A hydrogen storage alloy suitable for a negative electrode of an on-board alkaline storage battery, and an alkaline storage battery using the alloy, which has an AB.sub.3-type crystal structure as a main phase, represented by: (Sm.sub.xLa.sub.yR.sub.z).sub.1−a−bMg.sub.aT.sub.bNi.sub.cCo.sub.dMe. (R is selected from Pr, Nd; T is selected from Ti, Zr, Hf; M is selected from V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Fe, Cu, Al, Si, P, B; the following conditions are met: 0<x<1.0, 0<y<1.0, 0.8≤x+y≤1.0, x+y+z=1.0; 0.93≤(x−y).Math.(1−a−b)+4.5(a+b)≤1.62, 0<a≤0.45, 0≤b≤0.05, 0≤d≤0.7, 0≤e≤0.15, 2.85≤c+d+e≤3.15 and 0.01≤d+e).

A lattice energy converter (LEC) is disclosed that produces ionizing radiation and/or electricity based on the thermal energy in the lattice of a specially prepared working electrode comprised in whole or in part of hydrogen host materials that are occluded with hydrogen or the isotopes of hydrogen and wherein the hydrogen host materials may include vacancies, superabundant vacancies, and other lattice defects. When the hydrogen host material is occluded with hydrogen, the LEC was found to self-initiate the production of ionizing radiation and, when the hydrogen host materials are in fluidic contact with a gas or vapor containing hydrogen or isotopes of hydrogen, the LEC was found to self-sustain the production of ionizing radiation. When the LEC includes one or more additional electrodes or electrode structures, the ionizing radiation was found to be converted to electrical energy. Materials that are normally considered to be radioactive are not required.

A manufacturing method of a proton battery and a proton battery module are provided. The manufacturing method of the proton battery includes the steps of providing a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a polymer exchange membrane, and assembling the positive electrode, the negative electrode, and the polymer exchange membrane, in which the polymer exchange membrane is interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The step of providing the negative electrode at least includes forming a carbon layer on a substrate, and performing a polarization process on the carbon layer.

The invention relates to a starved metal hydride battery. The battery is characterized in that the battery further comprises adding of oxygen gas or hydrogen gas or hydrogen peroxide or a combination thereof in order to rebalance the electrodes and replenish the electrolyte by reactions with the electrode materials.

A hydrogen storage alloy suitable for a negative electrode of an on-board alkaline storage battery, an alkaline storage battery using this hydrogen storage alloy, and a vehicle; wherein a fine-grained hydrogen storage alloy is used for an alkaline storage battery that has a crystal structure of an A.sub.2B.sub.7-type structure as a main phase and is represented by a general formula: (La.sub.1-aSm.sub.a).sub.1-bMg.sub.bNi.sub.cAl.sub.dCr.sub.e (where suffixes a, b, c, d, and e meet the following conditions: 0≤a≤0.35, 0.15≤b≤0.30, 0.02≤d≤0.10, 0≤e≤0.10, 3.20≤c+d+e≤3.50, and 0<a+e), and an alkaline storage battery using this hydrogen storage alloy for a negative electrode. A vehicle also includes this alkaline storage battery as an electricity supply source for a motor.

A negative electrode used in a nickel metal hydride secondary battery includes a negative electrode core body and a negative electrode mixture carried on the negative electrode core body. The negative electrode mixture includes hydrogen storage alloy powder which is an aggregate of hydrogen storage alloy particles, a binder, and a thickener. The hydrogen storage alloy particles have a volume mean particle size of 40 μm or less and a concentration of chlorine of not less than 180 ppm to not more than 780 ppm.

A battery includes an electrode group including an air electrode and a negative electrode stacked with a separator therebetween, and a battery case accommodating the electrode group along with an alkali electrolyte solution, wherein the air electrode includes an air electrode mixture containing a pyrochlore-type composite oxide and a manganese oxide, and the pyrochlore-type composite oxide is a bismuth-ruthenium oxide.

A nickel hydrogen secondary battery includes an electrode group including a positive electrode and a negative electrode that face each other via a separator, an outer package can that has an opening at an upper end thereof, and accommodates the electrode group therein together with an electrolyte, a sealing body including a cover plate fitted in the opening of the outer package can, and a positive electrode cap which is electrically connected to an outer surface of the cover plate, a positive electrode lead, one end portion of which is electrically connected to an inner surface of the cover plate and the other end portion of which is electrically connected to the positive electrode, and an oxygen block layer that covers at least a range where the one end portion of the positive electrode lead and the inner surface of the cover plate overlap each other, and suppresses permeation of oxygen therethrough, and a thickness of a thinnest portion of the oxygen block layer is 3 μm or more.

A lattice energy converter (LEC) is disclosed that produces ionizing radiation and/or electricity based on the thermal energy in the lattice of a specially prepared working electrode comprised in whole or in part of hydrogen host materials that are occluded with hydrogen or the isotopes of hydrogen and wherein the hydrogen host materials may include vacancies, superabundant vacancies, and other lattice defects. When the hydrogen host material is occluded with hydrogen, the LEC was found to self-initiate the production of ionizing radiation and, when the hydrogen host materials are in fluidic contact with a gas or vapor containing hydrogen or isotopes of hydrogen, the LEC was found to self-sustain the production of ionizing radiation. When the LEC includes one or more additional electrodes or electrode structures, the ionizing radiation was found to be converted to electrical energy. Materials that are normally considered to be radioactive are not required.

A nickel-metal hydride secondary battery includes an outer can and a group of electrodes housed in the outer can together with an alkaline electrolytic solution. The group of electrodes includes a positive electrode and a negative electrode that are superposed with a separator interposed therebetween, and the negative electrode includes a hydrogen absorbing alloy for nickel-metal hydride secondary batteries, the hydrogen absorbing alloy having a single composition and composed of a plurality of crystal phases.