A new rare earth electrode material production line has been established by Baotou Zhongke Xuanda New Energy Technology Co. [Photo/Baotou Daily]

According to Baotou Daily, a new rare earth electrode material production line with independent intellectual property rights has gone into operation, and its products are going to domestic nickel-metal hydride battery manufacturers.

The production line was developed by Baotou Zhongke Xuanda New Energy Technology Co, which is based in Baotou, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

The hydrogen-storing electrode materials have a high capacity, low self-discharge and low temperature. They can be used in high-security, environmentally friendly nickel-hydrogen power batteries, hybrid vehicles, hydrogen fuel cells and solid-state hydrogen storage.

Compared with traditional AB5 hydrogen-storage alloy electrode materials, the new rare earth hydrogen storage alloy material developed by Zhongke Xuanda increases battery capacity by more than 30 percent, officials said.

Also, the battery's process performance, dynamic performance and low-temperature characteristics are greatly improved.

The advancement and application of the rare earth electrode material will improve the performance and market competitiveness of downstream enterprises' nickel-hydrogen power battery products. At the same time, the new product will play a positive role in promoting the balanced and healthy development of the upstream light rare earth industry.

This project has obtained three domestically authorized invention patents and applied for one foreign invention patent.