The lead battery that Gaston Planté invented in 1859, was the first ever rechargeable battery. In those early days of lead-acid battery history, they reigned supreme. Nowadays, we value lead batteries for their safe reliability, even though they are no longer market leaders in energy storage. We dedicate this post to a remarkable product that has stood the test of time.
Lead Acid Batteries Are Still Versatile These Days
Lead acid batteries are popular for starting gasoline autos, thanks to their ability to deliver high surge currents. However, because they are relatively inexpensive, they are finding other new uses despite their lower energy storage density.
Their enduring popularity is rock-solid, despite other technologies that appeared since the early days of lead-acid battery development. The global lead battery market was worth $ 53.3 billion in 2024. And it continues to achieve a compound average growth rate of 5%, according to Straits Research.
Larger lead battery systems continue to evolve, and assure that this technology will be with us well into the future. Popular examples include energy backup for cellphone towers, and emergency power at strategically important sites where their non-flammability is a deciding factor.
These new roles have inspired modified cells to improve storage duration, and reduce maintenance. Here we think of the absorbent-glass-mat variety, and the gel versions that we manufacture and distribute from Canada.
Early History of Lead Batteries We Know Well
Gaston Planté’s original invention was a clumsy arrangement rolled up in a tube. It worked well enough to power lights in railway carriages, but it was not easily portable. Camille Faure invented a modification in 1881 in a sealed case, along the lines of the image at the top of this post.
Faure’s technology used a lead grid lattice, into which a lead oxide paste was pressed, forming a plate. His design was easier to mass-produce, whereafter lead-acid batteries dominated the market for more than a century.
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Gaston Plantés Lead-Acid Battery
