This paper has experimentally proved that hydrogen accumulates in large quantities in metal-ceramic and pocket electrodes of alkaline batteries during their operation. Hydrogen accumulates in the electrodes in an atomic… Click to show full abstract
This paper has experimentally proved that hydrogen accumulates in large quantities in metal-ceramic and pocket electrodes of alkaline batteries during their operation. Hydrogen accumulates in the electrodes in an atomic form. After the release of hydrogen from the electrodes, a powerful exothermic reaction of atomic hydrogen recombination with a large energy release occurs. This exothermic reaction is the cause of thermal runaway in alkaline batteries. For the KSL-15 battery, the gravimetric capacity of sintered nickel matrix of the oxide-nickel electrode, as hydrogen storage, is 20.2 wt%, and cadmium electrode is 11.5 wt%. The stored energy density in the metal-ceramic matrix of the oxide-nickel electrode of the battery KSL-15 is 44 kJ/g, and in the cadmium electrode it is 25 kJ/g. The similar values for the KPL-14 battery are as follows. The gravimetric capacity of the active substance of the pocket oxide-nickel electrode, as a hydrogen storage, is 22 wt%, and the cadmium electrode is 16.9 wt%. The density of the stored energy in the active substance oxide-nickel electrode is 48 kJ/g, and in the active substance of the cadmium electrode it is 36.8 kJ/g. The obtained results of the accumulation of hydrogen energy in the electrodes by the electrochemical method are three times higher than any previously obtained results using the traditional thermochemical method.
               
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