Abstract
Nickel-metal hydride batteries contain considerable rare earth metals, particularly La, Ce, Pr, and Nd. About 10% of rare earth production is used in this application. Charged Ni-MH batteries provide power by oxidizing the hydrogen that is in a charged battery's alloy electrode. The roles of the rare earths in this alloy are to store its hydrogen and rapidly desorb and re-absorb it as needed for high power and quick recharge. Most of today's Ni-MH battery use is for powering hybrid car electric motors. This market is still growing so the use of Ni-MH batteries (and their contained rare earths) is also growing. Ni-MH batteries also have many consumer uses. The main competitors for Ni-MH batteries are lithium based batteries. They are lighter and store more chemical energy (per kg) than Ni-MH batteries. They are more suitable for fully electric vehicles.
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