Surface Modification for Metal Hydride Electrode of Ni／MH Battery

A novel method was applied to the surface modification of the metal hydride (MH) electrode of the Ni/MH battery. The electrode was plated with a thin silver film by using plasma technology and its effect on the performance of the Ni/MH battery was examined. Charge-discharge test proved that the battery with modified electrode exhibits a better high-rate dischargeability and chargeability than the battery with untreated electrode. The battery with modified electrode exhibits satisfactory durability. After 500 cycles, the capacities of the batteries with modified and unmodified electrode are 90.1% and 82.3% of their original capacities. The inner pressure test shows that the battery with modified electrode displays a much lower inner gas pressure on charging. The experimental results demonstrate that this method is an effective way for the surface modification of the electrode of the Ni/MH battery.