High-purity carbon blacks suppress water loss in lead acid batteries

At the 2019 Battery Council International (BCI) Convention, Orion Engineered Carbons will showcase its new family of high-quality Specialty Carbon Blacks tailored for high performance in Advanced (carbon-enhanced) Lead Acid Batteries.
Functioning as conductive additives, the recently launched PRINTEX kappa 210, PRINTEX kappa 220 and PRINTEX kappa 240 grades increase the dynamic charge acceptance (DCA) of batteries by up to 60 percent while maintaining acceptable water loss. The PRINTEX kappa grades have very low metallic impurities, which results in extended battery cycle life.
“We have the industry’s broadest portfolio of Specialty Carbon Blacks for Standard Starting-Lighting-Ignition (SLI) and Advanced (carbon-enhanced) batteries, and we’re continually innovating to meet the evolving demands of the battery industry,” said Sanjay Monie, Ph.D., Marketing Manager – Batteries and Special Applications, Americas. “We are actively engaging in partnerships with battery manufacturers to develop next-generation technologies.”  He added that Orion Carbon Black grades lead the way in purity, economics and reliability.
The 2019 BCI Convention and Power Mart Expo takes place April 28-30 in New Orleans, La.
Surface Modification Controls Water Loss
“Most conductive Carbon Blacks increase hydrogen evolution at the battery’s negative electrode side, resulting in high water loss during battery charging,” said Ralph McIntosh, Technical Market Manager – Batteries. “The modified surface of our PRINTEX kappa grades maintain their conductivity and surface area while suppressing the hydrogen evolution reaction, lowering water loss to acceptable levels.”
Surface modification of PRINTEX kappa grades gives battery manufacturers the freedom to use higher loading to achieve higher charge acceptance.
“The PRINTEX kappa grades also offer excellent dispersibility and processability so battery manufacturers derive benefits during handling, in process formulation and in performance,” said Dr. Michael Rohde, Global Marketing Head – Batteries.”
Carbon Blacks for SLI Batteries
Orion will highlight the following Carbon Blacks for SLIs:

• LAMP BLACK 101, suitable for both carbon-enhanced and SLI batteries, offers exceptional purity and a unique broad particle size distribution for easy processing and low water loss.
• Specialty grades PRINTEX G BEADS/POWDER, PRINTEX MV and PRINTEX 301 BEADS/POWDER, offer good dispersion and high purity for low self-discharge and water loss plus better battery performance and longer cycle life than common ASTM grades.

www.orioncarbons.com