Nickel iron battery employing an untreated polyolefin separator with a surfactant in the electrolyte
Provided is a nickel-iron battery. The battery comprises a positive nickel electrode, an iron negative electrode, an electrolyte comprising a surfactant, and a non-polar separator. In one embodiment, the non-polar separator is comprised of a polyolefin, and the surfactant comprises a zwitterionic surfactant.
1. A nickel-iron battery comprising a nickel positive electrode, an iron negative electrode, an alkaline electrolyte comprising a surfactant, and a non-polar separator which has not been subjected to chemical grafting, with the surfactant comprising an alkylether hydroxypropyl sultaine.
2. The nickel-iron battery of claim 1 , wherein the separator is comprised of a polyolefin.
3. The nickel-iron battery of claim 2 , wherein the separator is comprised of polypropylene or polyethylene.
4. The nickel-iron battery of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises NaOH.
5. The nickel-iron battery of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant is a low-foaming electrolyte.
6. The nickel-iron battery of claim 1 , wherein the iron electrode comprises a single layer substrate coated with an iron active material.
7. The nickel-iron battery of claim 6 , wherein the coating on the substrate of the iron electrode further comprises a binder.
8. The nickel-iron battery of claim 6 , wherein the iron active material of the iron electrode comprises iron metal or an iron oxide.