Provided is a NiFe battery comprising an iron electrode which is preconditioned prior to any charge-discharge cycle. The preconditioned iron electrode used in the NiFe battery is prepared by first fabricating an electrode comprising an iron active material, and then treating the surface of the electrode with an oxidant to thereby create an oxidized surface.

An inventive, new system that measures gas composition and pressure in the headspace of an aqueous electrolyte battery is described. The system includes a microcontroller that can use the composition and pressure information to connect a third electrode to either the anode(s) or the cathode(s) in order to balance the state of charge between the two. Results have shown that such a system can control the gas pressure inside a sealed flooded aqueous electrolyte battery to remain below 20 kPa (3 psi) and greatly extend the useable life of the battery.

A nickel iron battery comprising a housing, an electrolyte solution contained within the housing, an anode comprising iron configured to be retained within the housing and the electrolyte solution, an cathode comprising nickel configured to be retained within the housing and the electrolyte solution, and a separator configured to be retained within the hosing and the electrolyte solution, wherein the separator is interposed between the cathode and the anode.

Provided is a process for preparing an electrode comprising an iron active material. The process comprises first fabricating an electrode comprising an iron active material, and then treating the electrode with a gaseous oxidant to thereby create an oxidized surface. The resulting iron electrode is preconditioned prior to any charge-discharge cycle to have the assessable surface of the iron active material in the same oxidation state as in discharged iron negative electrodes active material.

Provided is a process for preparing an electrode comprising an iron active material. The process comprises first fabricating an electrode comprising an iron active material, and then treating the surface of the electrode with water to thereby create an oxidized surface. The resulting iron electrode is preconditioned prior to any charge-discharge cycle to have the assessable surface of the iron active material in the same oxidation state as in discharged iron negative electrodes active material.

Provided is a process for preparing an electrode comprising an iron active material. The process comprises first fabricating an electrode comprising an iron active material, and then treating the surface of the electrode with an oxidant solution to thereby create an oxidized surface. The resulting iron electrode is thereby preconditioned prior to any charge-discharge cycle to have the assessable surface of the iron active material in the same oxidation state as in discharged iron negative electrodes active material.

Provided is a process for preparing an electrode comprising an iron active material. The process comprises first fabricating an electrode comprising an iron active material, and then treating the surface of the electrode with an oxidant to thereby create an oxidized surface. The resulting iron electrode is preconditioned prior to any charge-discharge cycle to have the assessable surface of the iron active material in the same oxidation state as in discharged iron negative electrodes active material.

Provided is a NiFe battery comprising an iron electrode which is preconditioned prior to any charge-discharge cycle. The preconditioned iron electrode used in the NiFe battery is prepared by first fabricating an electrode comprising an iron active material, and then treating the surface of the electrode with an oxidant to thereby create an oxidized surface.

Provided is a NiFe battery comprising an iron electrode which is preconditioned prior to any charge-discharge cycle. The preconditioned iron electrode used in the NiFe battery is prepared by first fabricating an electrode comprising an iron active material, and then treating the surface of the electrode with an oxidant to thereby create an oxidized surface.

A battery comprises an ion-conducting polymeric composition comprising a copolymer of styrene and vinylbenzyl-R.sub.s, where R.sub.s is a positively charged cyclic amine group. The ion-conducting polymeric composition can be in the form of a membrane. The ion-conducting polymeric composition can comprise a terpolymer of styrene, vinylbenzyl-R.sub.s and vinylbenzyl-R.sub.x, in which R.sub.s is a positively charged cyclic amine group, R.sub.x is at least one constituent selected from the group consisting of Cl, OH, and a reaction product between an OH or a Cl and a species other than a cyclic amine or a simple amine, the total weight of the vinylbenzyl-R.sub.x groups is greater than 1% of the total weight of the membrane, and the total weight of the vinylbenzyl-R.sub.s groups is 15% or more of the total weight of the membrane.