TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - METALLURGY - Preferred Component: Alkaline-earth metal atoms and lanthanoide series atoms (11) occupy the lanthanum sites. A composition of the lanthanum sites is expressed by formula M1xLn1-x.A composition of cobalt sites includes at least one kind of atom from titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, or niobium.A composition of tin sites includes at least one kind of atom from phosphorus, silicon, germanium, tin, or antimony.The intermetallic compound is of formula (M1xLn1-x)3 (M2)2(M3)7 or (M1xLn1-x)3CoaSnb.M1=Ca or Mg, or Ca and Mg;Ln=at least one kind of lanthanoide series elements x;x=0.05-0.5;M2=Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, or Nb;M3=P, Si, Ge, Sn, or Sb;a=1.2-3.5 (1.5-3); andb=6-8 (6.5-7.8).Preferred Property: The intermetallic compound has a particle diameter distribution in which percentage of particle diameters of 0.1-50 microns is greater than or equal to90% or greater than or equal to95%, and a percentage of particle diameters of less than 0.1 microns is less than or equal to10% or less than or equal to5%.Preferred Composition: A content of the solvent in the nonaqueous electrolyte is 20-90 (50-80) vol.%.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The non-aqueous electrolyte contains at least one of ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate. EXAMPLE - An electrode group comprising a positive electrode, separator of polyethylene porous film, a negative electrode, and a separator; and nonaqueous electrolyte solution prepared by dissolving 1 mol/l lithium hexafluorophosphate into nonaqueous solvent (ethylene carbonate and diethyl carbonate), were put in a container and a cylindrical nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery was assembled. Test of the secondary battery was conducted at 20degreesC.    The result showed percentage of particles having diameters of smaller than 0.1 microns of 8%, percentage of particles having particle diameters of 0.1-50 microns of 91.3%, negative electrode capacity of 1624 mAh/cm3, capacity retention rate before high temperature (45degreesC) storage of 89%, and capacity retention rate after high temperature (45degreesC) storage of 86%.