PREMATURE CAPACITY LOSS IN LEAD-ACID-BATTERIES - A DISCUSSION OF THE ANTIMONY-FREE EFFECT AND RELATED PHENOMENA

Instances of severe capacity loss in apparently healthy lead/acid batteries have been reported over a period of many years, and are still common today. In most cases, these phenomena are linked to the use of antimony-free positive grids and are invoked by repetitive deep-discharge duties. This situation represents probably the greatest barrier to the expansion of markets for lead/acid batteries. To date, research has focused on several possible explanations for capacity loss; notably, degradation of the positive active mass (e.g., relaxable insufficient mass utilization) and the development of electrical barriers around the grid. Although much of the evidence gathered is circumstantial, it does point to the key issues that must be addressed in future work.