Katsuhiko Shinyama

Effect of separators on the self-discharge reaction in nickel-metal hydride batteries

The effects of separators on the self-discharge behavior and the suppression of self-discharge by a sulfonated polyolefin separator were investigated with test cells. The experimental results indicate that a sulfonated polyolefin separator effectively suppresses the self-discharge reaction in nickel-metal hydride batteries. It is also found that a sulfonated polyolefin sheet does not necessarily need to be sandwiched by positive and negative electrodes to act as a separator; it can be placed anywhere within a cell to suppress the self-discharge reaction. The self-discharge reaction is considered to be suppressed by trapping redox shuttle substances, especially nitrogen-containing compounds, by the separator.

Suppression mechanism of the self-discharge reaction in nickel-metal hydride batteries using a sulfonated polyolefin separator

The suppression mechanism of the self-discharge reaction in nickel-metal hydride batteries using a sulfonated polyolefin separator was investigated with sealed-type AA size cells. The experimental results indicate that a sulfonated polyolefin separator effectively suppresses the self-discharge reaction in nickel-metal hydride batteries by trapping nitrogen-containing redox shuttle substances. It is also found that a sulfonated polyolefin separator traps the shuttle substances as gaseous ammonia. In the experiment examining the influence of the amount of the shuttle substances on the self-discharge, the starting point of the self-discharge agreed well with the point at which the nitrogen adsorption capacity of a sulfonated polyolefin separator reached its maximum.

Influence of electroless nickel plating of hydrogen-absorbing alloys on cycle characteristics of nickel-metal hydride batteries

The effects of electroless nickel plating of a hydrogen-absorbing alloy on the cycle characteristics of a nickel-metal hydride battery were investigated. The cycle life was improved by employing an electroless nickel-plated hydrogen-absorbing alloy for the negative electrode, which retained the same high-rate level and low-temperature characteristics compared to a cell using a non-plated hydrogen-absorbing alloy. The electroless nickel-plated hydrogen-absorbing alloy provided better electrochemical characteristics when its surface was partly and tightly covered by nickel particles under optimal electroless plating conditions.