NEW BINDING MATERIALS FOR METAL HYDRIDE ELECTRODES WHICH PERMIT GOOD RECYCLABILITY

Thermoplastic elastomers such as styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SBS) and styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene block copolymer (SEBS) were used successfully as binding materials for metal hydride (MH) electrodes of a nickel-metal hydride battery. These binding materials have a rubber-like nature and are soluble in organic solvents. It was easy to remove the alloy powder from a used electrode for recycling. The battery performance depended on both the kind and amount of binding materials. The best discharge capacity and rate capability were obtained for MH electrodes containing 2-5 weight percent (w/o) SEBS. The particle size distributions for the alloy were examined successfully.