Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube Doping in Lead-Acid Batteries: A New Horizon

Abstract

The addition of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) to lead-acid battery electrodes is the most efficient suppresser of uncontrolled sulfation processes. Due to the cost of SWCNT, we studied the optimization loading of SWCNT in lead-acid battery electrodes. We optimized the SWCNT loading concentrations in both the positive and negative plates, separately. Loadings of 0.01% and 0.001% in the positive and negative active masses were studied, respectively. Two volts of lead-acid laboratory cells with sulfuric acid, containing silica gel-type electrolytes, were cycled in a 25% and 50% depth-of-discharge (DOD) cycling with a charging rate of C and 2C, respectively, and discharge rates of C/2 and C, respectively. All tests successfully demonstrated an excellent service life up to about 1700 and 1400 cycles for 25% and 50% DOD operations, respectively, at a low loading level of SWCNT. This performance was compared with CNT-free cells and cells with a multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) additive. The outstanding performance of the lead-acid cells with the SWCNT additive is due to the oxidative stability of the positive plates during charging and the efficient reduction in sulfation in both plates while forming conducting active-material matrices.

Keywords: MWCNT; SWCNT; gel electrolyte; lead-acid batteries; sulfation.