each contain a substrate having a through-hole and a transmission membrane with an electron beam permeability so as to cover the through-hole. The first and second holders are stacked to form an overlapping portion such that the transmission membranes face each other. The through-holes face each other across the transmission membranes to form an observation window. Negative and positive electrode active materials are separated from each other and contact the electrolytic solution in the observation window. The negative and positive electrode active materials are electrically connected to negative and positive electrode collectors, respectively, in the overlapping portion. At least one of the negative and positive electrode collectors has an electrically insulating isolation membrane for avoiding contact with the electrolytic solution.

An analytical cell includes a first holder and a second holder. The first holder and the second holder each contain a substrate including a through-hole and a transmission membrane having an electron beam permeability. The through-hole is covered with the transmission membrane. The first holder and the second holder are stacked to form an overlapping portion such that the transmission membranes face toward each other. A negative electrode active material and a positive electrode active material, which are arranged at a distance from each other and are in contact, respectively, with an electrolytic solution, are connected electrically to a negative electrode collector and a positive electrode collector, respectively, in the overlapping portion. A lyophobic part having no affinity for the electrolytic solution is formed on at least one of the negative electrode collector and the positive electrode collector.

An analytical cell includes first and second holders. The first and second holders each contain a substrate having a through-hole and a transmission membrane with an electron beam permeability so as to cover the through-hole. The first and second holders are stacked to form an overlapping portion such that the transmission membranes face each other and that an inner space therein containing the electrolytic solution is sealed. The through-holes face each other across the transmission membranes to form an observation window. Negative and positive electrode active materials are separated from each other and contact the electrolytic solution in the observation window. A transmission body containing an electron beam permeable solid is formed between at least one of the negative and positive electrode active materials and the transmission membrane.

A hydrogen storage material includes a nano size material that can be formed in a multi-layered core/shell structure and/or in a nanotabular (or platelet) form.

Hydrogen storage material based on platelets and/or a multilayered core/shell structure

There is provided a method of purifying single wall carbon nanotubes so as to be able to remove impurities such as a metal catalyst to obtain the single wall carbon nanotubes with high purity. The method includes the first oxidizing step of oxidizing the single wall carbon nanotubes sootcontaining an impurity with a metal catalystthe first refluxing step of refluxing the single wall carbon nanotubes sootobtained by the first oxidizing step in an acid solution, the second oxidizing step of oxidizing the single wall carbon nanotubes sootobtained by the first refluxing step, and the second refluxing step of refluxing the single wall carbon nanotubes obtained sootby the second oxidizing step in an acid solution. The single wall nanotubesare synthesized by an arc discharge with a carbon electrode containing a metal catalystThe carbon electrode contains a metal catalyst which consists of Ni, Y, and Ti. The first oxidizing step is performed by heating at a temperature between 350 and 600&#xb0; C. or by a wet-oxidization in hydrogen peroxide solution. The first refluxing step is performed by refluxing in nitric acid. The second oxidizing step is performed by wet-oxidizing in hydrogen peroxide. The second refluxing step is performed by refluxing in hydrochloric acid.

Method of purifying single wall carbon nanotubes

Carbon structures, e.g. carbon nano-fibers, suitable for absorbing hydrogen at low pressures and low temperatures are produced by a selective oxidation and/or acid reflux process. The process includes heating an impure mixture containing a crystalline form of carbon in the presence of an oxidizing gas at a temperature and time sufficient to selectively oxidize and remove a substantial amount of any amorphous carbon impurities from the mixture. Metal containing impurities can be removed from the mixture by exposing the desired carbon and accompanying impurities to an acid to produce a carbon fiber that is substantially free of both non-fiber carbon impurities and metal impurities. Another aspect of the present invention includes purified carbon structures that can store hydrogen at low pressures and temperatures.

Purification of carbon filaments and their use in storing hydrogen

A high strength and high ductility TiAl-based intermetallic compound includes a content of aluminum in a range represented by 42.0 atom %.ltoreq.Al.ltoreq.50.0 atom %, a content of vanadium in a range represented by 1.0 atom %.ltoreq.V.ltoreq.3.0 atom %, a content of niobium in a range represented by 1.0 atom %.ltoreq.Nb.ltoreq.10.0 atom %, a content of boron in a range represented by 0.03 atom %.ltoreq.B.ltoreq.2.2 atom %, and the balance of titanium and unavoidable impurities. A product of the TiAl-based intermetallic compound is formed by only casting or casting followed by a homogenizing thermal treatment.

High strength and high ductility tial-based intermetallic compound and

A TiAl-based intermetallic compound has a metallographic structure which includes a region A having fine .beta.-phases dispersed in a .gamma.-phase. The volume fraction Vf of the .beta.-phases in the region A is set equal to or more than 0.1% (Vf.gtoreq.0.1%). Thus, the .beta.-phases can exhibit a pinning effect to prevent a transgranular pseudo cleavage fracture in the .gamma.-phase, thereby providing an enhanced high-temperature strength of the TiAl-based intermetallic compound.

Growing community of inventors

Wako, Japan

Yoshiya Fujiwara