MOLECULAR REBAR® ENHANCES THE CORROSION LAYER OF LEAD-ACID BATTERY POSITIVE PLATES TO IMPROVE CYCLING IN CORROSION TESTS

With the industry's focus on improving the Negative Active Material (NAM), often through the use of additives to improve charge acceptance, problems associated with positive plate corrosion are once again taking center stage in research groups around the world. Adding discrete carbon nanotubes (dCNT, MOLECULAR REBAR (R), MR) to the positive plate has been shown to increase the longevity of lead-acid batteries in a variety of high-temperature, corrosion-inducing cycling tests. Here, we reconcile the long-term performance benefits induced in the battery by MR inclusion in the positive plate, with the disappearance of the material during formation. The Corrosion Layer (CL) structure forms upon the outer surfaces of the grid and merges directly with the PAM to promote adhesion and protect the grid from further corrosion. We provide evidence for a Molecular Rebar-induced alteration to the CL of the positive plate through a series of material and electrochemical analysis. We theorize that by altering the crystal packing and acid access to the grid, Molecular Rebar modifies and enhances the structure of the corrosion layer to make it more uniform, regular, and robust against further corrosion. Our experimentation culminates with a dose responsive alteration of the Corrosion Layer which strengthens our theory.