Abstract A flexible, expansible, porous, metal fiber electrode plaque is made by (1) dispersing metal fibers in a viscous liquid (2) removing the viscous liquid by vacuum filtration to provide a metal fiber felt of contacting fibers (3) metallurgically bonding the contact points of the fibers in the felt together to provide bonded annealed fibrous plaques and bus connectors (4) coining the annealed plaque to provide a plaque having a body portion of between 70 and 97 percent porosity and a bus connector portion of up to 70 percent porosity, by pressing the bus connectors into contact with predetermined areas of the plaque and then (5) metallurgically bonding the contact points of the plaque and bus connectors together.
The method of claim 1 wherein the metallurgical bonding is at a temperature between about 800* to 1,300*C in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, and as a last step a nickel tab is attached to the plaque.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
132 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the metal fibers have a cross section of between about 0.0005 and 0.005 inches and a length of between about one eighth and 1 1/2 inches and the coining is accomplished by: i. placing the annealed bonded plaque on top of a flat bottom platen, ii. placing a middle platen on top of the bonded plaque, said middle platen having a predetermined channel cut therethrough, iii. placing bonded, annealed bus connectors in the middle platen channel, iv. placing a top platen on top of the middle platen, said top platen having projections which slide through the channel cut through the middle platen and project through the middle platen to cause the bus connectors to contact the plaque and v. pressing the top and bottom platens together.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
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The method of claim 2 wherein the metal fibers are nickel fibers and the metal fiber felt is washed between step (C) and (D).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the metal fibers are iron fibers, the metal fiber felt is washed between step (C) and (D) and as a final step a metal coating selected from the group consisting of nickel, cadmium, copper, silver and zinc is deposited on the bonded fibers of the electrode plaque.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the non-oxidizing atmosphere is a hydrogen atmosphere.