TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRICAL POWER AND ENERGY - Preferred Component: The electrolyte comprises 5-30 volume.% first component solvent; 20-70 volume.% second component solvent; 20-70 volume.% third component solvent; and the electrolyte salt having a concentration of 0.5-2 M. It further comprises an additive gas (0.2-10 wt.%) which forms a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) at a surface of a negative electrode during charging. The second and third component solvents are mixed in a ratio of 1:1.Preferred Properties: A difference in sulfur solubility between the first component solvent and the second component solvent is at least 20 mM. The sulfur compounds have a higher polarity than a polarity of the sulfur.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The first component solvent is benzene, fluorobenzene, toluene, trifluorotoluene, xylene, cyclohexane, tetrahydrofuran, and/or 2-methyl tetrahydrofuran. The second component solvent is cyclohexanone, ethanol, isopropanol, dimethyl carbonate, ethylmethylcarbonate, diethylcarbonate, methylpropyl carbonate, methyl propionate, ethyl propionate, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, propyl acetate, dimethoxy ethane, 1,3-dioxolane, diglyme (2-methoxyethyl ether), and/or tetraglyme. The third component solvent is ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, gamma-butyrolactone, and/or sulforane. The electrolyte salt is lithium hexafluorophosphate, lithium tetrafluoroborate, lithium hexafluoroarsenate, lithium perchlorate, lithium trifluoromethane sulfonylimide, and/or lithium trifluorosulfonate (LiSO3CF3).    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The additive gas is carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and/or nitrous oxide. EXAMPLE - An elemental sulfur (60%), super P conductive material (20%) and poly(vinyl acetate) (20%) were mixed in an acetonitrile solvent until a slurry was evenly mixed. The slurry was dried for more than 12 hours under vacuum, and was then coated on an aluminum current collector coated with carbon to form a coated positive electrode. An amount of electrolyte containing 2-methyl tetrahydrofurane/ethylene carbonate/dimethyl carbonate (20/40/40), carbon dioxide (2 wt.%) and 1 M of LiSO3CF3 as a salt, was dropped on the positive electrode. The separator was placed on the positive electrode and a small amount of the electrolyte was added. The lithium electrode was then placed. After staying 24 hours at room temperature, the battery underwent a charging/discharging cycles of 1, 3, 5 and 100 cycles at 0.1, 0.2, 0.5 and 1 degrees C, respectively, under a cut-off voltage of 1.5-2.8 V. The result (in Figure 2) showed 60% cycle life characteristic, and an initial discharge capacity of 632 mAh/g.