One of the possible ways of mitigating the primary lead-acid battery downside-mass- is to replace the heavy lead grids that can add up to half of the total electrode's mass. The grids can be exchanged for a lightweight, chemically inert, and conductive material such as graphite felt. To reduce carbon surface area, Pb/PbO2 can be electrochemically deposited on graphite felt. A flow-through reactor was applied to enhance penetration of adequate coverage of graphite felt fibers. Three types of electrolytes (acetate, nitrate, and methanesulfonate) and two additives (ligninsulfonate and Triton X-100) were tested. The prepared composite electrodes showed greater mechanical strength, up to 5 times lower electrical resistivity, and acted as Pb and PbO2 electrodes in sulfuric acid electrolytes.
Keywords: composite electrode; electrodeposition; flow-through reactor; graphite felt; lead-acid batteries; lightweight electrodes.