Nickel-iron battery with a chemically pre-formed (CPF) iron negative electrode

1. A Ni—Fe battery comprising an electrode which has not been subject to a charge-discharge cycle, the electrode a single layer of conductive substrate coated on at least one side with a coating comprising an iron active material, a polyvinyl alcohol binder and sulfur, which electrode has an oxidized iron surface and areas of interparticle contact that are in an oxidized state different from the oxidized iron surface, and which electrode is prepared by a process comprising:

i) fabricating the electrode comprising an iron active material, and

ii) treating the surface of the electrode with an oxidant to thereby create an oxidized surface prior to the battery being subjected to a charge-discharge cycle.

2. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the oxidation state of the oxidized iron surface is +2, +2/+3, +3 or +4.

3. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the electrode further comprises a conductive additive.

4. The battery of claim 3 , wherein the conductive additive comprises nickel, or copper or carbon black.

5. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the electrode comprises an iron active material comprising about:

50-90 wt % iron powder

5-30 wt % nickel powder

0.5-5.0 wt % binder, and

0.25-20 wt % sulfur.

6. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the substrate of the electrode is comprised of nickel plated steel.

7. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the porosity of the electrode is in the range of about 15-50%.

8. The battery of claim 1 , therein the oxidant comprises water, hydrogen peroxide, ozone, chlorine, nitric acid, hypochlorite, nitrous oxide, bromine, iodine, permanganate compounds, or sodium perborate.

9. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the oxidant comprises water or hydrogen peroxide.

10. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the oxidant comprises a gaseous oxidant.