METAL HYDRIDE ELECTRODES WITH LAMELLAR-TYPE NETWORK STRUCTURE

New types of metal hydride electrodes with three dimensional networks of conducting metal powder have been developed. Utilization efficiency of the alloy was successfully improved because of elimination of the usual non-conductive polymeric binder and also the material cost could be reduced because it was not necessary to use an expensively formed nickel substrate or an expensive surface coating process. The new elec trodes are composed of hydrogen storage alloy and newly developed flak e-type copper and/or nickel powder formed into a laminated network str ucture in the electrode, thus providing better binding ability and bet ter electrode conductivity than a conventional dendritic powder. The m ixture, in the weight ratio of Cu(Ni)/alloy=0.2, was press-bound on a nickel mesh current collector. The effect of flake powder was more pro nounced for the Ti-Zr based AB(2) type alloy (less conductive surface) than the rare earth based AB(5) type alloy.