Method for making high capacity hydrogen storage electrode and hydride

Abstract

This invention disclosures a method to make an improved hydrogen/hydride electrode for electro-chemical applications. The method comprises the steps of: (1) preparing the slurry of hydrogen storage material; (2) pasting the slurry onto and/or into a substrate current collector to make a wet pasted electrode; (3) drying the wet pasted electrode; and (4) sintering the pasted electrode. The aforementioned method is very useful for the hydrogen storage alloy comprising of Ti, 2-70 at. %; Zr, 2-70 at. % and Ni, 5-80 at. %. It is also useful for a pseudo AB.sub.5 - or AB.sub.2 -type alloy. In particular, a high capacity hydrogen storage electrode comprising a multicomponent hydrogen storage alloy having composition represented by the formula: Ti.sub.a Zr.sub.b Ni.sub.c Nb.sub.y R.sub.z M.sub.x, is made, wherein R is at least one element selected from the group consisting of C, Mg, Al, B, Si, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Hf, Bi, Sn, Ta, W, Pd, Ag, Mo, Sb, La, Ce, and Mm; M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ca, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, S and P; and the atomic mole ratios, a, b, c, x, y, and z are defined by: 0.22.ltoreq.a.ltoreq.0.70, 0.02.ltoreq.b.ltoreq.0.70, 0.05.ltoreq.c.ltoreq.0.80, 0.02.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.50, 0.005.ltoreq.z.ltoreq.0.30, 0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.30, and a+b+c+x+y+z=1.00.