Patent ID: 7097754
Filing Date: 2006-08-29
Classification: C25D,H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A continuous electroforming process to form a strip for battery electrodes, comprising the steps of: providing a mandrel having a surface with a reusable pattern subdivided into conductive and non-conductive areas so as to define a conductive pattern; moving said mandrel through an electrolyte of an electroforming bath to deposit a metal layer on said mandrel while moving through the electroforming bath until the metal layer has assumed a shape of the conductive pattern and a thickness at least sufficient to provide strength for the layer to be removed in strip form from said mandrel; separating said layer from said mandrel and removing said layer in moving strip form from said electroforming bath while said mandrel is moving to produce a moving strip that moves continuously; receiving said moving strip from said electroforming bath and passing said moving strip while continuously moving through at least one subsequent bath of an electrolyte in which electrodeposition of metal takes place on both sides of said moving strip while it is moved through said subsequent bath; applying a current density of at least 10 A/dm directing a forced flow of electrolyte onto the surface of the layer and said strip, wherein the reusable conductive pattern of the surface of the mandrel takes a form of at least one battery electrode and the the electrolytes of the electroforming bath and the at least one subsequent bath containing additives suited specifically to permit combining a high rate of deposition with controlled surface roughness and controlled composition of deposited material.