Elemental distribution analysis of positive electrode material for a nickel metal hydride battery

A nickel metal hydride battery has the feature of a high energy density, high capacity and high rate of utilization. The nickel hydroxide using for positive electrode material is shaped into particles which is made of fine primary particles before forming positive electrode. It is known that the characteristic of this battery is improved by additives. In order to develop a more efficient battery, the higher resolution analysis of the elemental distribution in the nickel hydroxide particles is required. We have developed an ion and electron multibeam microanalyzer for 3D analysis. The features of this apparatus is its availability for the samples having the arbitrary shape and the cross-sectioning at the aimed position of samples. As the results of application of our apparatus to the nickel hydroxide particles covered with cobalt as additives, the high resolution elemental distribution of the additives and the inside of particles was obtained. In this article, the elemental distribution of the practical sample the size of micrometers and the information about the high qualification by cobalt were indicated.