Construction and Characterization of Lead Acid Negative Active Material+Carbon Paste Electrodes

Abstract

The use of additives in the formulation of the active material of the negative plate (NAM) of lead-acid batteries has proven to be fundamental for their adequate performance and extended life-time. This research work presents a new methodology for evaluating additive effects using carbon paste composite electrodes. The performance of the composite electrodes was evaluated through cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry. A protocol for the construction and evaluation of the NAM carbon paste electrodes was developed, which could be use to compare different commercial additives. The size of the working electrodes prepared in this work reduces in an important manner the evaluation time of such materials, opening the opportunity to perform testing and selection of additives in times which are much more in accordance to industry requirements.