Voltage of lead acid battery upon charging. The charging reaction converts the lead sulfate at the negative electrode to lead. At the positive terminal the reaction converts the lead to lead oxide. As a by-product of this reaction, hydrogen is evolved.
A lead acid battery consists of a negative electrode made of spongy or porous lead. The lead is porous to facilitate the formation and dissolution of lead. The positive electrode consists of lead oxide. Both electrodes are immersed in a electrolytic solution of sulfuric acid and water.
The construction of a lead acid battery cell is as shown in Fig. 1. It consists of the following parts : Anode or positive terminal (or plate). Cathode or negative terminal (or plate). Electrolyte. Separators. Anode or positive terminal (or plate): The positive plates are also called as anode. The material used for it is lead peroxide (PbO 2).
The sulfate (SO 4) combines with the lead (Pb) of both plates, forming lead sulphate (PbSO 4), as shown in Equation. As a lead-acid battery is charged in the reverse direction, the action described in the discharge is reversed. The lead sulphate (PbSO 4) is driven out and back into the electrolyte (H 2 SO 4).
Potential problems encountered in lead acid batteries include: Gassing: Evolution of hydrogen and oxygen gas. Gassing of the battery leads to safety problems and to water loss from the electrolyte. The water loss increases the maintenance requirements of the battery since the water must periodically be checked and replaced.
The battery should not, therefore, be discharged below this voltage. In between the fully discharged and charged states, a lead acid battery will experience a gradual reduction in the voltage. Voltage level is commonly used to indicate a battery's state of charge.