Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Other

Yoshitaka Baba

Motoo Tadokoro

Akifumi Yamawaki

Takeo Hamamatsu

Shinsuke Nakahori

Masaru Kihara

Takayuki Yano

A high capacity alkaline storage battery which exhibits a maintained dischargeability and a reduced excess negative electrode capacity by decreasing the content of &#x3b3;-NiOOH left in higher order positive active material. To an aqueous solution of a mixture of nickel sulfate, zinc sulfate and cobalt sulfate was gradually added an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide with stirring to cause the crystallization of nickel hydroxide. Nickel hydroxide thus crystallized was washed, dehydrated, and then dried. To nickel hydroxide was then added dropwise a predetermined amount of an oxidizing agent (NaClO) while being stirred in an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide which had been kept to a predetermined temperature so that nickel hydroxide as a main component was put in higher order (e.g., average valence is raised to 2.8) Subsequently, to the material was added dropwise a predetermined amount of a reducing agent (HO) so that the higher order nickel hydroxide as a main component was reduced (e.g., average valence is lowered to 2.2). Nickel hydroxide was washed, dehydrated, and then dried to obtain a higher order nickel hydroxide active material (positive active material).

Manufacturing method of positive active material for alkaline storage battery, nickel electrode using the same material and alkaline storage battery using the same nickel electrode

A alkali storage cell includes a non-sintered type nickel electrode which includes a highly efficient nickel hydroxide active material and which causes no capacity decrease during an over-discharge operation. The nickel electrode contains an active material composed of nickel hydroxide, a solid solution of at least one of zinc, cadmium, magnesium, and calcium which are added to the nickel hydroxide, and cobalt compound layers which are formed over the surfaces of particles of the nickel hydroxide. The cobalt compound layers have an oxidation number of larger than 2 and a disordered crystal structure. Such an active material can be manufactured by mixing nickel hydroxide powder containing a solid solution of at least one of zinc, cadmium, magnesium, and calcium with either metallic cobalt or a cobalt compound, and subjecting the mixture to heat treatment in the presence of oxygen and alkali. Another production method is to precipitate a cobalt compound over the surfaces of the nickel hydroxide powder containing a solid solution of at least one of zinc, cadmium, magnesium, and calcium so as to form cobalt compound layers, before subjecting it to the heat treatment in the same conditions.

NON-SINTERED NICKEL ELECTRODE WITH EXCELLENT OVER-DISCHARGE CHARACTERISTICS, AN ALKALINE STORAGE CELL HAVING THE NON-SINTERED NICKEL ELECTRODE, AND A MANUFACTURING METHOD OF THE NON-SINTERED NICKEL ELECTRODE

An alkaline storage battery includes a positive electrode active material containing nickel hydroxide as a main component. A part of the surface of the nickel hydroxide is unevenly covered with a cobalt compound having an average oxidation number of larger than &plus;2 and containing alkaline cations. Since only a part of the surface of the nickel hydroxide is covered with the cobalt compound, the nickel hydroxide not covered with the cobalt compound is brought into direct contact with the electrolyte, thus improving the high rate discharging characteristic. Since a part of the surface of the nickel hydroxide is covered with the high-order cobalt compound containing alkaline cations, the high-order cobalt compound with high conductivity produces a highly conductive network within the positive electrode so that the rate of using the active material is improved. In this configuration, the alkaline storage battery with high capacity and excellent high rate discharging characteristic can be provided by using a nickel hydroxide active material which permits nickel hydroxide to be brought into direct contact with an electrolyte regardless with high order cobalt oxide on the surface of nickel hydroxide.

Alkaline storage battery and method of manufacturing the same

An alkaline storage battery comprising a positive electrode active material mainly composed of nickel hydroxide, characterized in that the nickel hydroxide is a higher order nickel hydroxide covered with a cobalt compound on the surface thereof or in the vicinity thereof and the higher order nickel hydroxide is provided with at least one compound selected from the group consisting of yttrium compound, erbium compound and ytterbium compound on the surface thereof or in the vicinity

Alkaline storage battery and process for the production thereof

A nickel hydroxide active material for use in an alkaline storage cell, the active material being essentially composed of nickel hydroxide particles covered with a cobalt compound adhered to their surfaces, wherein the cobalt compound is disordered in a crystal structure and formed in a higher order state containing alkali cation, and wherein the nickel hydroxide is in the form of a higher order nickel compound having an average oxidation value of 2.15 to 2.40.

Nickel hydroxide active material for use in alkaline storage cell and manufacturing method of the same

A nickel electrode for an alkaline storage cell manufactured by the steps of precipitating cobalt hydroxide on the surface of a first nickel active material essentially composed of nickel hydroxide, subjecting the first nickel active material to heat treatment under the presence of an alkaline solution and oxygen to that the cobalt hydroxide precipitated on the first nickel active material is disordered to its crystal structure and is formed in a higher order cobalt compound containing alkaline cation, and mixing the first nickel active material subjected to the alkali heat treatment with a second nickel hydroxide active material essentially composed of nickel hydroxide without forming any conductive substance of lower in dissolubility to the alkaline solution.

Nickel electrode for akaline storage cell and manufacturing method of the same

In a method of manufacturing a nickel active material, nickel hydroxide particles coated with cobalt hydroxide are put on the mesh disk 4 of the fluidized granulator 1. Then, hot air is continuously supplied from outside through the hot air inlet 5, while air inside the fluidized granulator 5 is continuously emitted through the air outlet 8. At the same time, the nickel hydroxide particles are stirred with the stirring fan 3 and further dispersed by a hot air current. In this condition, an alkali aqueous solution is sprayed on the nickel hydroxide particles through the spray nozzle 7 by the pump 9. After the spray, the nickel hydroxide particles are further stirred in hot air so as to complete an alkali heat treatment.

Manufacturing method of an active material suitable for non-sintered

A nickel active material for an alkali storage cell whose surface is covered with a cobalt compound, wherein the diffusion and permeation into the nickel hydroxide mother particles of cobalt compound during excessive discharging, which act to reduce the active material efficiency and the excessive discharging characteristics, are prevented. This is achieved by having a covering layer, including one or more of the following metal compounds; an aluminum compound, a magnesium compound, an indium compound and a zinc compound, in addition to a cobalt compound, formed on the surface of a mother particle of nickel hydroxide, and by heat treating the covered mother particles in the presence of alkali and oxygen so as to convert the cobalt compound into a compound of cobalt where an oxidization number of cobalt is greater than 2.

Nickel active material for use in alkali storage cells and its

Non-sintered nickel electrode with excellent over-discharge

Fine-grained nickel electrode active material, each of which contributing to electrode reaction; production method of the fine-grained nickel electrode active material; and a nickel alkali storage cell of high capacity which is excellent in over discharge characteristics. In order to produce the fine-grained nickel electrode active material, fine-grained nickel hydroxide is precipitated by adding a given amount of alkali to solution in which at least a nickel compound is dissolved while the solution is stirred. Each of the fine-grained nickel hydroxide has pores with 20 vol % or more of a combined volume of the pores being composed of pores of diameter 60 .ANG. or greater. Next, a given amount of alkali is gradually added to suspension including the fine-grained nickel hydroxide and dissolved cobalt compound so that cobalt hydroxide is precipitated on the external surface of the fine-grained nickel hydroxide. The fine-grained nickel electrode active material is produced in the above mentioned way. Each of the fine-grained nickel electrode active material comprises a nickel hydroxide and cobalt oxide having distorted crystal structure and oxidation number higher than +2. The nickel hydroxide has pores whose diameters are 60 .ANG. or greater. And the volume of such pores amounts to 20 vol % or more of the combined volume of all of the pores.

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Tokushima, Japan

Yoshitaka Baba