Time Reduction of Deep Cycle Lead Acid Battery Negative Plate Curing Process by Changing Curing Parameters

Curing process of positive and negative pasted plate is a vital time consuming stage of lead acid battery manufacturing process. In this stage, active material converts into a cohesive, porous mass, with a good adherence to the grid. Also, formation of tribasic (3BS) and tetrabasic (4BS) crystals develop during curing process. Generally, Loading, Curing and Drying process combined states as Curing process. In this paper, curing process for negative plate of low maintenance deep cycle lead acid battery has been reduced from approximate 48 hours to 24 hours only by changing curing temperature. All other curing key factors such as properties of lead oxide, quantity of acid & water addition during paste preparation, humidity of curing, stand time of paste before pasting upon the grid were unchanged. Cured pasted plates Free Lead Content (FLC%), Moisture%, porosity% have been observed to find the outcome of modified curing process. Also X - Ray Diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDAX) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis were carried out to examine the physical properties of the plates. In addition to that, capacity test, life cycle tests were run and studied to establish 24 hour curing profile.