Battery plate manufacture

1,083,608. Preparing cadmium electrodes. WESTERN ELECTRIC CO. Inc. July 7, 1966 [July 12, 1965], No. 30533/66. Heading H1B. Cd plates for Ni-Cd-alkali cells are produced by (a) heating a Ni plate having a porosity of at least 70% at 700‹ C. or more for at least 10 minutes; (b) allowing it to cool to below 321‹ C.; (c) applying Cd to the surface of the plate; (d) heating the plate above 321‹ C. to melt the Cd; (e) allowing the plate to cool, steps (a)-(e) being carried out in a reducing atmosphere; and (f) forming the plate in an alkali metal hydroxide solution. The Cd metal may be applied as foil or powder. It should not be heated above 500‹ C. in step (d) or a Ni/Cd alloy will be formed. The reducing gas may be H 2 or forming gas. The forming alkali may be KOH.