An electrochemical cell using an electrode of expanded metal (EXMET(R)) is demonstrated. The sheet of EXMET(R) contains voids with open volume and geometric arrangement that are capable of locally absorbing any lateral expansion. Consequently, all cumulative changes in the plane of the EXMET(R), when an Li-Al alloy is initially formed, are avoided. Three configurations of electrochemical generators utilizing cathodes Of V2O5, FePO4 and LiCoO2 are described. Studies of alloy and dense anode sheets with local stress relaxation were demonstrated by in situ optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) using expanded metal. These studies indicate that a dense anode offers advantages for application in SPE-cells, including safety, long life and reliability. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.