Nickel hydroxide powder for NiO•OH/Ni(OH)2 electrodes of the alkaline batteries

In the nickel hydroxide synthesis, the beta -Ni(OH)(2) phase grows after total alpha -Ni(OH)(2) aging. A mixture of alpha -Ni(OH)(2) and beta -Ni(OH)(2) phases is formed when a part of alpha -Ni(OH)(2) suffers aging. Galvanostatic oxidation of the alpha/beta -Ni(OH)(2) produced by chemical synthesis formed a new type of active material. On discharge, it presented higher capacity than active material produced from beta -Ni(OH)(2). Therefore, alpha/beta -Ni(OH)(2) is a promising material for beta -Ni(OH)(2) substitution, as a alternative precursor material used in the positive electrodes of alkaline batteries. Anions of the solution and water molecules are present in the nickel hydroxide powder. This is result of the synthesis method developed here. The characterization of the precursor material is determined with help of X-ray diffraction, thermal analyses, Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, specific superficial area and electron scanning microscopy. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.