Influence of pitch-based carbon foam current collectors on the electrochemical properties of lead acid battery negative electrodes

Abstract

Pitch-based carbon foams prepared by a template method were used as negative current collectors to assemble flooded lead acid batteries, and the effect of the current collectors on the performance of the negative electrodes was investigated. Comparative galvanostatic charge-discharge tests show that the utilization efficiencies of the active material on the carbon foam negative current collector are 14% and 30% higher than those of the material on a lead grid one at 20 and 10 h discharge rates, respectively. Further EIS tests imply that there are also significant differences in the impedance spectra between the two electrodes. SEM images reveal that at the fully charged state, the particle size of the active material formed on the carbon foam current collector is much more uniform than that on the lead grid.

Preparation of erythritol–graphite foam phase change composite with enhanced thermal conductivity for thermal energy storage applications

“…The open and interconnected pores of carbon foams derived from PU templates could have facilitated the access to the micropores and mesopores of carbon materials. Thus, the template method has been employed to fabricate various carbon foams using various carbon precursors for several potential applications [36][37][38][39][40]. The carbon foam based composites derived from the PU template method have been already demonstrated as a promising potential material for insulation, sorption, catalysis, purification and separation of oil and water [41,42].…”

Applications of carbon in lead-acid batteries: a review

“…Researchers also investigated reticulated collectors made of different carbon materials. Chen's team explored the possibility of use of the carbon foam based on a carbonized, pitchimpregnated polyurethane foam [40,[57][58][59]. In 2008, they prepared the negative plate current collectors from a small piece of the foam with positive collectors made of a punched lead sheet [57].…”

Anodes - Technology review

“…Differences arise from the feedstocks used to prepare the carbon, to processing techniques and carbon type (vitreous/glassy, graphitic, amorphous). For example, the onset of hydrogen evolution at the negative electrode can differ by around 350 mV between samples [17]:…”