Lead-Acid Batteries Keep Rolling On

The lead acid battery industry is a bit like Old Man River. We shoulder the heaviest loads but we keep on going. Nothing can touch us for delivering bulk power cheaply, despite being the oldest rechargeable batteries on the block. Moreover, we are dependable and the cheapest on a dollar-per-watt basis. It’s no wonder long lasting lead-acid batteries keep rolling on.

Lead-Acid Batteries Keep Rolling On Because They’re Simple

While French physician Gaston Planté’s invention may have seemed rocket science back in 1859, our batteries are elegantly simple. Conceptually, they are just a series of lead sheets separated by diluted sulfuric acid. However, we have refined the original Planté design by modifying the composition of the metal to create an alloy.

Planté’s Second Battery: Louis Figuier: Public Domain

Modern lead-acid batteries keep rolling on even further because we have added a small amount of another metal to harden the lead plates.

You see, pure lead is pliable, soft, and almost too heavy to hold itself up.

We have a choice of metals but the most popular ones are tin, antimony, selenium, and calcium. Hence your battery dealer’s invoice may read ‘lead antimony’ or ‘lead-calcium’ battery but it’s no big deal.

Almost every can we buy is metal with a tin coating to prevent rusting
Antimony is a great flame-retardant in our children’s toys and clothes
We have selenium to thank for the clear sheets of glass in our windows
Calcium is an essential supplement for building, strong, healthy bones

So we could also say lead-acid batteries keep rolling on because they also comprise the commonest, simplest materials on earth. And we can always find them because they are not scarce.