Abstract: A nickel electrode for an alkaline storage battery in which an active material mainly containing nickel hydroxide is applied to a porous sintered nickel substrate, wherein a layer containing at least one hydroxide of an element selected from a group consisting of Ca, Sr, Sc, Y, lanthanoid, and Bi is formed on a surface of the active material thus applied to the sintered nickel substrate, or between the sintered nickel substrate and the active material.

Abstract: A nickel electrode for an alkaline storage battery in which an active material mainly containing nickel hydroxide is applied to a porous sintered nickel substrate, wherein a layer containing at least one hydroxide of an element selected from a group consisting of Ca, Sr, Sc, Y, lanthanoid, and Bi is formed on a surface of the active material thus applied to the sintered nickel substrate, or between the sintered nickel substrate and the active material.

Abstract: A nickel electrode for an alkaline storage battery in which an active material mainly containing nickel hydroxide is applied to a porous sintered nickel substrate, wherein a layer containing at least one hydroxide of an element selected from a group consisting of Ca, Sr, Sc, Y, lanthanoid, and Bi is formed on a surface of the active material thus applied to the sintered nickel substrate, or between the sintered nickel substrate and the active material.

Abstract: A sealed alkaline storage battery using, as a positive electrode active material, nickel oxyhydroxide including Mn as a solid-solution element and having a &ggr; ratio of 65 through 100%; a sealed alkaline storage battery using, as a positive electrode active material, nickel oxyhydroxide including as an additive or coated with a rare earth element and/or a rare earth compound in a ratio measured based on the rare earth element of 0.05 through 5 wt %; and a sealed alkaline storage battery including, as a positive electrode active material, nickel oxyhydroxide having a half-width of a peak in a lattice plane (003) in an X-ray diffraction pattern of 0.8° or more. The pressure within the battery is not largely increased for a long period of charge-discharge cycles, and hence, the electrolyte hardly leaks.

Abstract: A sealed alkaline storage battery using, as a positive electrode active material, nickel oxyhydroxide including Mn as a solid-solution element and having a &ggr; ratio of 65 through 100%; a sealed alkaline storage battery using, as a positive electrode active material, nickel oxyhydroxide including as an additive or coated with a rare earth element and/or a rare earth compound in a ratio measured based on the rare earth element of 0.05 through 5 wt%; and a sealed alkaline storage battery including, as a positive electrode active material, nickel oxyhydroxide having a half-width of a peak in a lattice plane (003) in an X-ray diffraction pattern of 0.8° or more. The pressure within the battery is not largely increased for a long period of charge-discharge cycles, and hence, the electrolyte hardly leaks.

Abstract: A sealed alkaline-zinc storage battery includes a battery can, a hollow positive electrode disposed within the battery can in electrical contact therewith and containing a positive active material including nickle hydroxide, a negative electrode disposed inwardly of the positive electrode and containing a negative active material including zinc, a separator disposed between the positive and negative electrodes, a negative current collector inserted into the negative electrode, and an alkaline electrolyte filled in the battery can and impregnated into the positive electrode, negative electrode and separator. The positive electrode, negative electrode, separator, negative current collector and electrolyte together account for at least 75% of an internal volume of the battery can. The alkaline electrolyte is in the 30 to 45 mass % concentration range and has a total water content in the range of 0.5 to 0.9 g for each theoretical capacity of the negative electrode expressed as 1 Ah (ampere-hour).

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an effective hydrogen-absorbing alloy activation process which can enhance the electrochemical activity of a hydrogen-absorbing alloy and to provide a hydrogen-absorbing alloy electrode which, when used in a battery, ensures an excellent initial inner pressure characteristic, low-temperature discharge characteristic, high-rate discharge characteristic and cycle characteristic. In accordance with the present invention, a hydrogen-absorbing alloy electrode production process is provided which comprises an alloy activation treatment step of immersing a hydrogen-absorbing alloy in a strong acid treatment solution containing metal ions and, in the course of the pH rise of the acid treatment solution, adding an alkali to the acid treatment solution to promote the pH rise of the acid treatment solution.

Abstract: A sealed alkaline storage battery using, as a positive electrode active material, nickel oxyhydroxide including Mn as a solid-solution element and having a &ggr; ratio of 65 through 100%; a sealed alkaline storage battery using, as a positive electrode active material, nickel oxyhydroxide including as an additive or coated with a rare earth element and/or a rare earth compound in a ratio measured based on the rare earth element of 0.05 through 5 wt %; and a sealed alkaline storage battery including, as a positive electrode active material, nickel oxyhydroxide having a half-width of a peak in a lattice plane (003) in an X-ray diffraction pattern of 0.8° or more. The pressure within the battery is not largely increased for a long period of charge-discharge cycles, and hence, the electrolyte hardly leaks.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an alkaline secondary battery comprising a positive electrode, a zinc based negative electrode, and an alkaline electrolyte solution, wherein the positive electrode includes a central cavity for receiving the zinc based negative electrode, and the negative electrode includes a central cavity for holding the alkaline electrolyte solution. The battery is arranged such that the positive electrode presents a smaller capacity than the negative electrode at least in an initial charge/discharge period.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a lithium battery is provided. The battery includes electrodes formed of a layer of an active material, the active material being capable of occluding and discharging lithium electrochemically, provided on the surface of a current collector, electrode external terminals for providing electricity to the outside of the battery, and an electrode tab joined at an end thereof to a surface of said current collector and at another end thereof to an electrode external terminal. The electrode tab has a roughened surface at the end joined to the current collector, and the roughened surface is welded to the surface of said current collector. The roughened surface is produced by chemical etching, abrasion by an abrasive, abrasion by ultrasonic waves or by blasting with an abrasive.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a cylindrical non-aqueous electrolyte secondary cell according to the present invention comprises a first step of forming a lead-attaching area on which an active material layer is not formed, in a positive electrode wherein a positive electrode active material layer is formed on both sides of the positive electrode current collector and a negative electrode wherein a negative electrode active material layer is formed on both sides of the negative electrode current collector, and winding the positive electrode and the negative electrode with disposing a separator therebetween so that the lead-attaching areas are protruded from the edges of the separator, and a second step of disposing a lead at an end part of the lead-attaching area with interposing a metal plate having a multiplicity of holes, and thereafter laser-welding the lead and the metal plate and the lead-attaching area by applying a laser beam with a spot diameter larger than a hole diameter of the metal plate.

Abstract: The invention provides a sealed alkaline-zinc storage battery including a tubular positive electrode containing, as an active material, a material having reversibility in a charge-discharge reaction; a separator; a negative electrode disposed within the tubular positive electrode with the separator sandwiched therebetween; and an alkaline electrolyte, in which the positive electrode has a capacity smaller than a capacity of the negative electrode at least in initial charge-discharge cycles, and the amounts of an uncharged active material and zinc to be packed in the negative electrode in manufacture of the sealed alkaline-zinc storage battery are set so that a theoretical capacity P of the uncharged active material existing in the negative electrode can be 0.3 through 1.8 times as large as a battery capacity in a completely charged state in the initial charge-discharge cycles, and that a theoretical capacity Q of zinc existing in the negative electrode can be 0.6 through 2.

Abstract: A positive-electrode active material for alkaline secondary battery according to the invention has an &agr;-Ni(OH)2 crystal structure which incorporates therein manganese and a trivalent metal other than manganese.

Abstract: A lithium battery and method for manufacturing the lithium battery are provided. The battery includes electrodes formed of a layer of an active material, the active material being capable of occluding and discharging lithium electrochemically, provided on the surface of a current collector, electrode external terminals for providing electricity to the outside of the battery, and an electrode tab joined at an end thereof to a surface of said current collector and at another end thereof to an electrode external terminal. The electrode tab has a roughened surface at the end joined to the current collector, and the roughened surface is welded to the surface of said current collector. The roughened surface is produced by chemical etching, abrasion by an abrasive, abrasion by ultrasonic waves or by blasting with an abrasive.

Abstract: In an alkali storage battery comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode and an alkali electrolyte in a battery can, .alpha.-nickel hydroxide containing manganese is used as a cathode active material for the positive electrode, and the difference between a charging potential and an oxygen gas evolution potential at the positive electrode is increased, to suppress oxygen gas evolution during the charging, and the volume percentage of the cathode active material and an anode active material is set to not less than 75% in the battery can, to obtain a large battery capacity.

Abstract: In the present invention, a hydrogen absorbing alloy treated upon immersed in an acid solution containing at least a quinone compound, a hydrogen absorbing alloy immersed in water to which at least a quinone compound is added, or a hydrogen absorbing alloy treated upon being immersed in an acid solution containing at least a quinone compound and then immersed in water to which at least a quinone compound is added is used for a hydrogen absorbing alloy electrode, and the hydrogen absorbing alloy electrode is used as a negative electrode of an alkali secondary battery.

Abstract: A hydrogen-absorbing alloy electrode for metal hydride alkaline batteries is obtained by coating or filling a collector with a hydrogen-absorbing alloy powder consisting essentially of spherical particles and/or nearly spherical particles and then sintering the powder, the powder having an average particle diameter of 30 to 70 .mu.m and containing 5 to 30% by volume of particles having a diameter of at least 2 times the average diameter and 10 to 40% by volume of particles having a diameter of not more than 1/2 of the average diameter. This electrode can give metal hydride alkaline batteries having excellent high-rate discharge characteristics and a long life.