Lead-acid storage batteries
The lead-acid battery, commonly used in automobiles, is one of the world’s most widely used rechargeable power sources, and can also act as a backup power supply. A lead-acid battery consists of cells containing lead as the anode and lead coated with lead oxide as the cathode, along with some other metals used for doping.
Both the anode and cathode are contained in sulfuric acid; as electrical energy is generated by the battery, sulfuric acid is reduced to water. To regenerate sulfuric acid, an external power source must be used to recharge the battery. Because the anode and cathode plates are oxidized over time, corrosion occurs that decreases the size of the plates, reduces the capacity of the battery, and eventually the battery life. Additives known as expanders are used to help maintain battery performance through repeated charge and discharge cycles.
To help preserve plate surface area, and thereby battery capacity and lifespan, the use of organic materials as expanders has been studied in the research literature. Organic matter, such as lignocellulosic materials, is relatively inert and has been investigated for its potential to help limit corrosion of the active materials during charge/discharge cycling.
In this respect, lignosulfonates have been evaluated as an expander material, though their relatively high solubility has limited their application in batteries. Reducing the sulfur content of lignosulfonates has been reported in the literature as one way to increase acid insolubility and potentially widen their applicability in this use.
Research using reduced-sulfur lignosulfonates at around 0.1–0.2 wt% of the lead compound has reported reduced foaming during battery operation. Reported effects on battery lifespan vary significantly between studies and test conditions; specific lifespan figures should be treated as reported research results for the tested system, not as a general guarantee, and confirmed against the current battery-additive grade documentation for any intended application.
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