Method for producing a sealed lead-acid cell

Claim 1

A method for producing a normally sealed gas recombining lead-acid electrochemical cell having absorbed electrolyte, comprising: assembling a cell stack of electrochemically unformed lead-containing plates and interleaved highly porous microfine glass fiber separator having a surface area of from about 0.2 to about 1.5 m 2 /g as determined by the BET method; inserting the cell stack into a container so that the unformed plates and separator are mutually pressed together; metering a controlled quantity of acid electrolyte into the cell so that the electrolyte is substantially fully absorbed in the pores of the plates and separator; electrochemically forming the plates of the cell in situ, whereby individual pore volumes of the plates and separator are less than fully filled with electrolyte; and prior to or after this forming step sealing the cell.

Claim 2

A method for producing a normally sealed gas recombining lead-acid electrochemical cell having absorbed electrolyte, comprising: assembling a cell stack of electrochemically unformed lead-containing plates and interleaved highly porous microfine glass fiber separator having a surface area of from about 0.2 to about 1.5 m 2 /g as determined by the BET method; inserting the cell stack into a container so that the unformed plates and separator are mutually pressed together; metering a controlled quantity of acid electrolyte into the cell so that the electrolyte is substantially fully absorbed in the pores of the plates and separator; electrochemically forming the plates of the cell in situ, whereby individual pore volumes of the plates and separator are less than fully filled with electrolyte; and prior to or after this forming step sealing the cell.

Claim 6

A method for producing a normally sealed oxygen recombining lead-acid electrochemical cell of the absorbed electrolyte type capable of high rate discharge, comprising: assembling a cell stack of electrochemically unformed lead-containing plates and interleaved highly porous microfine glass fiber separator having a surface area of from about 0.2 to about 1.5 m 2 /g as determined by the BET method; inserting the cell stack into a container so that the unformed plates and separator are mutually pressed together; metering a controlled quantity of acid electrolyte into the cell so that the electrolyte is substantially fully absorbed in the pores of the plates and separator; sealing the cell with a resealable valve adapted to open (vent) at a desired superatmospheric internal pressure; and thereafter electrochemically forming the plates of the cell in situ, whereby individual pore volumes of the plates and separator are less than fully filled with electrolyte.

Claim 7

A method for producing a normally sealed oxygen recombining lead-acid electrochemical cell of the absorbed electrolyte type capable of high rate discharge, comprising: assembling a cell stack of electrochemically unformed lead-containing plates and interleaved highly porous microfine glass fiber separator having a surface area of from about 0.2 to about 1.5 m 2 /g as determined by the BET method; inserting the cell stack into a container so that the unformed plates and separator are mutually pressed together; metering a controlled quantity of acid electrolyte into the cell so that the electrolyte is substantially fully absorbed in the pores of the plates and separator; sealing the cell with a resealable valve adapted to open (vent) at a desired superatmospheric internal pressure; and thereafter electrochemically forming the plates of the cell in situ, whereby individual pore volumes of the plates and separator are less than fully filled with electrolyte.

Claim 8

A method for producing a normally sealed wound oxygen recombining electrochemical cell having absorbed electrolyte, comprising: pasting a continuous length of pliable lead grid with positive lead-containing paste (which when formed converts to lead dioxide), to form a positive pasted plate; pasting a continuous length of pliable lead grid with sulfated negative paste comprising leady oxide (which when formed converts to sponge lead), to form a negative pasted plate; interposing microfine glass fiber mat separator having a surface area of from about 0.2 to about 1.5 m 2 /g as determined by the BET method between the positive and negative pasted plates; winding the pasted plates and interposed separator into a unitary cell stack; inserting the cell stack into a container so that the unformed positive pasted plate and unformed negative pasted plate and separator are mutually pressed together; metering a controlled quantity of acid electrolyte into the cell so that the electrolyte is substantially fully absorbed in the pores of the plates and separator; electrochemically forming the plates of the cell in situ, whereby individual pore volumes of the plates and separator are less than fully filled with electrolyte; and prior to or after this forming step sealing the cell.

Claim 9

A method for producing a normally sealed wound oxygen recombining electrochemical cell having absorbed electrolyte, comprising: pasting a continuous length of pliable lead grid with positive lead-containing paste (which when formed converts to lead dioxide), to form a positive pasted plate; pasting a continuous length of pliable lead grid with sulfated negative paste comprising leady oxide (which when formed converts to sponge lead), to form a negative pasted plate; interposing microfine glass fiber mat separator having a surface area of from about 0.2 to about 1.5 m 2 /g as determined by the BET method between the positive and negative pasted plates; winding the pasted plates and interposed separator into a unitary cell stack; inserting the cell stack into a container so that the unformed positive pasted plate and unformed negative pasted plate and separator are mutually pressed together; metering a controlled quantity of acid electrolyte into the cell so that the electrolyte is substantially fully absorbed in the pores of the plates and separator; electrochemically forming the plates of the cell in situ, whereby individual pore volumes of the plates and separator are less than fully filled with electrolyte; and prior to or after this forming step sealing the cell.

Claim 15

A method for producing a normally sealed gas recombining lead-acid electrochemical cell having absorbed electrolyte, comprising: assembling a cell stack of electrochemically unformed positive and negative lead-containing plates and interleaved highly porous microfine glass fiber separator having a surface area of from about 0.7 to about 1.5 m 2 /g as determined by the BET method; inserting the cell stack into a container so that the unformed plates and separator are mutually pressed together; metering a controlled quantity of acid electrolyte into the cell so that electrolyte is absorbed in the pores of the plates and separator; electrochemically forming the plates of the cell in situ, whereby the pore volume of the cell stack of formed plates and separator is less than fully filled with electrolyte; and prior to or after this forming step, sealing the cell.

Claim 16

A method for producing a normally sealed gas recombining lead-acid electrochemical cell having absorbed electrolyte, comprising: assembling a cell stack of electrochemically unformed positive and negative lead-containing plates and interleaved highly porous microfine glass fiber separator having a surface area of from about 0.7 to about 1.5 m 2 /g as determined by the BET method; inserting the cell stack into a container so that the unformed plates and separator are mutually pressed together; metering a controlled quantity of acid electrolyte into the cell so that electrolyte is absorbed in the pores of the plates and separator; electrochemically forming the plates of the cell in situ, whereby the pore volume of the cell stack of formed plates and separator is less than fully filled with electrolyte; and prior to or after this forming step, sealing the cell.