MANUFACTURE OF NEGATIVE ELECTRODE FOR LITHIUM BATTERY

PURPOSE:To obtain a negative electrode in which a lithium metal layer is concentrically and closely attached around a negative current collecting bar constnatly even when the current collecting bar has a small diameter by unifiedly extruding the current collecting bar and lithium metal which is attached around the bar. CONSTITUTION:A long current-collecting bar 8 is extruded from inside the nozzle 9 of a molding device unifiedly with and coaxially to lithium metal 10 at the same speed as the lithium metal 10, then the thus extruded body is cut into a given dimension. After thus obtaining a current collecting bar 8' having a given length and coated with a lithium metal layer 10', a terminal part 8a' of the bar 8 is exposed by removing an unnecessary lithium layer 10a'. Here, the terminal part 8a' may be exposed by moving the bar 8' relative to the lithium layer 10' from one end by means of a bar 11 having either the same diameter as or a slightly smaller diameter than the bar 8' after the bar 8' having the lithium layer 10' is held with a proper zig. If part of the above bar 8 coated with lithium is subjected to rough surface processing such as satin work, hairline work, knurling or embossing before the above process is carried out, lithium becomes in more close contact with the bar 8, and the contact resistance between lithium and the bar 8 decreases.