Gelled electrolyte usage on lead acid batteries

In this study, polysiloxane which could be used for lead acid batteries as a gelled electrolyte was synthesized by sol-gel method. After the preparation of fumed silica, sodium silicate and polysiloxane based gel electrolytes, electrochemical tests and cyclic charge-discharge tests were carried out. Firstly, suitable scanning rate was determined as 20 mVs-1 for cyclic voltammery method. Optimum concentration of fumed silica(m/m %6 and v/v %66), sodium silicate (m/m %54,6 ve v/v %61,5) and polysiloxane (m/m %24.5 v/v % 63,3) based gelled electrolytes were determined by electrochemical methods. Then, cyclic charge-discharge tests were carried out for battery prototypes which were assembled with suitable amount of geling agents. In addition, both sodium silicate and fumed silica containing hybrid gel system was prepared and then, investigated by electrochemical methods and battery tests. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods were used for determine the appropriate concentration of geling agents in sulfuric acid. And cyclic charge- discharge technique (battery test) was used for determine the discharge capacity of different battery prototypes. Finally, different gelled electrolytes were compared with these methods and suitable gelled electrolyte systems were determinated.