LEAD-OXIDE TECHNOLOGY - PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

In the earliest lead/acid battery, active material was formed electroc hemically on the surface of a sheet of lead, which also served as the plate itself. Since that time, lead compounds (i.e., litharge, red lea d, leady oxide) have been used to form the active mass, with better ef ficiency and performance. Many lead oxide production methods have exis ted, the predominant two are the 'ball mill' and the 'Barton pot' proc esses. These, and other methods, produce oxides with characteristics w hich are unique to each. The oxide properties of particle size and sha pe, surface area, crystal structure, purity, and degree of oxidation, can potentially, individually or in combinations affect the battery. W ith today's manufacturers making mixed product lines that range from d eep cycle to automotive lead acid to valve-regulated lead/acid (VRLA) batteries and everything in between, lead oxidation machinery and proc esses must be able to respond accordingly to produce materials that me et appropriate specifications. Oxide equipment and operating technique is improving in response to those characteristics that the ongoing re search by industry indicates are or will, in the future, be beneficial to overall battery performance. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Scienc e S.A. All rights reserved.