Provided is a continuous process for preparing a high quality and high performance nickel-iron battery comprising an iron electrode. The process comprises preparing a formulation comprising an iron active material and a binder and coating a continuous substrate material on a least one side with the formulation. The coated continuous substrate material is dried, compacted and blanked. A tab is then attached to the electrode.

Alkaline electrochemical cells are provided, wherein methods to decrease or eliminate shorting in batteries by preventing zinc oxide reaction precipitate from creating a conductive bridge between the two electrodes. The alkaline electrochemical cell comprising dissolved zinc oxide or zinc hydroxide in at least the electrolyte solution, and/or solid zinc oxide particles or zinc hydroxide in the anode, a silicon donor in the anode, and/or a bilayer separator optimally comprising a high-density layer and a low-density layer.

An alkaline storage battery of the present invention includes: an electrode group that includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator located between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, which are stacked on top of each other; an outer can that is bottomed cylindrical shape having an opening at the top; a sealing body that seals the outer can; and a positive terminal electrically connected to the sealing body. The positive electrode includes a positive electrode body and a positive electrode protrusion protruding from a portion of the positive electrode body toward the sealing body to connect electrically to the sealing body. The negative electrode includes a negative electrode body and a negative electrode protrusion protruding from a portion of the negative electrode body toward the sealing body and terminating between the sealing body and the negative electrode body. The positive electrode and the negative electrode have a positive electrode active material and a negative electrode active material, respectively, in portions facing each other with the separator therebetween.

An alkaline storage battery of the present invention includes: an electrode group that includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator located between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, which are stacked on top of each other; an outer can that is bottomed cylindrical shape having an opening at the top; a sealing body that seals the outer can; and a positive terminal electrically connected to the sealing body. The positive electrode includes a positive electrode body and a positive electrode protrusion protruding from a portion of the positive electrode body toward the sealing body to connect electrically to the sealing body. The negative electrode includes a negative electrode body and a negative electrode protrusion protruding from a portion of the negative electrode body toward the sealing body and terminating between the sealing body and the negative electrode body. The positive electrode and the negative electrode have a positive electrode active material and a negative electrode active material, respectively, in portions facing each other with the separator therebetween.

A battery comprises an anode, a cathode, and a polymer electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode. The polymer electrolyte can include an inert hydrophilic polymer matrix impregnated with an aqueous electrolyte. The hydrophilic polymer matrix can include a polar vinyl monomer, an initiator, and a cross-linker. A gassing inhibitor can be included in the polymer electrolyte to help avoid issues with overcharging of the electrodes.

An alkaline electrochemical cell has a central cathode having a corresponding cathode current collector electrically connected with a positive terminal of the electrochemical cell. The cathode current collector has a tubular shape, such as a cylindrical shape or rectangular shape, extending parallel with the length of the central cathode. The cathode current collector is embedded within the central cathode, such as at a medial point of a radius of the central cathode, thereby minimizing the distance between the cathode current collector and any portion of the central cathode, thereby increasing the mechanical strength of the cathode and facilitating charge transfer to the cathode current collector.

An ABs-type hydrogen storage alloy is provided that has a low Co amount and uses Mm composed of La and Ce, which is capable of preventing a decrease in lifetime characteristics. The hydrogen storage alloy has an ABx composition constituted with an A-site composed of an Mm and a B-site composed of Ni, Co, Mn, and Al, or Ni, Mn, and Al, wherein Mm is composed of La and Ce; the molar ratio of Co is 0.0 or more and 0.11 or less when the molar ratio of Mm is 1.00; the ratio (Al/Mn) of the molar ratio of Al to the molar ratio of Mn is 0.35 to 1.10; and the ratio of the c-axis length to the a-axis length in the CaCu.sub.5-type crystal structure is 0.8092 or more.

Powders, electrodes, zinc-air batteries and corresponding methods are provided. Powders comprise perforated shells having a size of at least 100 nm and comprising openings smaller than 10 nm. The shells are electrically conductive and/or comprise an electrically conductive coating. Powders further comprise zinc and/or zinc oxide which resides at least partially within the shells. Methods comprise wetting the shells with a zinc solution to yield at least partial penetration of the zinc solution through the openings, and coating zinc internally in the shells by application of electric current to the shells. Upon electrode preparation from the powder, cell construction and cell operation, zinc is oxidized to provide energy and the shells retain formed Zn O therewith, providing sufficient volume for the associated expansion and maintaining thereby the mechanical stability and structure of the electrode—to enable many operation cycles of the rechargeable zinc-air batteries.

There is provided a secondary zinc battery including: a unit cell including; a positive-electrode plate including a positive-electrode active material layer and a positive-electrode collector; a negative-electrode plate including a negative-electrode active material layer containing zinc and a negative-electrode collector; an LDH separator covering or wrapping around the entire negative-electrode active material layer; and an electrolytic solution. The positive-electrode collector has a positive-electrode collector tab extending from one edge of the positive-electrode active material layer, and the negative-electrode collector has a negative-electrode collector tab extending from the opposite edge of the negative-electrode active material layer and beyond a vertical edge of the LDH-like compound separator. The unit cell can thereby collects electricity from the positive-electrode collector tab and the negative-electrode collector tab that are disposed at opposite edges of the unit cell. The LDH-like compound separator has at least two continuous closed edges.

An alkaline electrochemical cell includes a cathode, an anode which includes an anode active material, and a non-conductive separator disposed between the cathode and the anode, wherein from about 20% to about 50% by weight of the anode active material relative to a total amount of anode active material has a particle size of less than about 75 μm, and wherein the separator includes a unitary, cylindrical configuration having an open end, a side wall, and integrally formed closed end disposed distally to the open end.