2. Nickel-iron battery

2.1 Introduction

The nickel-iron battery, invented by Edison, was patented in the USA in 1901, the same year as the nickel-cadmium battery. The two systems are very similar. In its charged state, the positive electrode of the nickel-iron battery consists of nickel oxide NiOOH, while the negative electrode is a mixture of iron powder and magnetic oxide Fe ₃ O ₄ . The electrolyte is potash. Industrialization began in 1909. Tubular electrodes in pouches, developed at the time and still manufactured today, are competing with porous or sintered metal structures, as well as fibrous structures. Specific performance and service life are comparable to those of nickel-cadmium batteries, but nickel-iron...