However, the binder-free active material film may be produced by the production-methodical configuration of the present invention, and if necessary, the active material film of the present invention may contain an organic hinder, of course, and the present invention should not be interpreted as excluding the active material film containing an organic binder or the active material bulk containing an organic binder.
In addition, the active material bulk is a sintered body, the molded body formed before sintering may contain an organic binder, of course, and the organic binder may burned out in the sintering process so that a binder-free sintered body may be produced, of course. The organic binder may leave residual carbon or not, depending on the process atmosphere during burn-out. When the process atmosphere is an oxidative atmosphere, the residual carbon may not be left, and the active material particles only serve to assist physical integration before sintering. In addition, the burn-out atmosphere a non-oxidative atmosphere, the organic binder may serve to coat an active material particle surface with carbon while leaving residual carbon, or bind particles with the residual carbon.
In addition, when the raw material further includes an additive which is a binder, together with the particulate electrode active material, an electrode active material which is difficult to be plastically deformed, as an example, a non-carbon-based negative electrode active material, hard carbon or soft carbon, a positive electrode active material, and the like may be produced into the active material bulk in the form of a molded body, of course.