How much do you know about gel batteries?
What is a colloidal battery?
Colloidal batteries are a development category of lead-acid batteries. The method is to add a gelling agent to sulfuric acid to make the sulfuric acid electrolyte gel. Batteries with electrolyte in gel are usually called colloidal batteries. The difference between colloidal batteries and conventional lead-acid batteries is that the initial understanding of electrolyte gelation has been further developed to the electrochemical characteristics of the electrolyte basic structure, as well as the application and promotion in grids and active materials. Its most important feature is: using a smaller industrial cost to produce better quality batteries, its discharge curve is straight, the inflection point is high, its energy and power are more than 20% greater than conventional lead-acid batteries, and its life is generally about twice as long as that of conventional lead-acid batteries, and its high and low temperature characteristics are much better.
Internal structure of gel batteries In a broad sense, the difference between colloidal batteries and conventional lead-acid batteries is not only that the electrolyte is changed to a gel state. For example, non-gelled aqueous colloids belong to colloidal batteries in terms of electrochemical classification structure and characteristics. Another example is the attachment of polymer materials in the grid, commonly known as ceramic grid, which can also be regarded as the application feature of colloidal batteries. Some laboratories have added a targeted coupling agent to the plate formula, which greatly improved the reaction utilization rate of the plate active material. According to non-public information, it can reach a weight specific energy level of 70wh/kg. These are all examples of the application of colloidal batteries in current industrial practice and those to be industrialized.
Water-based colloid is not a standardized term in the discipline, but a name to distinguish solid colloids.
The understanding of colloids is very different between academic classification and customary understanding. Customs often believe that substances in a gelled state at room temperature are called colloids, while in chemical structure classification, they are defined as substances with a dispersed phase basic structure in the range of 1-100 nanometers.
The electrochemical properties are determined by the colloid particle size and its surfactant.
The ups and downs of gell batteries in history are related to the material development and technological maturity of the colloids. In the past three or two years, although nano-scale sols have been developed and there have been more production practices for the electrochemical application of surfactants, it is difficult for manufacturers to select suitable gel-state colloids in the short term.
Water-based colloids are designed as an intermediate product for the development of acid batteries to colloidal batteries. Their characteristics are: the physical gel skeleton is eliminated, the functional polymer group characteristics and surfactants are retained, and they are pure liquid. When used, they are regarded as a sulfuric acid additive and are suitable for the production of all lead-acid batteries.
Advantages: It will not produce common industrial problems of colloidal batteries. The manufacturing process is exactly the same as that of acid batteries. After use, the capacity is increased by 5-15%, the battery life is extended by 50-100%, the resistance to plate sulfation is strong, and the corrosion to the grid after sulfuric acid modification is much smaller. The price is also cheaper than conventional colloids.
After using water-based colloid additives, there is no need to add sodium sulfate, phosphoric acid, etc. to sulfuric acid. Standard addition amount: 8% by volume.
How to charge gel batteries correctly? Do not wait until the colloidal battery is exhausted before charging. It should be charged in time after discharge.
Try to use a charger with better quality for the battery, which is conducive to increasing the service life of the gel battery.
The battery should be fully charged and stored in a cool and dry place, away from heat sources and direct sunlight. If it is stored for more than one month, it should be recharged before use, and if it is stored for more than three months, it should be deeply charged and discharged.
When charging in hot weather, pay attention to the battery temperature not being too high, and do not charge the battery too much. If it is too hot to touch, you can stop and charge it again. In winter, the temperature is low and the battery is easy to be undercharged. The charging time can be appropriately extended (such as 10%).
If it is a group of batteries, when a single battery has a problem, it should be replaced in time to extend the life of the entire group.