Lead-acid batteries

It works by using two lead plates immersed in sulfuric acid, separated by a fabric. In this arrangement, lead (soft and malleable metal with a symbol of Pb) and lead oxides (PbO₂) are used as negative and positive electrodes.

_{One cell of a lead-acid battery (Figure 19.15) from Chapter 19.5: Commercial Galvanic Cells in General Chemistry: Principles, Patterns and Applications. Saylor Academy, 2012; CC BY-NC-SA 3.0}

During charging and discharging, specific reactions take place on these electrodes, which power the battery (Dell & Rand, 2001).

Positive electrode:

[{PbO_2}+{H_2SO_4}+{2H^+}+{2e^-} {{overset{Discharge}{rightarrow}} atop {underset{Charge}{leftarrow}}} {PbSO_4}+{2H_20}]

Negative electrode:

[{Pb}+{H_2SO_4} {{overset{Discharge}{rightarrow}} atop {underset{Charge}{leftarrow}}} {PbSO_4}+{2H^+}+{2e^-}]

Originally, lead-acid batteries were used as backup power sources in critical places like hospitals. Over time, their use expanded to include a wide range of applications, from ships and railway systems to lighting and vehicles.

This widespread use is due to their low cost, high safety, and high efficiency. However, despite these advantages, these batteries have some drawbacks, including low specific energy, limited life span, and long charging time (Garche, 2001).

Research and share

What are some other applications of lead-acid batteries? Do some research of your own and share what you find in the comments below.

References

Dell, R., & Rand, D. A. J. (2001). Understanding Batteries (Vol. 28). Royal Society of Chemistry.

Garche, J. (2001). Advanced battery systems—the end of the lead–acid battery? Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 3(3), 356-367.

Huang, P. H., Kuo, J. K., & Huang, C. Y. (2016). A new application of the UltraBattery to hybrid fuel cell vehicles. International Journal of Energy Research, 40(2), 146-159.

Saylor Academy. (2012). Chapter 19.5: Commercial Galvanic Cells in General Chemistry: Principles, Patterns, and Applications.