Development of a novel plate making processing technique for manufacturing valve-regulated lead-acid batteries

The aim of this PhD project is to develop a novel plate making technique that involves non-curing plate making processes and the use of innovative materials for manufacturing low cost and high specific energy density lead acid batteries. A range of newly developed materials including lightweight lead-coated glass fiber grid and nanocrystalline lead oxide was used. The characteristics of these materials for battery applications were investigated. Plates made with the new methods can be assembled directly into a battery case after pasting, and then a case formation can be performed directly, with no need for the conventional curing process. The performance of the resultant batteries was systematically investigated.