TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The anode electrolyte is hydroxide, sulfate, halide, lithium nitrate, lithium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfate, sodium halide, sodium nitrate and/or sodium acetate. The current collector is stainless steel or aluminum foil. The conductive agent is acetylene black, graphite, carbon nano-tube and/or active carbon. The positive electrode active material is transition metal oxide comprising nickel hydroxide, lithium manganese oxide (LiMn2O4 and LiMnO2), lithium cobalt oxide, lithium nickel oxide, lithium-nickel-cobalt-aluminum oxide (Li(Ni(0.8)Co(0.15)Al(0.05))O2), iron phosphate, iron trifluoride, iron phosphate dihydrate, lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4 and Li2FePO4F), lithium-cobalt-nickel-manganese oxide (LiCo(1/3)Ni(1/3)Mn(1/3)O2), vanadium pentoxide, lithium vanadium pentoxide, lithium vanadium fluorophosphate, sodium vanadium phosphate (Na3V2(PO4)3), sodium vanadium trifluorophosphate (Na3V2(PO4)2F3), lithium-sodium-vanadium phosphate (Li2NaV2(PO4)3), sodium manganese oxide (NaMn2O4), sodium cobalt oxide, sodium nickel oxide, sodium-nickel-cobalt-aluminum oxide (Na(Ni(0.8)Co(0.15)Al(0.05))O2), sodium manganese oxide, sodium iron phosphate, sodium iron fluorophosphate, sodium-cobalt-nickel-manganese oxide (NaCo(1/3)Ni(1/3)Mn(1/3)O2), sodium vanadium pentoxide and/or sodium vanadium fluorophosphate. The cathode electrolyte or anode electrolyte comprises lithium hexafluorophosphate, lithium hexafluoroarsenate, lithium hexafluoroantimonate, lithium perchlorate, lithium aluminum tetrachloride, lithium gallium tetrachloride, lithium boron chloride (LiB10Cl10), fluoro substituted lithium compounds (LiCF3SO3, LiC4F9SO3, LiN(CxF2x+1SO2)(CyF2y+1SO2), LiBFz(CF3)4-z), sodium hexafluorophosphate, sodium hexafluoroarsenate, sodium hexafluoroantimonate, sodium perchlorate, sodium aluminum tetrachloride, sodium gallium tetrachloride, sodium boron chloride (NaB10Cl10) and/or fluoro substituted sodium compounds (NaCF3SO3, NaC4F9SO3, NaN(CxF2x+1SO2)(CyF2y+1SO2), NaBFz(CF3)4-z), where x, y and z are 0-4.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - METALLURGY - Preferred Components: The alkali metal electrode is alloy of lithium or sodium.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The organic solvent is propylene carbonate, ethylene carbonate, butylene carbonate, ethyl methyl carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, di-n-propyl carbonate, diisopropyl peroxydicarbonate, propyl carbonate, ethyl isopropyl carbonate, tetrahydrofuran and/or 2-methyl tetrahydrofuran.