Chinese firm Chaowei has put itself up as the flagbearer for the lead-acid battery industry in China with the promise of four new production improvement technologies
The first involves using graphene in battery grids, which chief scientist Dai Guiping says no other firm has done until now.
“The objective of this approach is to address the lead-acid battery industry’s growing technology and market challenges from rival chemistries. A lead-graphene positive grid dramatically enhances VRLA battery performance,” he said.
“We are creating a new generation of lead-acid batteries with a brand new lead-graphene composite alloy. “
Secondly, a new ‘Horizon type” battery with a radical plate structure has been developed that can be used in all kinds of VRLA batteries but most beneficially electric vehicles. These will also benefit from a third innovation from Chaowei, a high-discharge capacity lead battery with a high concentration of sulphuric acid.
Finally, Chaowei has invented an “atomic-level economic recycling line” to address the growing need for recycling old batteries in order to sustain the industry as a whole and reduce the threat of pollution.
“High-purity lead, along with electricity, is produced with only water as the by-product,” said Dai. “It has a higher lead yield (99.5% rather than 95-97%) than that of existing processes.”
Chaowei is far from over when it comes to lead. To read more about the company’s new technologies and its direction— which Dai says is two-way— sign up to BEST magazine— out this month.
