Ovonic Battery Company, Inc.

Basf Corporation

Texaco Ovonic Battery Systems, LLC

John M Koch

Michael A Fetcenko

Benjamin Reichman

Kwo Young

Stanford R Ovshinsky

William C Mays

Cristian Fierro

Taihei Ouchi

Avram Zallen

An alkaline, rechargeable electrochemical cell includes a pasted electrode structure in which a composition comprising a paste matrix component includes cobalt in an amount greater than 6 weight percent ranging up to 14 weight percent. The matrix may also include a rare earth such as yttrium. The composition further includes particles of nickel hydroxide dispersed in the matrix, and these particles include cobalt levels ranging from greater than 8 atomic percent up to 15 atomic percent. Cells incorporating these materials have good charging efficiency at elevated temperatures.

Rechargeable battery cell with improved high temperature performance

The present invention relates to rechargeable nickel metal hydride batteries and methods for making the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to rechargeable nickel metal hydride batteries having a precharge in the negative electrode sufficient for oxidation prevention in the negative electrode. The present invention discloses a nickel metal hydride battery, wherein the precharge of the negative electrode may be supplied by a variety of sources. The positive active material of the positive electrode may have positive active particles, such as nickel hydroxide, having a precursor coating that incorporates cobalt material capable of forming a conductive network. Sources other than cobalt-containing materials in the positive electrode include hydrogen gas provided directly to the negative active material, nickel aluminum mixed with the negative active material, the etching of the negative active material with an alkaline solution and borohydride chemically charging the negative active material. Preferably, a majority of the precharge of the negative electrode is supplied by sources other than cobalt-containing materials in the positive electrode.

Nickel metal hydride battery design

Electrochemical and thermal hydrogen storage alloy compositions that provide superior performance, including an electrochemical hydrogen storage alloy that provides superior low temperature discharge characteristics. The alloy compositions include microstructures in the interface region that are highly porous and that include catalytic metallic particles. The microstructures include a large volume fraction of voids having spherical or channel-like shapes and are sufficiently open structurally to facilitate greater mobility of reactive species within the microstructure and in the vicinity of catalytic metallic particles. Greater accessibility to reactive sites accordingly results. The greater mobility of reactive species and/or the greater density of catalytic particles lead to faster kinetics and improved performance (e.g. higher power), especially at low operating temperatures. The microstructures may be formed through inclusion of a microstructure tuning element in the alloy composition, through control of processing conditions and/or through inclusion of etching steps in the post-formation processing of hydrogen storage alloys.

Hydrogen storage alloys having a high porosity surface layer

A modified Ti&mdash;V&mdash;Zr&mdash;Ni&mdash;Mn&mdash;Cr electrochemical hydrogen storage alloy which has at least one of the following characteristics: 1) an increased charge/discharge rate capability over that the base Ti&mdash;V&mdash;Zr&mdash;Ni&mdash;Mn&mdash;Cr electrochemical hydrogen storage alloy; 2) a formation cycling requirement which is reduced to one tenth that of the base Ti&mdash;V&mdash;Zr&mdash;Ni&mdash;Mn&mdash;Cr electrochemical hydrogen storage alloy; or 3) an oxide surface layer having a higher electrochemical hydrogen storage catalytic activity than the base Ti&mdash;V&mdash;Zr&mdash;Ni&mdash;Mn&mdash;Cr electrochemical hydrogen storage alloy. The electrochemical hydrogen storage alloy includes an oxide surface having metallic particles dispersed therein, wherein the particles are from 10-40 Angstroms in size.

Modified electrochemical hydrogen storage alloy having increased capacity, rate capability and catalytic activity

A modified Ti&mdash;V&mdash;Zr&mdash;Ni&mdash;Mn&mdash;Cr electrochemical hydrogen storage alloy which has at least one of the following characteristics: 1) an increased charge/discharge rate capability over that the base Ti&mdash;V&mdash;Zr&mdash;Ni&mdash;Mn&mdash;Cr electrochemical hydrogen storage alloy; 2) a formation cycling requirement which is reduced to one tenth that of the base Ti&mdash;V&mdash;Zr&mdash;Ni&mdash;Mn&mdash;Cr electrochemical hydrogen storage alloy; or 3) an oxide surface layer having a higher electrochemical hydrogen storage catalytic activity than the base Ti&mdash;V&mdash;Zr&mdash;Ni&mdash;Mn&mdash;Cr electrochemical hydrogen storage alloy.

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Brighton, MI, United States of America

John M Koch