Re: maintaining batteries

Posted by Don Denhardt on December 09, 2001 at 14:18:45 from (24.13.42.170):

In Reply to: maintaining batteries posted by Don E. Foster on December 09, 2001 at 10:34:07:

Take heart there is a cure. As a matter of fact, after you read the following you can get all the free batteries you wish.

When batteries discharge some of the acid in the electrolyte converts to lead sulfate crystals that will start to coat the plates. These sulfate crystals interfere with and reduce battery capacity. If the battery is in use daily MOST (but not all) of the sulfates are reconverted back into acid when the battery is charged.

This is why a discharged battery will read a low Specific Gravity (acid content lost)

Batteries in storage must be kept on a trickle charger or the self discharging properties of a battery will sulfate it rapidly.

Some of the sulfates will form stubborn patches that will grow in time. This growth will continue until all the plate area is covered or when the growth is big enough in one area to physically crack the plate and make it short. That is why your car battery, for example, only lasts a few years.

There are only two cures for a sulfated battery.
1. EDTA treatment (messy, hazardous and will foul up the electrolyte)

2. Desulfation by electronic pulse

The link below has instructions for a homemade electronic pulse desulfator. If you do not know how to solder or do not have a grounded tip soldering iron, assembled kits are available.

http://shaka.com/~kalepa/desulf.htm

After you build or buy a pulser, you can grab the batteries everyone else is throwing out and recover them. Simply go to any recycle center or battery retailer and get the discarded batteries that still measure 10.5V (12V battery) or 5.25V (6V battery). Bring them home and put them on a trickle charger and pulser and usually within a few weeks to a month, they are like new again.

Good Luck,

Don

Follow Ups:

• Re: Re: maintaining batteries Salmoneye 03:54:35 12/10/01 (0)

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