Method of forming cold-welded negative electrodes for alkaline accumulators

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING A NEGATIVE ELECTRODE FOR AN ALKALINE TYPE ACCUMULATOR WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF PRESSING A HOMOGENEOUS MIXTURE COMPRISING PULVERIZED COLD-WELDABLE NEGATIVE ELECTRODE METAL, PULVERIZED ACTIVE OXIDE WHICH IS REDUCIBLE UPON CHARGING OF THE ACCUMULATOR, AND PULVERIZED METALLIC MATERIAL WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY INERT DURING CHARGE AND DISCHARGE OF THE ACCUMULATOR, SAID PESSING OF SAID MIXTURE BEING PERFORMED AT ROOM TEMPERATURE IN A MOLD PROVIDING A DESIRED SHAPE FOR THE FINISHED ELECTRODE AND WITHIN A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE FROM 700 TO 1400 KILOGRAMS PER SQUARE SQUARE CENTIMETER, THE PARTICLES OF SAID PULVERIZED ELECTRODE METAL AND SAID INERT METAL BECOMING COLD-WELDED TOGETHER UNDER SAID PRESSURE SO AS TO FORM A SELF-SUPPORTING POROUS ELECTRODE STRUCTURE HAVING SAID OXIDE UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED THERETHROUGH AND BEING ACCESSIBLE TO THE ELECTROLYTE OF SAID BATTERY, SAID ELECTRODE METAL BEING PRESENT IN A PROPORTION SUFFICIENTLY GREAT TO PROVIDE AN EXCESS WHICH REMAINS INERT UPON CHARGE AND DISCHARGE OF SAID ACCUMULATOR, THEREBY ACTING SO AS TO PRESERVE AND MAINTAIN SAID COLD-WELDED SELF-SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, THE MIXTURE OF METAL AND THE OXIDE THEREOF COMPRISING 5 TO 30% OF OXIDE AND 95 TO 70% OF METAL, AND THE INERT METALLIC MATERIAL BEING ADDED TO THE MIXTURE OF SAID METAL AND OXIDE THEREOF IN AN AMOUNT RANGING FROM A MINIMUM SIGNIFICANT QUANTITY TO ONE AND ONE-HALF TIMES THE WEIGHT OF THE MIXTURE OF ACTIVE METAL AND OXIDE THEREOF.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING A NEGATIVE ELECTRODE FOR AN ALKALINE TYPE ACCUMULATOR WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF PRESSING A HOMOGENEOUS MIXTURE COMPRISING PULVERIZED COLD-WELDABLE NEGATIVE ELECTRODE METAL, PULVERIZED ACTIVE OXIDE WHICH IS REDUCIBLE UPON CHARGING OF THE ACCUMULATOR, AND PULVERIZED METALLIC MATERIAL WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY INERT DURING CHARGE AND DISCHARGE OF THE ACCUMULATOR, SAID PESSING OF SAID MIXTURE BEING PERFORMED AT ROOM TEMPERATURE IN A MOLD PROVIDING A DESIRED SHAPE FOR THE FINISHED ELECTRODE AND WITHIN A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE FROM 700 TO 1400 KILOGRAMS PER SQUARE SQUARE CENTIMETER, THE PARTICLES OF SAID PULVERIZED ELECTRODE METAL AND SAID INERT METAL BECOMING COLD-WELDED TOGETHER UNDER SAID PRESSURE SO AS TO FORM A SELF-SUPPORTING POROUS ELECTRODE STRUCTURE HAVING SAID OXIDE UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED THERETHROUGH AND BEING ACCESSIBLE TO THE ELECTROLYTE OF SAID BATTERY, SAID ELECTRODE METAL BEING PRESENT IN A PROPORTION SUFFICIENTLY GREAT TO PROVIDE AN EXCESS WHICH REMAINS INERT UPON CHARGE AND DISCHARGE OF SAID ACCUMULATOR, THEREBY ACTING SO AS TO PRESERVE AND MAINTAIN SAID COLD-WELDED SELF-SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, THE MIXTURE OF METAL AND THE OXIDE THEREOF COMPRISING 5 TO 30% OF OXIDE AND 95 TO 70% OF METAL, AND THE INERT METALLIC MATERIAL BEING ADDED TO THE MIXTURE OF SAID METAL AND OXIDE THEREOF IN AN AMOUNT RANGING FROM A MINIMUM SIGNIFICANT QUANTITY TO ONE AND ONE-HALF TIMES THE WEIGHT OF THE MIXTURE OF ACTIVE METAL AND OXIDE THEREOF.