Lead-Acid Battery: Electrochemical Compatibility of Plastics

Because of the float use-mode of reserve batteries in the Bell System, the cell behavior is quile sensitive to small amounts of eleclroaclive organic substances in the cell electrolyte. Premature cell failure has in the past resulted from the introduction of a new plastic without testing its compatibility with the cell electrochemistry. We describe an accelerated test method by which the extraction rate of organic residues from the plastic container into the cell electrolyte is predicted and the electrochemical effects of these residues is determined. These data predict that in normal service no adverse electrochemical effects from interaction of the electrolyte with the jar or covcr will occur in the cylindrical lead-acid cell for a minimum of 50 years.