Battery-grade nickel hydroxide and method for its preparation
AssigneeThe Hall Chemical Company
InventorBoyko Aladjov
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Abstract
Nickel hydroxide for use in an electrode of a rechargeable battery is prepared by controlled precipitation from a neutralized reaction mixture of a nickel salt and an alkali metal hydroxide. The controlled precipitation results in the formation of generally spherical particles having a high density. Pulsed or constant ultrasonic energy is applied to the mixture or to a portion thereof during the reaction to cause an alteration in the micro and macrostructures and the surface characteristics of the particles. These alterations result in enhanced performance characteristics of the resultant electrode.
Claims12
A process for producing battery-grade nickel hydroxide by forming a reaction mixture of inorganic nickel salt with an alkali metal hydroxide in a liquid medium maintained at a pH and at a temperature at which conversion of the nickel salt to an insoluble nickel hydroxide precipitate occurs, the improvement comprising introducing ultrasonic energy into at least a portion of the reaction mixture during the formation of the nickel hydroxide precipitate to alter the macro and microstructure of the nickel hydroxide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.