What are the key steps in the manufacturing process of lead-acid battery plates?
Publish Time: 2024-12-11
The manufacturing process of lead-acid battery plates directly affects the performance, life and safety of the battery, and includes several key steps.
The first is the plate coating process. This step requires the lead paste to be evenly applied to the special plate substrate. Lead paste is usually mixed with lead powder, sulfuric acid, water and a small amount of additives. As the main ingredient, the quality and particle size of lead powder have a significant impact on the performance of the plate. During the coating process, the thickness of the lead paste must be accurately controlled, which is generally achieved through precise coating equipment and strict process parameter settings. For example, the use of an automated scraper coating system can evenly coat the lead paste on the plate, and the thickness error can be controlled within a very small range, ensuring that the active material content of each plate is uniform and stable, which is extremely critical for the subsequent consistency of the battery's charge and discharge performance.
The next step is the curing step. The plate coated with lead paste needs to be cured in a specific environment. The temperature, humidity and time of curing are key parameters. The appropriate temperature range is usually between 40 and 80 degrees Celsius, the humidity is maintained at around 80% to 95%, and the curing time may last from several hours to dozens of hours depending on the type and formula of the plate. In this process, the moisture in the lead paste gradually evaporates, and a series of complex chemical reactions occur at the same time, so that the substances in the lead paste form a stable crystal structure, enhancing the mechanical strength of the plate and the electrochemical properties of the active substances. For example, the curing process will cause the lead sulfate in the lead paste to react with water to form lead oxide and sulfuric acid, and the lead oxide will further combine with other substances to form a lead compound with good conductivity and activity, providing a good foundation for the charging and discharging of the battery.
The last step is the drying process. The plate after curing still contains a certain amount of moisture and needs to be dried. The drying temperature is generally controlled at 80-150 degrees Celsius, and the moisture in the plate is completely removed by hot air circulation or other drying methods. This step can not only further improve the stability of the plate, but also ensure that there will be no short circuit problems caused by residual moisture during subsequent assembly and use. The dried plates have suitable hardness and pore structure, which is conducive to the penetration of electrolyte and the transmission of ions, thereby improving the overall performance of the battery.
In summary, the coating, curing and drying steps in the manufacturing process of lead-acid battery plates are interrelated and affect each other. Each step requires strict control of process parameters to produce high-quality and high-performance plates, laying a solid foundation for the excellent performance of lead-acid batteries.
