Nickel-metal hydride secondary cell, and method of manufacturing the same, hydrogen absorbing alloy particles for cell, method of manufacturing the same
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorsHiroyuki Hasebe, Naoyuki Sori, Tomohisa Arai
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Abstract
A nickel-metal hydride secondary cell, comprising a hydrogen absorbing alloy negative electrode accommodated in an enclosure and containing spherical hydrogen absorbing alloy particles covered with a free cooling surface and having an average particle diameter of 1 to 100 .mu.m, a non-sintered type nickel positive electrode disposed within the enclosure and positioned to face the negative electrode with a separator interposed therebetween, and an alkaline electrolyte poured in the enclosure.
Claims23
A nickel-metal hydride secondary cell, comprising:
- a hydrogen absorbing alloy negative electrode accommodated in an enclosure and containing spherical hydrogen absorbing alloy particles covered with a free cooling surface not having edges or ridges and having an average particle diameter of 1 to 100 .mu.m, wherein at least 70% of said particles have diameters falling within said average particle diameter range .+-.10%;
- a non-sintered type nickel positive electrode disposed within the enclosure and positioned to face the negative electrode with a separator interposed therebetween;
- and
- an alkaline electrolyte poured in the enclosure.
A nickel-metal hydride secondary cell, comprising:
- a hydrogen absorbing alloy negative electrode accommodated in an enclosure and containing spherical hydrogen absorbing alloy particles prepared by supplying a molten hydrogen absorbing alloy onto a running surface of a rotor rotated at a high speed and disposed under vacuum or under a cooling gas atmosphere;
- a non-sintered type nickel positive electrode disposed within the enclosure and positioned to face the negative electrode with a separator interposed therebetween;
- and
- an alkaline electrolyte poured in the enclosure.
Hydrogen absorbing alloy particles which are spherical, covered with a free cooling surface not having edges or ridges, and have an average particle diameter of 1 to 100 .mu.m, wherein at least 70% of said particles have diameters falling within said average particle range .+-.10%.
A method of manufacturing a nickel-metal hydride secondary cell comprising the steps of:
- preparing spherical hydrogen absorbing alloy particles covered with a free cooling surface end having an average particle diameter of 1 to 100 .mu.m by supplying a molten hydrogen absorbing alloy onto the running surface of a rotor rotated at a high speed and disposed under vacuum or under a cooling gas atmosphere so as to permit the melt to be disposed in the form of fine particles by the kinetic energy of the rotor and, at the same time, rapidly cooling and solidifying the fine particles;
- preparing a paste by kneading a mixture of the hydrogen absorbing alloy particles and a binding medium without exposing the hydrogen absorbing alloy particles to the air atmosphere:
- preparing a hydrogen absorbing alloy negative electrode by forming a layer of the paste on an electrically conductive core, followed by loading, drying and, then, applying roller press to the paste layer;
- preparing a non-sintered type nickel positive electrode by dispersing a nickel hydroxide powder into a binding medium so as to prepare a paste, followed by forming a layer of the paste on an electrically conductive core and subsequently loading and drying the paste layer;
- accommodating a laminate consisting of the hydrogen absorbing alloy negative electrode, the non-sintered type nickel positive electrode and a separator interposed between the negative and positive electrodes in an enclosure;
- and
- pouring an alkaline electrolyte in the enclosure.
A method of manufacturing hydrogen absorbing alloy particles for a cell, comprising the steps of:
- preparing a melt of a hydrogen absorbing alloy;
- and
- supplying the melt of the hydrogen absorbing alloy onto the running surface of a rotor rotated at a high speed and disposed under vacuum or under a cooling gas atmosphere so as to permit the melt to be disposed in the form of fine particles by the kinetic energy of the rotor and, at the same time, to be rapidly cooled and solidified.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.