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For improving the cycle performance of the positive electrode of Ni-MH battery using Ni-coated three-dimensional sheet with lower cost than a conventional Ni-foam, the effect of decreasing the amount of binder was examined by mechanical strength and electrochemical measurements. The results indicated that the electrode using the mixture of 1 wt% styrene maleic acid (SMA) and 1 wt% polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) had the same peeling strength as the electrode using 2 wt% SMA only, and made it possible to decrease the omission of active material to 0 in the bending test. Furthermore, by changing the thickener from CMC to xanthan gum (XG) with a three-dimensional structure and good stability in alkaline solution, the total amount of the binder in the positive electrode could be decreased from 2.2 wt% to 1.3 wt%. And the battery using this electrode showed higher discharge rate and better low temperature performance than that using the electrode with CMC. By using this new composition of binder, the power density of the battery was improved from 480 W/kg to 980 W/kg. In the HEV-mode cycle test at 45°C, the capacity of the cell remained at more than 80% of the initial value even after 50000 cycles (corresponding to a mileage of 200,000 km).

New paste-type positive electrodes for nickel/metal-hydride (Ni/MH) batteries were prepared using low-cost quasi-three-dimensional (Q-3D) substrate replacing conventional Ni foam, and their electrochemical properties werestudied. Q-3D substrate showed better packing efficiency of active material than punched metal. By using highly conductive CoOOH-coated Ni(OH) 2 as an active material, an unsealed cell with Q-3D substrate electrode showed relatively low resistance and 98% of utilization efficiency at 0.2 C discharging rate. A sealed cell with this positive electrode was slightly inferior to that with conventional Ni foam electrode in high rate capability and durability, but was able to discharge at 10 C rate and attained 510 cycles of cycle life. Swelling of the positive electrode and distribution of electrolyte in cells were investigated by means of X-ray computed tomography and atomic absorption spectrometry after cycle testing, and it was found that the cycle degradation was due to increase in cell resistance associated with transfer of electrolyte from the separator to the positive electrode.

New paste-type positive electrodes for nickel/metal-hydride (Ni/MH) batteries were prepared using low-cost punched metal substrate and binders with high adhesive strength. Their charge-discharge properties were evaluated using cylindrical sealed batteries. Electrochemical stability of the binders was investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry. For sealed batteries using epoxy resin, styrene butadiene rubber, and poly(vinyl acetate) as positive electrode binders, cell voltage continued to increase at the end stage of charging, and leakage was observed after charging test at 1 C rate. In cyclic voltammetry of these binders in alkaline solution, the anodic peak current was much larger than the cathodic peak current, suggesting their electrochemical oxidation. As a mechanism of leakage, consumption of oxygen by oxidation of binder and consequent formation of hydrogen at the negative electrode was proposed. The battery using polystyrene acrylic acid ester (PSA) as a binder showed no leakage during charging and the highest charge efficiency of more than 80% at 1 C rate. The cycle life of this battery was longer than 350 cycles. It was demonstrated that PSA is a suitable binder for electrodes with two-dimensional substrate.

A Ni-coated 3D steel sheet, at a quarter of the cost of conventional Ni foam, was designed as a substrate for the positive electrode of a nickel/metal hydride battery. A new thin positive electrode was developed using this substrate, and the electrochemical properties were investigated. The thin positive electrode using the Ni-coated 3D sheet and polystyrene acrylic acid ester (PSA) as a binder maintained a discharge capacity of more than 80% of initial capacity even after 1000 cycles in cycle test under 25°C, which was comparable to the Ni foam electrode. However, the electrode showed capacity fade after 180 cycles in cycle test under 45°C, because of the decomposition of PSA. The results of Fourier transform IR analysis indicated that styrene-maleic acid resin (SMA) had high stability in alkaline solution at high temperatures and was more suitable as a binder than PSA. A new battery for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) was developed using the thin positive electrode with the Ni-coated 3D sheet and SMA. The power density of the new battery achieved 1055 W/kg, compared with 480 W/kg for the conventional one. In the HEV mode cycle test, both the capacity and the power output of the cell remained at more than 80% of the initial value even after 25,000 cycles.