Abstract

Effect of Polyacrylamide Gel Electrolyte on the Performance of Lead Acid Battery

Author(s): Iftikhar-Ul-Haq, Muhammad Abdul Qadir, Mahmood Ahmed, Muhammad Imtiaz Shafiq, Amir Ali and Abdul Samad

Polyacrylamide gel along with fumed silica as gelling agent is investigated as electrolyte for lead acid battery. This valve-regulated lead acid technology have various advantages over flooded electrolyte system because no water maintenance, or special ventilation requirement for acid fumes and have recombinant, starved or immobilized electrolyte systems. The flooded-electrolyte batteries suffer from acid stratification due to its high density during the charging process, can sink to the bottom of the battery container, so uneven utilization of active material decrease the capacity of battery. This results in a decrease in battery capacity due to uneven utilization of the active material. Stratification of electrodes by sulphuric acid has been overcome in gel batteries because of fumed silica gel which has widespread utility. The gelling agent has three dimensional network structures so it is not precipitated in lead acid batteries during electrochemical reaction. The gel of polyacrylamide in sulphuric acid along with the fumed silica is described as electrolyte in battery which has positive effect upon efficiency and life of the battery as compared to the flooded acid battery by comparing and monitoring different parameters such as voltagetime, ampere-time relationship and charge-discharge rates.