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A method for making the anode (or the cathode) of a nickel-metal hydride battery by electrodepositing a metal in the interstitial spaces a bed of metal-hydride active material particles (or electrodepositing a metal in the interstitial spaces of a bed of nickel hydroxide particles). Alternatively, t

A method for making the anode (or the cathode) of a nickel-metal hydride battery by electrodepositing a metal in the interstitial spaces a bed of metal-hydride active material particles (or electrodepositing a metal in the interstitial spaces of a bed of nickel hydroxide particles). Alternatively, the anode (or cathode) can be made by pressing metal-hydride active material particles (or nickel hydroxide particles) into a cellular metal substrate formed by electrodepositing a metal in the interstitial spaces of a bed of particles. Or, the anode (or cathode) can be made by flowing a suspension of metal-hydride active material particles (or nickel hydroxide particles) through a cellular metal substrate formed by electrodepositing a metal in the interstitial spaces of a bed of particles.

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1. A method for making an anode for a nickel-metal hydride battery, comprising the steps of: (a) pressing coated metal-hydride active material particles to form a porous structure comprising the coated metal-hydride active material particles and interstitial spaces between the coated metal-hydride a

1. A method for making an anode for a nickel-metal hydride battery, comprising the steps of: (a) pressing coated metal-hydride active material particles to form a porous structure comprising the coated metal-hydride active material particles and interstitial spaces between the coated metal-hydride active material particles, the coating of the coated metal-hydride active material particles being an electrical insulator; (b) placing an aqueous solution of an electrolyte in the interstitial spaces, the electrolyte suitable for the electrolytic deposition of a metal; (c) positioning the porous structure in an electrolytic cell; (d) applying a direct current potential between the anode of the electrolytic cell and the cathode of the electrolytic cell to electrolytically deposit a continuous interconnected network of metal in the interstitial spaces, the metal being deposited progresively starting from the cathode of the electrolytic cell and extending through the porous structure toward the anode of the electrolytic cell; (e) removing the coating from the coated metal-hydride active material particles; and (f) compacting the continuous interconnected network of metal so that the metal of the continuous interconnected network of metal better contacts the metal-hydride active material particles.2. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal is copper.3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of plating nickel on the copper before step (f).4. The method of claim 1, wherein the coating comprises polystyrene and step (e) comprises dissolving the coating with a polystyrene solvent.5. The method of claim 2, wherein the coating comprises polystyrene and step (e) comprises dissolving the coating with a polystyrene solvent.6. The method of claim 1, wherein the coating comprises polystyrene and step (e) comprises vaporizing the coating with heat.7. The method of claim 2, wherein the coating comprises polystyrene and step (e) comprises vaporizing the coating with heat.8. A method for making a cathode for a nickel-metal hydride battery, comprising the steps of: (a) pressing coated nickel hydroxide particles to form a porous structure comprising the coated nickel hydroxide particles and interstitial spaces between the coated nickel hydroxide particles, the coating of the coated nickel hydroxide particles being an electrical insulator; (b) placing an aqueous solution of an electrolyte in the interstitial spaces, the electrolyte suitable for the electrolytic deposition of a metal; (c) positioning the porous structure in an electrolytic cell; (d) applying a direct current potential between the anode of the electrolytic cell and the cathode of the electrolytic cell to electrolytically deposit a continuous interconnected network of metal in the interstitial spaces, the metal being deposited progresively starting from the cathode of the electrolytic cell and extending through the porous structure toward the anode of the electrolytic cell; (e) removing the coating from the coated nickel hydroxide particles; and (f) compacting the continuous interconnected network of metal so that the metal of the continuous interconnected network of metal better contacts the nickel hydroxide particles.9. The method of claim 8, wherein the metal is copper.10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of plating nickel on the copper before step (f).11. The method of claim 8, wherein the coating comprises polystyrene and step (e) comprises dissolving the coating with a polystyrene solvent.12. The method of claim 9, wherein the coating comprises polystyrene and step (e) comprises dissolving the coating with a polystyrene solvent.13. The method of claim 8, wherein the coating comprises polystyrene and step (e) comprises vaporizing the coating with heat.14. The method of claim 9, wherein the coating comprises polystyrene and step (e) comprises vaporizing the coating with heat.15. A method for making an anode for a nickel-metal hydride battery, comprising the step of pressing metal-hydride active material particles into a porous metal substrate, the porous metal substrate formed by electrodepositing a metal in the interstitial spaces of a packed array of substantially convex and substantially electrically nonconductive particles of a material and then substantially removing the material of the particles.16. The method of claim 15, wherein the metal is copper.17. The method of claim 16, wherein the copper is plated with nickel.18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of compacting the anode so that the metal better contacts the metal-hydride active material particles.19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of compacting the anode so that the metal better contacts the metal-hydride active material particles.20. A method for making an anode for a nickel-metal hydride battery, comprising the step of flowing a suspension of metal-hydride active material particles in a fluid through a porous metal substrate having a gradient of pore size from a pore size sufficiently large to allow the metal-hydride active material particles of the suspension to enter into the porous metal substrate but then be trapped in the porous metal substrate by smaller pores so that the pores of the porous metal substrate tend to fill with the metal-hydride active material particles, the porous metal substrate formed by electrodepositing a metal in the interstitial spaces of a packed array of substantially convex and substantially electrically nonconductive particles of a material and then substantially removing the material of the particles, the particle size of the packed array of particles being a gradient from large to small relative to the particle size of the metal-hydride active material particles.21. The method of claim 20, wherein the metal is copper.22. The method of claim 21, wherein the copper is plated with nickel.23. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of compacting the anode so that the metal better contacts the metal-hydride active material particles.24. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of compacting the anode so that the metal better contacts the metal-hydride active material particles.25. A method for making a cathode for a nickel-metal hydride battery, comprising the step of pressing nickel hydroxide particles into a porous metal substrate, the porous metal substrate formed by electrodepositing a metal in the interstitial spaces of a packed array of substantially convex and substantially electrically nonconductive particles of a material and then substantially removing the material of the particles.26. The method of claim 25, wherein the metal is copper.27. The method of claim 26, wherein the copper is plated with nickel.28. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of compacting the cathode so that the metal better contacts the nickel hydroxide particles.29. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of compacting the anode so that the metal better contacts the nickel hydroxide particles.30. A method for making a cathode for a nickel-metal hydride battery, comprising the step of flowing a suspension of nickel hydroxide particles in a fluid through a porous metal substrate having a gradient of pore size from a pore size sufficiently large to allow the nickel hydroxide particles of the suspension to enter into the porous metal substrate but then be trapped in the porous metal substrate by smaller pores so that the pores of the porous metal substrate tend to fill with the nickel hydroxide particles, the porous metal substrate formed by electrodepositing a metal in the interstitial spaces of a packed array of substantially convex and substantially electrically nonconductive particles of a material and then substantially removing the material of the particles, the particle size of the packed array of particles being a gradient from large to small relative to the particle size of the nickel hydroxide particles.31. The method of claim 30, wherein the metal is copper.32. The method of claim 31, wherein the copper is plated with nickel.33. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of compacting the cathode so that the metal better contacts the nickel hydroxide particles.34. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of compacting the anode so that the metal better contacts the nickel hydroxide particles.