Batteries are important in our society, a top level in the scale of humanity. They give us the power to store and manipulate energy. They are everywhere from our watches, cars, computers, pacemakers to space shuttles and the space station. The more complex a society, the more ubiquitous and more dependent we are.
A major drawback is that most batteries have a limited service life, and while replacing some is relatively inexpensive, replacing others can be a major blow to our personal finances. Therefore, all we can do to reduce that blow is something that deserves our attention. That is the reason for this article. The subject is such that I have divided it into several parts.
The first part is dedicated to lead-acid battery restoration. They are the most widely used rechargeable batteries today, and replacing them has become quite expensive due to the constantly rising cost of lead and recently sulfuric acid. We find these types of batteries in our cars, electric cars, golf cars, trucks, motorcycles, aircraft, boats, forklifts, solar systems, etc.
To now get a better understanding of how to restore a battery, let's start by explaining simply and briefly what a battery is, how it works and why it fails.
Let's start by defining what a battery is; Generally, a battery is a device where chemical energy is converted into electrical energy and this energy can be used in a controlled manner.
For practical reasons, batteries are classified into two types: a "primary battery" when the battery can only be used once (once) because the chemical reaction that occurs inside is not reversible with simple means and the "secondary battery" when the chemical reaction can be reversed by applying electrical energy to the battery (rechargeable). This opposite reaction is what allows the batteries to be reused as storage devices.
How does a battery work and why do batteries fail?
The simplest batteries, better call cells, are composed of two lead plates, one charged positive (lead oxide) and one charged negative (lead), with a chemical solution between them, generally an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid. The most complex ones have a larger number of cells, but the basic principle is the same.
Batteries produce DC (DC); it always flows in the same direction.
When you use a battery (discharge), the chemical reaction releases electrical energy through the negative terminal. The reaction between lead and lead oxide with the sulfuric acid produces lead sulfate, water and releases electrical energy (electrons). If you empty the battery too much, you will usually have water and lead sulfate which under such conditions tend to crystallize.
When you charge a battery, you put electrons (electrical energy) into the battery through the negative terminal, that energy activates lead sulfate which breaks it into lead and lead oxide and sulfuric acid. It causes a chemical reaction that stores electricity.
The electric current is produced by the presence of an excess of electrons from the negative plate which flows towards the positive plate which has a deficiency of electrons via the sulfuric acid.
In summary, the chemical reaction that stores electricity in the battery involves the conversion of lead sulfate in an aqueous environment to the lead on the negative plate, and the lead oxide on the positive plate and an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid. Conversely, when the battery is used (depleted), lead-lead oxide interaction with the sulfuric acid, lead sulphate, water and electrical energy (electrons) produces. These reactions work in both directions.
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