Electrochemical behavior of negative electrode of lead-acid cells based on reticulated vitreous carbon carrier

Reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC (R)) and RVC (R) plated with lead were investigated as carriers for the negative electrode of lead-acid cell. The RVC (R) and Pb/RVC (R) carriers were pasted with active paste (received from JENOX Ltd., Polish producer of lead-acid batteries) and prepared to be used in lead-acid cell. Comparative study of electrodes based on RVC (R) and Pb/RVC (R) has been done using constant-current charging/discharging, constant-potential discharging and cycling voltammetry measurements. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to determine the morphology of the lead layer deposited on the RVC (R) surface. Hybrid flooded single lead-acid cells containing one negative electrode, based on new type of carrier (RVC (R) or Pb/RVC (R)), sandwiched between two positive electrodes, based on the Pb-Ca grids, were assembled and subjected to electrochemical tests. It has been found that both materials, RVC (R) and Pb/RVC (R), can be used as carriers of negative electrode, but the latter seems to have better influence on the discharge performance. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.