Lead–acid battery
First rechargeable battery, still widely used for surge currents.
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The lead–acid battery is a rechargeable battery, the first of its kind, created in 1859 by French physicist Gaston Planté. While it has a lower energy density and is heavier than newer rechargeable batteries, it can deliver high surge currents.
This ability, combined with its low cost, makes it a common choice for motor vehicles, where it supplies the high current needed by starter motors. However, lead–acid batteries have a relatively short cycle life—typically fewer than 500 deep cycles—and a limited overall lifespan due to double sulfation when discharged. They also require long charging times; an average automotive battery takes between six and twelve hours to fully charge from a discharged state.
Because they are less expensive than newer technologies, lead–acid batteries are widely used even when surge current is not critical and other designs could offer higher energy densities. In 1999, sales of lead–acid batteries accounted for 40–50% of the value of all batteries sold worldwide (excluding China and Russia), representing a manufacturing market value of about US$15 billion. Large-format lead–acid designs are commonly used for backup power in telecommunications networks, such as cell sites, high-availability emergency power systems in hospitals, and stand-alone power systems. For these applications, modified versions—like gel cell and absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries, collectively known as valve-regulated lead–acid (VRLA) batteries—are used to improve storage times and reduce maintenance.
Charging
When charged, the battery stores chemical energy in the potential difference between metallic lead on the negative side and lead dioxide on the positive side.
History
The French scientist Nicolas Gautherot observed in 1801 that wires used in electrolysis experiments could produce a small secondary current after the main battery was disconnected. In 1859, Gaston Planté built the first rechargeable battery, consisting of two lead sheets separated by rubber strips, rolled into a spiral, and immersed in a solution of about 10% sulfuric acid.
These batteries were first used to power lights in train carriages while stopped at stations. In 1881, Camille Alphonse Faure improved the design by pressing a lead oxide paste into a lead grid lattice to form a plate, making mass production easier. An early manufacturer, starting in 1886, was Henri Tudor.
Lore & Background
The French scientist Nicolas Gautherot observed in 1801 that wires used for electrolysis experiments would themselves provide a small secondary current after the main battery had been disconnected. In 1859, Gaston Planté's lead–acid battery was the first battery that could be recharged by passing a reverse current through it. Planté's first model consisted of two lead sheets separated by rubber strips and rolled into a spiral, immersed in a solution containing about 10 percent sulfuric acid. His batteries were first used to power the lights in train carriages while stopped at a station.
In 1881, Camille Alphonse Faure invented an improved version with a lead grid lattice into which a lead oxide paste was pressed, forming a plate. This design was easier to mass-produce. An early manufacturer from 1886 was Henri Tudor.
Using a gel electrolyte instead of a liquid allows the battery to be used in different positions without leaking. Gel electrolyte batteries for any position were first used in the late 1920s, and in the 1930s portable suitcase radio sets allowed the cell to be mounted vertically or horizontally (but not inverted) due to valve design. In the 1970s, the valve-regulated lead–acid (VRLA), or sealed, battery was developed, including modern absorbed glass mat (AGM) types, allowing operation in any position. It was discovered early in 2011 that lead–acid batteries do in fact use some aspects of relativity to function, and to a lesser degree, liquid metal and molten-salt batteries such as the Ca-Sb and Sn-Bi also use this effect.
Reader's Guide
Lead–acid batteries are notable as the first type of rechargeable battery ever created, invented in 1859. Despite having relatively low energy density and heavier weight compared to more modern rechargeable batteries, they remain widely used due to their ability to supply high surge currents and their low cost. This makes them particularly suitable for motor vehicle starter motors. They are also extensively used in backup power supplies for telecommunications networks, high-availability emergency power systems in hospitals, and stand-alone power systems.
For these roles, modified versions such as gel cell and absorbed glass mat batteries (collectively known as valve-regulated lead–acid, or VRLA, batteries) are common to improve storage times and reduce maintenance. In 1999, lead–acid battery sales accounted for 40–50% of the value from batteries sold worldwide (excluding China and Russia), equivalent to a manufacturing market value of about US$15 billion. The battery suffers from relatively short cycle lifespan (usually less than 500 deep cycles) and overall lifespan due to double sulfation in the discharged state, as well as long charging times of 6 to 12 hours from a discharged state. When charged, the battery's chemical energy is stored in the potential difference between metallic lead at the negative side and lead dioxide on the positive side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Lead–acid battery and where did it come from?
Lead–acid battery is the very first rechargeable battery ever made, brought into the world in 1859 by French physicist Gaston Planté. It has been around for well over a century, making it the elder statesman of the entire rechargeable-battery family.
What role does Lead–acid battery play in the real world?
Because it is cheap to manufacture and can push large currents on demand, it remains the go-to power source for starting, lighting, and ignition systems in motor vehicles. You will still find it in everything from cars and trucks to UPS units and small boats, simply because no newer chemistry undercuts its cost-per-ampere for that job.
What are Lead–acid battery's known weaknesses?
It suffers from a relatively short cycle life—typically under 500 deep discharge-charge cycles—because repeated deep discharging accelerates double sulfation of the plates. It also needs a long 6-to-12-hour recharge from a fully drained state, and it is noticeably heavier and less energy-dense than lithium-ion or nickel-metal-hydride rivals.
Why does Lead–acid battery still matter after more than 160 years?
Its combination of low upfront cost, high surge-current capability, and a mature, well-understood manufacturing chain keeps it in demand where a small, affordable burst of power is all that is needed. As long as those starter-motor and backup-power applications exist, Lead–acid battery will keep earning its place in the lineup.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Lead–acid battery (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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