Patent ID: 6881234

Claim:
A method for making an anode for a nickel-metal hydride battery, comprising the steps of: (a) pressing coated metal-hydride active material particles to form a porous structure comprising the coated metal-hydride active material particles and interstitial spaces between the coated metal-hydride active material particles, the coating of the coated metal-hydride active material particles being an electrical insulator; (b) placing an aqueous solution of an electrolyte in the interstitial spaces, the electrolyte suitable for the electrolytic deposition of a metal; (c) positioning the porous structure in an electrolytic cell; (d) applying a direct current potential between the anode of the electrolytic cell and the cathode of the electrolytic cell to electrolytically deposit a continuous interconnected network of metal in the interstitial spaces, the metal being deposited progresively starting from the cathode of the electrolytic cell and extending through the porous structure toward the anode of the electrolytic cell; (e) removing the coating from the coated metal-hydride active material particles; and (f) compacting the continuous interconnected network of metal so that the metal of the continuous interconnected network of metal better contacts the metal-hydride active material particles.