JP2021068550A - Lead-acid battery - Google Patents

Abstract

SOLUTION: A lead-acid battery includes a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, a separator interposed between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, and an electrolytic solution. The positive electrode plate includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode material. The negative electrode plate includes a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode material. The positive electrode current collector and the negative electrode current collector have a lattice portion, a first transverse bone portion provided at one end portion of the lattice portion, and an ear portion provided at the first transverse bone portion. At least one of a pair of corner portions of an end portion of at least one of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate on an opposite side to the first transverse bone portion is chamfered. The separator has a base portion and a plurality of ribs protruding from the base portion. Along the surface of the base portion is provided a fluid flow path which extends from a first end portion on one side in a vertical direction of the base portion via a central region to a second end portion on the other side in the vertical direction of the base portion, and along the surface of the base portion is provided a fluid flow path which extends from a third end portion on one side in a horizontal direction of the base portion via the central region to a fourth end portion on the other side in the horizontal direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a lead storage battery.

Lead-acid batteries are used for various purposes such as in-vehicle use and industrial use. In particular, with respect to lead-acid batteries for automobiles, as the use of idling stop vehicles expands, it is required to improve the life performance in the partial state of charge (PSOC).

For example, lead-acid batteries are used in PSOC during charge control and idling stop start (ISS). Therefore, lead-acid batteries used in such applications are required to have excellent life performance in cycle tests under PSOC conditions. In this case, the progress of stratification tends to be a factor that determines the life (hereinafter, referred to as "IS life").

Normally, in a lead-acid battery for general starting, when it is charged to a state close to overcharge or full charge, convection of an electrolytic solution is generated due to gas generation, and stratification is suppressed. However, lead-acid batteries for idling stop vehicles are unlikely to be overcharged or nearly fully charged. As a result, the stratification of the electrolytic solution proceeds by continuing to be used in the PSOC state, the softening of the positive electrode active material and the accumulation of lead sulfate in the positive and negative electrode active materials are promoted, and the IS life tends to be shortened.

Patent Document 1 describes in a liquid lead-acid battery for an idling stop vehicle, in a state where the positive electrode active material is already formed, Sb is converted into metal Sb and contains 0.03 mass% or more and 0.3 mass% or less, and Sn is contained in metal Sn. It is proposed that the content should be 0.05 mass% or more and 1.0 mass% or less in terms of.

Patent Document 2 proposes a configuration in which a lead storage battery using an expanded lattice is provided with cut portions at two corners of the bottom of the electrode plate among the four corners of at least one electrode plate of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate. ing.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-140678 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-204639

In lead-acid batteries, stratification is suppressed and IS life is improved.

One aspect of the present invention includes a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, a separator interposed between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, and an electrolytic solution, and the positive electrode plate includes a positive electrode current collector and the positive electrode current collector. The negative electrode plate comprises a positive electrode material held on the body, and the negative electrode plate comprises a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode material held on the negative electrode current collector, and the positive electrode current collector and the negative electrode collector. The electric body has a lattice portion, a first transverse bone portion provided at one end of the lattice portion, and an ear portion provided at the first transverse bone portion, and includes the positive electrode plate and the positive electrode plate. At least one of the pair of corners of the end opposite to the first transverse bone of the negative electrode plate is chamfered, and the separator is a base portion and a plurality of protrusions from the base portion. The base portion has ribs, and the base portion faces the central region, the first end portion and the second end portion that face each other in the vertical direction across the central region, and each other in the horizontal direction across the central region. A fluid flow path having a third end portion and a fourth end portion, and a fluid flow path from the first end portion to the second end portion via the central region along the surface of the base portion. The present invention relates to a lead storage battery having a fluid flow path from the third end portion to the fourth end portion via the central region along the surface of the base portion.

According to the present invention, the IS life of the lead storage battery is improved because the stratification is suppressed.

It is a top view which shows the appearance of the electrode plate used in the lead storage battery which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic plan view which shows the schematic structure of the separator used in the lead storage battery which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic plan view which shows the schematic structure of the separator used in the lead storage battery which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic plan view which shows the schematic structure of the separator used in the lead storage battery which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows another example of the schematic structure of the separator used in the lead storage battery which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the arrangement layout of the rib in the conventional separator. It is a partially cutaway perspective view which shows the appearance and the internal structure of the lead storage battery which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

The lead-acid battery according to one aspect of the present invention includes a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, a separator interposed between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, and an electrolytic solution. The positive electrode plate includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode material held by the positive electrode current collector. The negative electrode plate includes a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode material held by the negative electrode current collector.

The positive electrode current collector and the negative electrode current collector have a lattice portion, a first lateral bone portion provided at one end of the lattice portion, and an ear portion provided at the first lateral bone portion. At least one of the pair of corners of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate at the end opposite to the first transverse bone portion is chamfered. Hereinafter, the surface provided by chamfering is also referred to as a “cut surface”. Chamfering means that the corners of the corners are rounded or formed diagonally. The chamfer may be a C chamfer or an R chamfer. Further, the fact that the corners are chamfered does not necessarily mean that the processing for removing the corners is performed. For example, the corners are not removed without the corners being removed. This includes the case of forming a shaped electrode plate.

In a lead-acid battery, when discharged, lead sulfate is generated on both the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, and water is generated on the positive electrode plate. On the other hand, during charging, metallic lead, lead dioxide, and sulfuric acid are produced from lead sulfate and water. When used in a partially charged state for a long period of time, the amount of lead sulfate accumulated inevitably increases, so that the specific gravity of the electrolytic solution decreases. If the electrolytic solution is not sufficiently agitated during charging, a difference in the concentration of sulfuric acid occurs between the upper part and the lower part of the electrolytic solution, resulting in stratification. If the use is continued in such an environment, the charge / discharge efficiency decreases from the upper part where the specific gravity of the electrolytic solution is low, and the life is reached. In addition, the positive electrode material may fall off from the positive electrode plate due to softening and deterioration, and may reach the end of its life. In addition, lead sulfate is easily dissolved in the electrolytic solution at the upper part where the specific gravity of the electrolytic solution is low, lead ions generated by the dissolution are reduced at the negative electrode, and lead crystals precipitated in the form of dendrite penetrate the separator and have a life due to permeation short circuit. It may lead to.

In particular, in a lead-acid battery in which the corners of the electrode plate are chamfered, it has been found that stratification is likely to proceed because the electrolytic solution tends to stay below the cut surface. However, it was found that the IS life was remarkably improved by devising the arrangement pattern of the ribs provided on the separator, which led to the present invention.

The separator has a base portion and a plurality of ribs protruding from the base portion. The base portion includes a central region, a first end portion and a second end portion that face each other in the vertical direction across the central region, and a third end portion and a fourth end portion that face each other in the horizontal direction across the central region. And have. The central region is a region that can face the negative electrode plate or the positive electrode plate when the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate are laminated via a separator to form a electrode plate group. Usually, the separator has a rectangular shape, and four ends constituting each side of the rectangle surround the central region. In the electrode plate, when the vertical direction is determined with the side where the selvage portion is provided as the upper side and the side opposite to the ear portion as the lower side, the direction from the bottom to the top is the vertical direction. The direction perpendicular to the vertical direction is the horizontal direction. The horizontal direction can be the direction in which the first lateral bone portion extends. The vertical direction of the electrode plate may be the same as or different from the vertical direction in the vertical direction when the lead storage battery is installed. That is, the lead-acid battery may be installed vertically or horizontally. The vertical direction (vertical and horizontal directions) of the separator is the same as the vertical direction (vertical and horizontal direction) of the electrode plates when the electrode plates are laminated via the separator. Usually, the separator has a substantially rectangular shape, and the directions of the orthogonal sides of the rectangle are the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

The lead-acid battery of the present embodiment has a first fluid flow path from the first end portion to the second end portion via the central region along the surface of the base portion, and along the surface of the base portion. It has a second fluid flow path from the third end to the fourth end via the central region. In other words, the lead-acid battery has a first fluid flow path that starts at the first end of the base and goes through the central region to the second end without contacting any of the ribs. To do. In addition, there is a second fluid flow path starting from the third end of the base and reaching the fourth end via the central region without contacting any of the plurality of ribs. These fluid channels suppress the progress of stratification and improve the IS life.

The first and second fluid channels can function as diffusion paths for the electrolytic solution induced by the gas generated in the positive and negative electrode plates during the charge / discharge reaction. The first fluid flow path promotes the flow of the electrolytic solution upward to the liquid level or vertically. By having the second fluid flow path in addition to the first fluid flow path, the electrolytic solution is promoted to flow in the horizontal direction with the movement of the gas. As a result, stirring of the electrolytic solution is promoted and the progress of stratification is suppressed. Therefore, the IS life is improved.

For example, the plurality of ribs include a plurality of first ribs extending in the first direction inclined from the vertical direction in the surface direction of the base portion. When the inclination angle of the first direction with respect to the vertical direction is θ1, θ1 may be 10 ° or more and 90 ° or less. In this case, the generated gas can move diagonally along the first rib and move upward with horizontal movement. As a result, stirring of the electrolytic solution can be promoted. In addition to the first rib, the plurality of ribs may further include a plurality of second ribs extending in the second direction inclined from the vertical direction to the direction opposite to the first direction in the plane direction of the base portion. .. In this case, when the inclination angle of the second direction with respect to the vertical direction is θ2, θ2 may be 10 ° or more and 90 ° or less. In this case, the generated gas can move diagonally along the second rib. As a result, the gas can move diagonally upward in the liquid level or vertically while moving in a zigzag direction. As a result, the moving distance of the gas is long and complicated, so that the stirring of the electrolytic solution can be promoted.

For example, the plurality of first ribs and / or the plurality of second ribs can extend to the surface of the base portion along a common straight line or curve, respectively. At this time, the rib extending from the first end portion via the central region toward the second end portion is ribbed on a part of a common straight line or curve so that the second fluid flow path is formed. A portion (gap) in which the central region is not provided may be provided so as to extend the central region discontinuously. Similarly, ribs extending from the third end through the central region towards the fourth end are ribs on a portion of a common straight line or curve so that a first fluid flow path is formed. A portion (gap) in which the central region is not provided may be provided so as to extend the central region discontinuously.

The plurality of first ribs and / or the plurality of second ribs may be dispersed and extended on the surface of the base portion, respectively, without following a common straight line or curve.

When the current collector is an expanding lattice, the corners of the electrode plates are chamfered in advance to form a cut surface when producing a group of electrode plates in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate are laminated via a separator. By setting it, it is possible to prevent the corners from being deformed due to interference with the manufacturing apparatus. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of an initial battery short circuit (see Patent Document 2). In particular, when the positive electrode current collector is an expanding lattice, since the lattice bone is thick, once the corners are deformed, it is difficult to return to the original state, and an initial battery short circuit is likely to occur. On the other hand, when the current collector is a current collector other than the expanding lattice (for example, a punched current collector or a cast current collector), it has a frame bone on the entire outer circumference of the current collector. When manufacturing the electrode plate group, the corners are not easily deformed (regardless of the presence or absence of the cut surface), and the problem of initial battery short circuit is unlikely to occur.

On the other hand, the effect of suppressing stratification and the effect of improving the IS life in a lead-acid battery provided with a cut surface are obtained not only when an expanded lattice is used but also when a punched current collector or a cast current collector is used. A lead-acid battery using an expanded lattice is particularly useful because it improves the IS life and suppresses the problem of initial battery short circuit.

The cut surface can be manufactured, for example, in the case of an expanding lattice, by removing a part of the corner portion of the rectangular plate. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the case of a punched current collector or a cast current collector, the frame bone may be formed so that the corners have a chamfered or curved outer edge.

The decrease in the electrode plate area reduced by chamfering (hereinafter, referred to as “cut area”) may be 1% or more of the area of the positive electrode plate or the negative electrode plate before chamfering. When the ratio R1 of the cut area to the electrode plate area before chamfering is 1% or more, the retention of the electrolytic solution becomes remarkable, and the problem of a decrease in IS life due to the progress of stratification is likely to occur. However, in the lead-acid battery of the present embodiment, by providing the first and second fluid flow paths, even when the ratio R1 is 1% or more, the decrease in IS life is suppressed and the IS life is rather improved. On the other hand, in order to maintain high battery characteristics (low temperature output, capacity, etc.), the ratio R1 may be set to 6% or less. The ratio R1 may be 2% or more, or 4% or less.

The ratio R1 may be 1% or more and 6% or less, 2% or more and 6% or less, or 2% or more and 4% or less.

The electrode plate area refers to the projected area when the positive electrode plate or the negative electrode plate (excluding the ears) is projected in the normal direction of the electrode plate surface. The cut area refers to the area of the cut portion (for example, the portion removed by chamfering) at the corner of the end opposite to the lateral bone portion having the ears of the positive electrode plate or the negative electrode plate. It is calculated by the method of.

Normally, the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate have a substantially rectangular shape except for the ear portion. The contour of the projected shape of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate is a straight line portion extending parallel to the first direction (usually the horizontal direction), which is the extending direction of the transverse bone (first transverse bone portion), on the opposite side of the ear portion. It has L1 and a straight line portion L2 extending parallel to a second direction (usually a vertical direction) intersecting the first direction, and the straight line portions L1 and L2 are connected via a connecting portion C. The connecting portion C may be configured to include straight lines and / or curves tilted from the first and second directions.

Consider an extension line E1 in which the straight portion L1 is extended to the L2 side and an extension line E2 in which the straight portion L2 is extended to the L1 side (see FIG. 1). The cut area is obtained by calculating the area S of the region surrounded by the extension line E1, the extension line E2, and the connecting portion C. When chamfering both sides of a pair of corners in the first direction, the cut area is _{the sum of the areas S 1} and S ₂ of the notched portions on both sides (S = S ₁ + S ₂ ).

Let A be the plate area of the plate having the chamfered cut surface. The ratio R is calculated by the following formula (1).
(Equation 1)
R1 = S / (A + S)

In particular, when the positive electrode plate or the negative electrode plate is formed by chamfering a substantially rectangular electrode plate, the width of the electrode plate in the first direction is W, and the width of the electrode plate is the second direction of the electrode plate excluding the ears. The ratio R1 is calculated by the following formula (2), where H is the height of.
(Equation 2)
R1 = S / (W × H)

The cut surface may be provided on both the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, or may be provided on only one of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate. When the cut surface is provided on both the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, the cut area may be the same or different between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate. Above all, when the cut surface is provided at at least one of the pair of corners of the positive electrode plate, the improvement in IS life is remarkable. Further, it is preferable that the cut surface is provided only on at least one of the pair of corners of the positive electrode plate and not on the negative electrode plate. The fact that the positive electrode plate or the negative electrode plate is not provided with a cut surface includes the case where the ratio R1 of the cut area represented by the above formula is 0.1% or less.

The cut area may be 1 cm ² or more and 7 cm ² or less, 2 cm ² or more and 7 cm ² or less, or 2 cm ² or more and 4.5 cm ² or less.

Further, the cut surface may be provided on both of the pair of corners of the positive electrode plate or the negative electrode plate, or may be provided on only one of the pair of corners of the positive electrode plate or the negative electrode plate. When the cut surface is provided on both the positive electrode plate and the pair of corners of the negative electrode plate, the cut surface provided on one corner is the shape or cut area of the cut surface provided on the other corner. May be different.

When the cut surface is provided only on _{the positive electrode plate, or when the cut area S +} on the positive electrode plate _{is larger than the cut area S −} on the negative electrode plate, the negative electrode plate has a positive electrode when viewed from the direction facing the positive electrode plate. A non-opposing portion that does not face the plate may exist so as to project outside the cut surface at the corner of the positive electrode plate. The non-opposing portion of the negative electrode plate is unlikely to contribute to the charge / discharge reaction, and a reaction in which gas (hydrogen gas) is generated by applying a charge / discharge voltage can mainly occur. Therefore, by providing the non-opposing portion on the negative electrode plate, hydrogen gas generation is promoted even in the partially charged state. The generated hydrogen gas moves from the bottom side of the electric tank where the non-opposing portion exists toward the liquid level of the electrolytic solution or vertically upward. As a result, the flow and stirring of the electrolytic solution staying below the cut surface can be induced, and stratification can be effectively suppressed. As a result, the effect of improving the IS life can be further enhanced.

On the other hand, when at least the positive electrode plate is provided with a cut surface and the negative electrode plate has a non-opposing portion, the generation of gas (hydrogen gas) is promoted, but the charging efficiency is lowered by the amount of gas generation. It may reduce the service life. That is, the effect of improving the IS life due to the generation of gas in the non-negative electrode facing portion may be offset by the side effect of the decrease in IS life due to the decrease in charging efficiency. However, in reality, the improving effect greatly exceeds the side effects, and the IS life is significantly improved.

Area S ₀ of the non-facing portions of the negative electrode plate is determined from the shape and the cut area of the cut surface or corner of each of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate. _{The area S 0} of the non-opposing portion of the negative electrode plate may be 1% or more or 2% or more with respect to the area of the negative electrode plate before chamfering. The area S ₀ may be 6% or less or 4% or less with respect to the area of the negative electrode plate before chamfering.

_{Let A −} be the electrode plate area of the negative electrode plate having a chamfered cut surface. The ratio R2 of the non-opposing portion to the area of the negative electrode plate before chamfering is calculated by the following equation (3).
(Equation 3)
_{R2 = S 0 / (A -} + S -)

When the positive electrode plate or the negative electrode plate is formed by chamfering a substantially rectangular electrode plate, the width of the electrode plate in the first direction is W, and the height of the electrode plate in the second direction excluding the ears. Let H be, and the ratio R2 is calculated by the following formula (4).
(Equation 4)
R2 = S ₀ / (W × H)

The ratio R2 may be 1% or more and 6% or less, 2% or more and 6% or less, or 2% or more and 4% or less.

The separator may be bag-shaped. In that case, the separator may accommodate the negative electrode plate. The electrolytic solution is effectively agitated by gas generation, and the effect of suppressing stratification can be enhanced.

For example, in a lead-acid battery mounted on an idling stop vehicle, the number of positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates constituting the electrode plate group is large, and the positive electrode plate, separator, and negative electrode plate are housed in the battery case under pressure. ing. In a lead-acid battery in which pressure is applied to such a group of electrode plates, when the negative electrode plate is housed in a bag-shaped separator, the separator is in close contact with the negative electrode plate. On the other hand, a gap of the electrolytic solution may be interposed between the separator and the positive electrode plate by the rib provided on the separator. In this case, the gas generated at the negative electrode can move upward through the gaps of the electrolytic solution after passing through the separator. As a result, the electrolytic solution impregnated in the separator can be agitated, and the effect of suppressing stratification can be enhanced. Therefore, in this case, the ribs protruding from the surface of the base portion facing the positive electrode plate of the separator (that is, the outer surface of the base portion of the bag-shaped separator) have the above-mentioned first and second fluid flow paths. When it is formed, stratification is remarkably suppressed, which is more preferable.

In the present specification, the fully charged state of a liquid lead-acid battery is defined by the definition of JIS D 5301: 2006. More specifically, the terminal voltage during charging measured every 15 minutes with a current (A) 0.2 times the value described as the rated capacity of the lead-acid battery in a water tank at 25 ° C. ± 2 ° C. A fully charged state is defined as a state in which the electrolyte density converted to a temperature of 20 ° C. is charged three times in a row until it shows a constant value with three significant figures. Further, in the case of a control valve type lead-acid battery, the fully charged state means that the lead-acid battery has a current (A) of 0.2 times the value described as the rated capacity in an air tank at 25 ° C. ± 2 ° C. A constant current constant voltage charge of 2.23 V / cell is performed, and charging is completed when the charge current (A) at the time of constant voltage charge becomes 0.005 times the value described in the rated capacity. The numerical value described as the rated capacity is a numerical value in which the unit is Ah. The unit of current set based on the numerical value described as the rated capacity is A.

A fully charged lead-acid battery is a fully charged lead-acid battery. The lead-acid battery may be fully charged after the chemical conversion, immediately after the chemical conversion, or after a lapse of time from the chemical conversion (for example, after the chemical conversion, the lead-acid battery in use (preferably at the initial stage of use) is fully charged. May be). An initial use battery is a battery that has not been used for a long time and has hardly deteriorated.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the appearance of the electrode plate 100 (positive electrode plate or negative electrode plate) used in the lead storage battery according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the example of FIG. 1, the electrode plate 100 is a positive electrode plate, but it may be a negative electrode plate. In FIG. 1, the state of the current collector covered with the electrode material is also shown by omitting the description of the electrode material in a part of the electrode plate 100.

The electrode plate (positive electrode plate) 100 includes a current collector (positive electrode current collector) 101 and an electrode material (positive electrode material) 102 held by the current collector 101. The current collector 101 is an expanding grid in the example of FIG. The current collector 101 may be a punched current collector or a cast current collector. The positive electrode current collector 101 includes a grid portion 103, a first lateral bone portion 104, and an ear portion 106. The first lateral bone portion 104 is provided at one end of the lattice portion 103. The ear portion 106 is provided on the first lateral bone portion 104.

The approximate shape of the electrode plate 100 excluding the ear portion 106 is a rectangular shape having a width W and a height H, but the corner portion of the corner opposite to the first lateral bone portion 104 is chamfered. As a result, the cut surface 107 is formed on the electrode plate 100.

The contour shape of the electrode plate 100 is a straight line portion L1 that is on the opposite side of the first transverse bone portion 104 and extends parallel to the extending direction of the first transverse bone portion 104, and the first transverse bone portion 104. It has a straight line portion L2 parallel to a direction intersecting the extending direction of the above, and a connecting portion C connecting the straight line portion L1 and the straight line portion L2 at a corner portion. The connecting portion C may be configured to include a straight line and / or a curved line inclined with respect to the straight line portions L1 and L2. The cut surface 107 refers to a slope corresponding to the connecting portion C. The cut surface 107 may be present on one or both of the pair of corners.

The extension line extending the straight line portion L1 to the L2 side is referred to as E1, and the extension line extending the straight line portion L2 to the L1 side is referred to as E2. In the plate 100, the plate area is reduced by _{the total area S 1} + S ₂ of the area surrounded by the extension line E1, the extension line E2, and the connecting portion C at the pair of corners.

A group of electrode plates can be obtained by laminating a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate via a separator using the electrode plate 100. When the obtained electrode plate group is housed in the electric tank, if the cross-sectional shape of the inner wall of the electric tank is rectangular, a gap is formed below the cut surface 107 of the electrode plate 100. This gap is filled with an electrolytic solution. The electrolytic solution existing in this gap is difficult to flow and stir, and it is easy to promote stratification. However, in the present embodiment, by devising the arrangement pattern of the ribs provided on the separator (see FIGS. 2A to 2C, 3 and 4), the electrolytic solution can easily flow and stir in the separator. As a result, the progress of stratification is suppressed and the IS life is improved.

The electrode plate 100 may be used as the positive electrode plate, and a normal electrode plate that is not chamfered by the negative electrode plate may be used. In this case, when the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate are overlapped with each other via the separator to form a group of electrode plates, the negative electrode plate is projected from the surface provided by chamfering the positive electrode plate when viewed from the direction facing the positive electrode plate, and the positive electrode plate is formed. A non-opposing portion that does not face the plate is generated. In this negative electrode non-opposing portion, a reaction in which hydrogen gas is generated by applying a charge / discharge voltage can mainly occur. As a result, the electrolytic solution staying below the cut surface of the negative electrode plate flows and is agitated, and stratification can be effectively suppressed.

2A to 2C are schematic views showing schematic configuration examples of separators 200 (200a to 200c) used in the lead storage battery according to the embodiment of the present invention, respectively. In FIGS. 2A to 2C, the separator has a bag shape, and is formed by folding one separator in half and closing both ends of the overlap by welding or crimping.

The separators 200a to 200c have a base portion 201 and a plurality of ribs 202 protruding from the base portion 201. The base portion 201 has a central region 203, a first end portion 204 and a second end portion 205 facing each other in the vertical direction across the central region 203, and a third end facing each other in the horizontal direction across the central region 203. It has a portion 206 and a fourth end portion 207. The ribs 202 are provided on both outer surfaces of the bag-shaped separator.

The central region 203 is a region that can face the negative electrode plate or the positive electrode plate when the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate are laminated via a separator to form a electrode plate group. That is, in the case of the bag-shaped separator, the central region 203 refers to a region that can face the accommodated negative electrode plate or positive electrode plate when the negative electrode plate or positive electrode plate is housed in the bag-shaped separator. The central region 203 is surrounded by the first end portion 204 to the fourth end portion 207. The first end portion 204 is an end portion of the separator 200a on the bending position side. The second end portion 205 is an end portion on the opening side of the separator 200a. The third end 206 and the fourth end 207 are ends close to the welded portion of the separator 200a. 2A to 2C, an example of a first fluid flow path P from the first end 204 to the second end 205, and a second fluid flow from the third end 206 to the fourth end 207. An example of the road Q is shown respectively.

In the separator 200a shown in FIG. 2A, a plurality of ribs 202 extend on the surface of the base portion 201 along a plurality of straight lines parallel to the vertical direction. However, the rib 202 does not extend continuously on the straight line in the central region 203, but extends discontinuously and intermittently on the straight line. Therefore, a gap 208 in which the rib 202 is not formed is interposed between the adjacent ribs 202 extending along the same straight line. Therefore, a second fluid flow path from the third end 206 to the fourth end 207 is formed through the gap 208. With the movement of the gas generated by the charge / discharge reaction, the horizontal flow of the electrolytic solution can be promoted through this gap. As a result, the electrolytic solution is easily agitated, the progress of stratification is suppressed, and the IS life is improved.

In the separator 200b shown in FIG. 2B, a plurality of ribs (first ribs) 202a extend on the surface of the base portion 201 along a plurality of straight lines inclined by θ1 with respect to the vertical direction. However, the rib 202a does not extend continuously on the inclined straight line in the central region 203, but extends discontinuously and intermittently on the straight line. Similar to FIG. 2A, a gap 208 in which the rib 202 is not formed is interposed between adjacent ribs 202 extending along the same straight line. As a result, a second fluid flow path from the third end 206 to the fourth end 207 is formed through the gap 208. In this case, the moving distance of the gas generated by the charge / discharge reaction becomes large, and the electrolytic solution easily flows in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction through the gap 208. As a result, the electrolytic solution becomes easier to be agitated, and the progress of stratification can be further suppressed.

In the separator 200c shown in FIG. 2C, a plurality of first ribs 202a and a plurality of second ribs 202b extend on the surface of the base portion 201. The first rib 202a extends in a direction inclined by θ1 with respect to the vertical direction, and the second rib 202b is inclined from the vertical direction in the direction opposite to the first rib 202a and in the vertical direction. It extends in a direction tilted by θ2. The first rib 202a and the second rib 202b are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction, and a gap 208 is interposed between the first rib 202a and the second rib 202b. As a result, a second fluid flow path from the third end 206 to the fourth end 207 is formed through the gap 208. In this case, the gas generated by the charge / discharge reaction can move in a zigzag direction in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the moving distance of the gas tends to increase. Further, the electrolytic solution easily flows in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction through the gap 208. As a result, the electrolytic solution becomes easier to be agitated, and the progress of stratification can be further suppressed.

In FIGS. 2A to 2C, the gaps 208 are arranged along the horizontal direction, but the gaps 208 do not necessarily have to be arranged along the horizontal direction. For example, in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the vertical position of the gap 208 may be different from that of the rib 202 (202a) extending on different straight lines.

FIG. 3 shows another configuration example of the separator provided with the first rib 202a and the second rib 202b. In the separator 200d shown in FIG. 3, the first rib 202a and the second rib 202b are arranged in a layout in which the region T is used as a basic structure and is periodically repeated in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. Similar to FIGS. 2A to 2C, an example of the first fluid flow path P from the first end 204 to the second end 205 and the second fluid from the third end 206 to the fourth end 207. An example of the flow path Q is shown in FIG. In this case, the gas movement path generated by the charge / discharge reaction may take a complicated path. In this case, the moving distance of the gas becomes remarkably large, and the stirring of the electrolytic solution is likely to be promoted. As a result, the progress of stratification is remarkably suppressed, and the effect of improving the IS life can be enhanced.

On the other hand, FIG. 4 shows an example of the rib layout in the conventional separator. In the separator 210 shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of ribs 202 extend on the surface of the base portion 201 along a plurality of straight lines parallel to the vertical direction, as in FIG. 2A. The rib 202 extends continuously on a straight line, and there is no gap 208 in the central region 203. In this case, the first fluid flow path P from the first end 204 to the second end 205 via the central region 203 is formed, but the third end 206 to the central region 203 is formed. It is not possible to form a second fluid flow path leading to the four end 207. In this case, since the gas generated by the charge / discharge reaction moves exclusively in the vertical direction toward the liquid surface of the electrolytic solution, it is difficult to promote the horizontal flow of the electrolytic solution. As a result, the effect of suppressing the progress of stratification by stirring the electrolytic solution is not sufficient. Therefore, in a lead-acid battery provided with a cut surface, the effect of improving the IS life by using the separator 210 is small.

The thickness of the base portion is, for example, 0.15 mm or more and 0.3 mm or less or 0.15 mm or more and 0.25 mm or less. The thickness of the base portion is obtained by measuring and averaging the thickness of the base portion at five arbitrarily selected points in the cross-sectional photograph of the separator.

The average protruding height of the ribs (first rib and second rib) may be, for example, 0.4 mm or more and 0.8 mm or less. However, even when the ribs are formed, when the protruding height of the ribs is 0.01 mm or less in a part of each rib, or when the difference from the maximum protruding height of the ribs is 0.2 mm or more. Considers that no ribs are formed in that part (in other words, there is a gap for forming a fluid flow path). The average protruding height of each rib is obtained by averaging the heights of the ribs from the base portion measured at 10 arbitrarily selected positions of the ribs on one main surface of the base portion.

The average length of the ribs (first rib and second rib) may be, for example, 0.5 cm or more and 2 cm or less, 0.7 cm or more and 1.6 cm or less, or 0.8 cm or more and 1.3 cm or less.

Total length of per unit area the ribs are, for example, 0.3 cm ^-1 or 1.7 cm ^-1 or less, 0.4 cm ^-1 or 1.7 cm ^-1 or less, 0.5 cm ^-1 or 1.5 cm ^-1 It may be less than or equal to 0.6 cm ^-1 or more and 1.2 cm ^{-1 or less.} The total length of the ribs per unit area is calculated by the following formula.
(Total rib length per unit area (cm ^-1 )) = (total length of each rib (cm)) / area of separator base (cm ² ))

The number density of the ribs, for example, 0.3 cm ^-2 or 1.7 cm ^-2 or less, 0.4 cm ^-2 or 1.7 cm ^-2 or less, 0.5 cm ^-2 or 1.5 cm ^-2 or less, or 0. 6 cm ^-2 or 1.2 cm ^-2 may be less. The number density of ribs is calculated by the following formula.
(Number of ribs density (cm- ² )) = (Number of ribs) / (Area of separator base (cm ² ))

The distance between adjacent ribs (distance between midpoints) may be, for example, 1 cm or more and 3 cm or less in the vertical direction and 0.6 cm or more and 2 cm or less in the horizontal direction.

The thickness of the base portion, the height and the length of the ribs in the separator are measured by the following procedure for the separator which has been taken out from the lead storage battery, washed and dried.

The separator removed from the lead-acid battery is washed and dried prior to measurement and, if necessary, cut to the desired size. Cleaning and drying of the separator taken out from the lead-acid battery is performed by the following procedure. The separator taken out from the lead storage battery is immersed in pure water for 1 hour to remove sulfuric acid in the separator. Next, the separator is taken out from the immersed liquid and allowed to stand for 16 hours or more in an environment of 25 ° C. to dry. When the separator is taken out from the lead storage battery, the separator is taken out from the fully charged lead storage battery.
(Positive plate)
There are two types of positive electrode plates for lead-acid batteries: paste type and clad type.

The paste-type positive electrode plate includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode material. The positive electrode material is held in the positive electrode current collector. In the paste type positive electrode plate, the positive electrode electrode material is the positive electrode plate from which the positive electrode current collector is removed. The positive electrode current collector may be formed in the same manner as the negative electrode current collector, and can be formed by casting lead or a lead alloy or processing a lead or a lead alloy sheet.

The clad type positive electrode plate includes a plurality of porous tubes, a core metal inserted in each tube, a positive electrode material filled in the tube into which the core metal is inserted, and a collective punishment for connecting the plurality of tubes. Equipped with. In the clad type positive electrode plate, the positive electrode material is the positive electrode plate from which the tube, the core metal, and the collective punishment are removed.

As the lead alloy used for the positive electrode current collector, Pb-Ca-based alloys and Pb-Ca-Sn-based alloys are preferable in terms of corrosion resistance and mechanical strength. The positive electrode current collector may have lead alloy layers having different compositions, and may have a plurality of alloy layers. It is preferable to use a Pb-Ca alloy or a Pb-Sb alloy for the core metal.

The positive electrode material contains a positive electrode active material (lead dioxide or lead sulfate) whose capacity is developed by a redox reaction. The positive electrode material may contain other additives, if necessary.

The unchemical paste type positive electrode plate is obtained by filling the positive electrode current collector with the positive electrode paste, aging and drying, as in the case of the negative electrode plate. After that, an unchemical positive electrode plate is formed. The positive electrode paste is prepared by kneading lead powder, additives, water, and sulfuric acid.

The clad-type positive electrode plate is formed by filling a tube into which a core metal is inserted with lead powder or slurry-like lead powder, and connecting a plurality of tubes in a continuous position.

(Negative electrode plate)
The negative electrode plate of a lead storage battery is composed of a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode material. The negative electrode electrode material is a negative electrode plate obtained by removing the negative electrode current collector. The negative electrode current collector may be formed by casting lead (Pb) or a lead alloy, or may be formed by processing a lead or lead alloy sheet. Examples of the processing method include expanding processing and punching processing. It is preferable to use a negative electrode lattice as the negative electrode current collector because it is easy to support the negative electrode material.

The lead alloy used for the negative electrode current collector may be any of Pb-Sb-based alloys, Pb-Ca-based alloys, and Pb-Ca-Sn-based alloys. These leads or lead alloys may further contain, as an additive element, at least one selected from the group consisting of Ba, Ag, Al, Bi, As, Se, Cu and the like.

The negative electrode material contains a negative electrode active material (lead or lead sulfate) whose capacity is developed by a redox reaction, and may contain a depolarizer, a carbonaceous material such as carbon black, barium sulfate, or the like, if necessary. , Other additives may be included.

As the organic shrinkage proofing agent, lignins and / or synthetic organic shrinkage proofing agents may be used. Examples of lignins include lignin, lignin sulfonic acid or a lignin derivative such as a salt thereof (such as an alkali metal salt such as a sodium salt). The synthetic organic shrinkage proofing agent is an organic polymer containing a sulfur element, and generally contains a plurality of aromatic rings in the molecule and also contains a sulfur element as a sulfur-containing group. Among the sulfur-containing groups, a sulfonic acid group or a sulfonyl group in a stable form is preferable.

The negative electrode active material in the charged state is spongy lead, but the unchemicald negative electrode plate is usually produced using lead powder.

The negative electrode plate can be formed by filling a negative electrode current collector with a negative electrode paste, aging and drying to produce an unchemicald negative electrode plate, and then forming an unchemicald negative electrode plate. The negative electrode paste is prepared by adding water and sulfuric acid to lead powder, an organic shrink-proofing agent, and various additives as necessary, and kneading them. In the aging step, it is preferable to ripen the unchemicald negative electrode plate at a temperature higher than room temperature and high humidity.

The chemical conversion can be carried out by charging the electrode plate group in a state where the electrode plate group including the unchemical negative electrode plate is immersed in the electrolytic solution containing sulfuric acid in the electric tank of the lead storage battery. However, chemical conversion may be performed before assembling the lead-acid battery or the electrode plate group. The chemical formation produces spongy lead.

At least one of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate is configured to have a cut surface at a corner of the electrode plate, for example, as in the electrode plate 100 shown in FIG.

(Electrolytic solution)
The electrolytic solution is an aqueous solution containing sulfuric acid, and may contain at least one selected from the group consisting of Na ions, Li ions, Mg ions, and Al ions. The electrolytic solution may be gelled if necessary.

The specific gravity of the electrolytic solution at 20 ° C. is, for example, 1.10 g / cm ³ or more. The specific gravity of the electrolytic solution at 20 ° C. ^{may be 1.35 g / cm 3} or less. These specific gravities are values for the electrolytic solution of a ready-made and fully charged lead-acid battery.

(Separator)
A separator is usually arranged between the negative electrode plate and the positive electrode plate. A non-woven fabric, a microporous membrane, or the like is used as the separator. Nonwoven fabric is a mat that is entwined without weaving fibers, and is mainly composed of fibers. For example, 60% by mass or more of the separator is made of fibers. As the fiber, glass fiber, polymer fiber, pulp fiber and the like can be used. The non-woven fabric may contain components other than fibers, for example, an acid-resistant inorganic powder, a polymer as a binder, and the like. The microporous film is a porous sheet mainly composed of components other than fiber components. For example, a composition containing a pore-forming agent (polymer powder, oil, etc.) is extruded into a sheet and then the pore-forming agent is removed. It is obtained by forming pores.

The separator has ribs. The ribs are erected on the surface of the separator in a region that can face the positive electrode plate or the negative electrode plate. The ribs may be provided on only one surface of the separator, or may be provided on both surfaces, respectively. The ribs provided on at least one surface may be arranged in the above layout. The separator may be formed in a bag shape, or either a positive electrode plate or a negative electrode plate may be wrapped in a bag-shaped separator. However, from the viewpoint of effectively diffusing the electrolytic solution due to gas generation, the negative electrode plate may be housed in a bag-shaped separator as described above.

The separator composed of the microporous membrane is formed by extruding a resin composition containing, for example, a polymer material (hereinafter, also referred to as a base polymer), a pore-forming agent, and a penetrant (surfactant) into a sheet. After that, it is obtained by removing the pore-forming agent. By removing at least a part of the pore-forming agent, micropores are formed in the matrix of the base polymer. The resin composition may further contain inorganic particles.

The ribs may be formed on the sheet during extrusion molding, and the sheet is pressed by a roller having a groove corresponding to each rib after the resin composition is formed into a sheet or after the pore-forming agent is removed. May be formed by.

The base polymer is not particularly limited as long as it is used as a separator for a lead storage battery, but polyolefin is often used. Examples of the polyolefin include polymers containing at least ethylene and / or propylene as a monomer unit. As the polyolefin, for example, a copolymer containing polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene and / or propylene as a monomer unit (for example, an ethylene-propylene copolymer) is more preferable. Above all, it is preferable to use at least polyethylene. Polyolefins and other polymers may be used in combination.

As the inorganic particles, for example, ceramic particles such as silica, alumina, and titania are preferable.

The content of the inorganic particles in the separator is, for example, 40% by mass or more, and may be 50% by mass or more. The content of the inorganic particles is, for example, 80% by mass or less, and may be 75% by mass or less or 70% by mass or less.

The content of inorganic particles in the separator is 40% by mass or more (or 50% by mass or more) 80% by mass or less, 40% by mass or more (or 50% by mass or more) 75% by mass or less, or 40% by mass or more (or). It may be 50% by mass or more) and 70% by mass or less.

The content of the inorganic particles in the separator is determined by the following procedure using the separator taken out from the lead storage battery, washed and dried in the above procedure as a measurement sample. After accurately weighing the measurement sample, place it in a platinum crucible and heat it with a Bunsen burner until no white smoke is emitted. Next, in an electric furnace (in an oxygen stream, 550 ° C.), the sample is heated for about 1 hour to ash and the ash is weighed. The ratio of the mass of the ash to the mass of the above-mentioned measurement sample is calculated and used as the above-mentioned content (mass%) of the inorganic particles.

Examples of the pore-forming agent include a liquid pore-forming agent and a solid pore-forming agent. As the pore-forming agent, one type may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination. A liquid pore-forming agent and a solid pore-forming agent may be used in combination. As the liquid pore-forming agent, mineral oil, synthetic oil and the like are preferable. Examples of the liquid pore-forming agent include paraffin oil and silicone oil. Examples of the solid pore-forming agent include polymer powder and the like.

The amount of the pore-forming agent in the separator may vary depending on the type, and therefore cannot be unequivocally determined, but is, for example, 30 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of the base polymer. The amount of the pore-forming agent is, for example, 60 parts by mass or less.

The surfactant as the penetrant may be, for example, either an ionic surfactant or a nonionic surfactant. As the surfactant, one type may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.

The amount of the penetrant in the separator is, for example, 0.1 part by mass or more and 0.5 parts by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of the base polymer. The amount of the penetrant is, for example, 10 parts by mass or less, and may be 5 parts by mass or less.

The content of the penetrant in the separator is, for example, 0.01% by mass or more, and may be 0.1% by mass or more. The content of the penetrant is, for example, 5% by mass or less, and may be 10% by mass or less.

The content of the penetrant in the separator may be 0.01% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less, or 0.01% by mass or more and 5% by mass or less.

The content of the penetrant in the separator is determined by the following procedure using the separator taken out from the lead storage battery in the above procedure, washed and dried as a measurement sample. First, a measurement sample having an area of about 15 cm ² is accurately weighed, and then dried at room temperature (temperature of 20 ° C. or higher and 35 ° C. or lower) in a reduced pressure environment lower than atmospheric pressure for 12 hours or more. The dried product is placed in a platinum cell, set in a thermogravimetric analyzer, and heated from room temperature to 800 ° C. at a heating rate of 10 K / min. The weight loss when the temperature is raised from room temperature to 250 ° C. is taken as the mass of the penetrant, and the ratio of the mass of the penetrant to the mass of the measurement sample is calculated, and the content of the penetrant (mass%) is calculated. And. As a thermogravimetric measuring device, T.I. A. Q5000IR manufactured by Instruments is used.

The separator may contain oil. When the separator contains oil, the oil content may be, for example, 10% by mass or more or 12% by mass or more from the viewpoint of suppressing oxidative deterioration of the separator and suppressing deterioration of durability. On the other hand, when the oil content is low, a separator having a large total pore volume can be obtained, and the resistance of the separator can be reduced. The oil content may be, for example, 20% by mass or less, 18% by mass or less, or 15% by mass or less from the viewpoint of maintaining high diffusibility of the electrolytic solution and obtaining a high IS life.

The oil content of the separator may be 10% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, 12% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, 12% by mass or more and 18% by mass or less, or 12% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less.

The oil content in the separator is measured by the following procedure for the separator taken out from the lead storage battery, washed and dried by the procedure described above.

A sample obtained by cutting the above-mentioned dried separator into strips is _{weighed at 0.5 g (initial sample mass: m 0} ) and collected. Place the sample in a glass beaker of appropriate size and add 50 mL of n-hexane. Next, the oil contained in the sample is eluted into n-hexane by applying ultrasonic waves to the sample together with the beaker for about 30 minutes. The sample is taken out, dried in the air at room temperature (temperature of 20 ° C. or higher and 35 ° C. or lower), and then weighed to determine the mass (m ₁ ) of the sample after removing the oil. Then, the oil content is calculated by the following formula.
Oil content (% by mass) = (m _0- m ₁ ) / m ₀ x 100

The sample is taken from a region that can face the positive electrode plate or the negative electrode plate of the separator and does not have ribs.

(Fiber mat)
The lead-acid battery may further include a fiber mat interposed between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate. Fiber mats, unlike separators, contain sheet-like fiber aggregates. As such a fiber aggregate, a sheet in which fibers insoluble in an electrolytic solution are entangled is used. Such sheets include, for example, non-woven fabrics, woven fabrics, knitting and the like. For example, 60% by mass or more of the fiber mat is made of fibers.

As the fiber, glass fiber, polymer fiber, pulp fiber and the like can be used. Among the polymer fibers, polyolefin fibers are preferable.

FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the appearance and internal structure of the liquid lead-acid battery according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The lead-acid battery 1 includes an electric tank 12 that houses a electrode plate group 11 and an electrolytic solution (not shown). The inside of the electric tank 12 is partitioned into a plurality of cell chambers 14 by a partition wall 13. In each cell chamber 14, one electrode plate group 11 is stored. The opening of the battery case 12 is closed by a lid 15 including a negative electrode terminal 16 and a positive electrode terminal 17. The lid 15 is provided with a liquid spout 18 for each cell chamber. At the time of rehydration, the liquid spout 18 is removed and the rehydration liquid is replenished. The liquid spout 18 may have a function of discharging the gas generated in the cell chamber 14 to the outside of the battery.

The electrode plate group 11 is formed by laminating a plurality of negative electrode plates 2 and positive electrode plates 3 via a separator 4, respectively. Here, a bag-shaped separator 4 that houses the negative electrode plate 2 is shown. However, the ribs on the separator 4 are not shown. The separator 4 may or may not have a bag shape for accommodating the positive electrode plate 3. As the separator 4, for example, one in which ribs are arranged in the same layout as the separators 200a to 200d shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C and FIGS. 3 can be adopted. In the cell chamber 14 located at one end of the battery case 12, the negative electrode shelf portion 6 for connecting the plurality of negative electrode plates 2 in parallel is connected to the through connecting body 8, and the positive electrode shelf portion for connecting the plurality of positive electrode plates 3 in parallel. 5 is connected to the positive electrode column 7. The positive electrode column 7 is connected to the positive electrode terminal 17 outside the lid 15. In the cell chamber 14 located at the other end of the battery case 12, the negative electrode column 9 is connected to the negative electrode shelf 6, and the through connector 8 is connected to the positive electrode shelf 5. The negative electrode column 9 is connected to the negative electrode terminal 16 outside the lid 15. Each through-connecting body 8 passes through a through-hole provided in the partition wall 13 and connects the electrode plates 11 of the adjacent cell chambers 14 in series.

Although FIG. 5 shows an example of a liquid battery (vent type battery), the lead storage battery may be a control valve type battery (VRLA type).

Hereinafter, a method for evaluating each characteristic of the lead storage battery will be described.

In the lead-acid battery according to the above aspect, the IS life is improved by promoting the agitation of the gas. Further, when an expanding lattice is used for the current collector, the initial battery short circuit is suppressed by providing a cut surface on the positive electrode plate and / or the negative electrode plate. IS life and initial battery short circuit are evaluated by the following procedure.

(1) IS life The number of cycles until the terminal voltage reaches 7.2V (1.2V / cell) is used as an index of IS life in the following procedure. The minute current discharge in (e) simulates dark current discharge when the engine is stopped.
(A) After the storage battery is placed in a cooling chamber at 0 ° C. ± 1 ° C. for at least 16 hours after the full charge is completed, it is confirmed that the electrolyte temperature of any cell in the center is 0 ° C. ± 1 ° C. To do.
(B) The storage battery is discharged for 1.0 second at a current (A) that is 10 times the value of Ah described as the rated capacity.
(C) The storage battery is discharged for 25 seconds at a current (A) 0.83 times the value of Ah described as the rated capacity.
(D) The storage battery is charged at a voltage of 14.0 V (2.33 V / cell) for 30 seconds.
(E) The discharge and charge of (b) to (c) above are repeated as one cycle. At this time, a minute current (20 mA) is discharged every 30 cycles for 6 hours.
(F) In the above (b), the number of cycles when the terminal voltage becomes less than 7.2V (1.2V / cell) is obtained.

(2) Initial battery short circuit (a) In the manufacture of the electrode plate group, visually check whether or not holes are found in the separator due to the bending of the current collector.
(B) A group of electrode plates for which holes in the separator could not be confirmed are housed in an electric tank, an electrolytic solution is injected, and chemical conversion treatment is performed.
(C) The lead-acid battery after chemical discharge is discharged for 2.5 seconds at a current (A) of 8.3 times the value of Ah described as the rated capacity. If the voltage after discharge is 9.5 V (1.58 V / cell) or less, it is considered as a discharge failure.
(D) The number of holes in the separator confirmed in (a) and the number of defective discharges in (c) are totaled to obtain the ratio to the total number of samples, which is used as the initial battery short-circuit rate.

[Example]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail based on Examples and Comparative Examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following Examples.

A plurality of lead-acid batteries A1 to A24, B1 to B4, and C1 to C8 having different configurations of positive and negative electrode plates and / or rib arrangement patterns were produced by the following procedure.

<< Batteries A1 to A3, C1 >>
(1) Preparation of positive electrode plate A positive electrode paste was prepared by mixing lead oxide, a reinforcing material (synthetic resin fiber), water and sulfuric acid. The positive electrode paste was filled in the mesh portion of an expanded lattice made of an antimony-free Pb-Ca-Sn alloy, aged and dried to obtain an unmodified positive electrode plate having a width of 100 mm, a height of 110 mm and a thickness of 1.6 mm. ..

(2) Preparation of Negative Electrode Plate A negative electrode paste was prepared by mixing lead oxide, carbon black, barium sulfate, lignin, reinforcing material (synthetic resin fiber), water and sulfuric acid. The negative electrode paste was filled in the mesh portion of an expanded lattice made of an antimony-free Pb-Ca-Sn alloy, aged and dried to obtain an unmodified negative electrode plate having a width of 100 mm, a height of 110 mm and a thickness of 1.3 m. .. The amounts of carbon black, barium sulfate, lignin and synthetic resin fibers were 0.3% by mass, 2.1% by mass, 0.1% by mass and 0.1% by mass, respectively, when measured in a fully charged state. Adjusted to mass%.

(3) Formation of cut surface In the lead-acid batteries A1 to A3, at least one of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate obtained in (1) and (2) is cornered at both corners opposite to the ear portion of the electrode plate. Was chamfered to form a cut surface. The shape of the portion removed by chamfering the electrode plate was a right-angled isosceles triangle with a height of 17 mm, and the cut area was 289 mm ² in total of the removed portions at the corners on both sides. In this case, the ratio R1 of the cut area to the plate area was 2.6%.
The lead-acid battery C1 did not form a cut surface.

(4) Preparation of Separator A resin composition containing 100 parts by mass of polyethylene, 160 parts by mass of silica particles, 80 parts by mass of paraffin oil as a pore-forming agent, and 2 parts by mass of a penetrant was extruded into a sheet. After that, by removing a part of the pore-forming agent, a microporous film having a total pore volume and an oil content obtained by the above-mentioned procedure was prepared. Next, a sheet-shaped microporous membrane was folded in half to form a bag, and both ends of the overlap were crimped to obtain a bag-shaped separator. As the bag-shaped separator, a bag-shaped separator having a pattern similar to that shown in FIG. 2A and having ribs (outer ribs) protruding on the outer surface was used. The size of the base is a rectangle with a width of 11.5 cm and a height of 12.3 cm (base area 141.5 cm ² ), with an average rib length of 1 cm, a total rib length of 0.38 cm- ¹ , and a rib. The number density was 0.38 cm- ² . The distance between adjacent ribs (distance between midpoints) was 2 cm (average value) in the vertical direction and 1.2 cm (average value) in the horizontal direction. The protruding height of the rib was 0.6 mm.

(5) Preparation of Lead-acid Battery A non-chemical negative electrode plate was housed in a bag-shaped separator and laminated with a positive electrode plate to form a group of electrode plates with 7 unchemical negative electrode plates and 6 unchemical positive electrode plates. ..

The ears of the positive electrode plate and the ears of the negative electrode plate were welded to the positive electrode shelf and the negative electrode shelf by a cast-on strap (COS) method, respectively. The electrode plate group is inserted into a polypropylene battery case, an electrolytic solution is injected, and chemical conversion is performed in the battery battery. The rated voltage is 12 V and the rated capacity is 30 Ah (5-hour rate capacity (value described in the rated capacity). Liquid lead-acid batteries A1 to A24 and C1 to C8 were assembled. In the battery case, six electrode plates are connected in series.

An aqueous sulfuric acid solution was used as the electrolytic solution. The specific gravity of the electrolytic solution after chemical conversion at 20 ° C. was 1.285.

<< Batteries A4 to A24, C2 to C8 >>
A bag-shaped separator provided with the same rib pattern as in FIG. 3 was used. As the rib pattern of the separator, θ1 = θ2 in FIG. 3, and a plurality of separators in which θ1 (= θ2) was different in the range of 10 ° to 90 ° were prepared.
The size of the base is a rectangle with a width of 11.5 cm and a height of 12.3 cm (base area 141.5 cm ² ), with an average rib length of 1 cm, a total rib length of 0.76 cm- ¹ , and a rib. The number density was 0.76 cm- ² . The distance between adjacent ribs (distance between midpoints) was 2 cm (average value) in the vertical direction and 1.2 cm (average value) in the horizontal direction. The protruding height of the rib was 0.6 mm.

In the lead-acid batteries A4 to A24, a cut surface similar to that of the lead-acid batteries A1 to A3 was formed on at least one of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate. On the other hand, the lead-acid batteries C2 to C8 did not form a cut surface.
Except for this, a plurality of lead-acid batteries A4 to A24 and C2 to C8 having different configurations of positive and negative electrode plates were produced in the same manner as the batteries A1 to A3 or C1.

<< Lead-acid batteries B1 to B4 >>
A bag-shaped separator provided with the same rib pattern as in FIG. 4 was used. The length of the ribs extending in the vertical direction was 12.3 cm, and the horizontal distance between adjacent ribs was 1.2 cm. The number of ribs was eight.
In the lead-acid batteries B2 to B4, a cut surface similar to that of the lead-acid batteries A1 to A3 was formed on at least one of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate. On the other hand, the lead-acid battery B1 did not form a cut surface.
Except for this, a plurality of lead-acid batteries B1 to B4 having different configurations of positive and negative electrode plates were produced in the same manner as the batteries A1 to A24 and C1 to C8.

Table 1 shows the results of evaluating the IS life and the initial battery short circuit of the lead-acid batteries A1 to A24, B1 to B4, and C1 to C8 by the procedure described above. Table 1 also shows the presence or absence of a cut surface on the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, and the shape of the rib pattern of the separator for each of the lead storage batteries. In Table 1, the IS life is shown as a relative value with the number of cycles of the lead-acid battery B1 as 100. In addition, the initial battery short circuit is shown as a percentage (ppm) of the rate at which defects occur.
In addition, A1 to A24 are examples. B1 to B4 are comparative examples, and are examples in which a separator having a rib pattern in which a horizontal fluid flow path (second fluid flow path) is not formed is used. C1 to C4 are reference examples, and like A1 to A24, separators having a rib pattern in which a horizontal fluid flow path (second fluid flow path) is formed are used, but the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate are used. Neither has a cut surface formed.

From Table 1, a lead-acid battery using a separator having a rib pattern in which a horizontal fluid flow path (second fluid flow path) is formed and having a cut surface formed on at least one of a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate. In A1 to A24, the IS life is improved, and the occurrence of defects due to the initial battery short circuit is suppressed.

The lead-acid battery B1 has a high rate of defects in the initial battery short circuit. This is because the positive and negative electrode plates are not provided with a cut surface, so that the corners of the expanding lattice are deformed and easily bent when the electrode plates are manufactured. When the lattice bone at the corner is bent, the bent portion may penetrate the separator and come into direct contact with the adjacent electrode plate, resulting in a short circuit.

On the other hand, in the lead-acid batteries B2 to B4, by providing a cut surface on at least one of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, the rate of occurrence of defects due to the initial battery short circuit is reduced. In particular, at least in the lead-acid batteries B3 and B4 having a cut surface provided on the positive electrode plate, an initial battery short circuit hardly occurs. However, in the lead-acid batteries B2 to B4, the IS life is shortened by providing the cut surface.

However, in the lead-acid batteries A1 to A24, the IS life of the lead-acid battery having a cut surface is greatly improved by using a separator having a rib pattern in which a horizontal fluid flow path (second fluid flow path) is formed. .. In particular, in the lead-acid batteries A4 to A24 that employ a rib pattern having ribs inclined by 10 ° or more from the vertical direction, the degree of improvement in IS life is remarkable. Further, the lead-acid batteries A2, A5, A8, A11, A14, A17, A20 and A23 having a cut surface provided on the positive electrode plate and no cut surface provided on the negative electrode plate employ the same rib pattern separator and are positive. The IS life was longer than that of lead-acid batteries (C1 to C8) in which no cut surface was provided on any of the negative electrode plates.

The lead-acid battery according to the present invention is applicable to control valve type and liquid type lead-acid batteries, and is suitable as a power source for starting automobiles, motorcycles, etc., and as a power source for industrial power storage devices such as electric vehicles (forklifts, etc.). Can be used for. Above all, it is particularly useful as a power source mounted on an idling stop vehicle.

1: Lead storage battery, 2: Negative electrode plate, 3: Positive electrode plate, 4: Separator, 5: Positive electrode shelf, 6: Negative electrode shelf, 7: Positive electrode column, 8: Through connector, 9: Negative electrode column, 11: Pole Plate group, 12: battery case, 13: partition wall, 14: cell chamber, 15: lid, 16: negative electrode terminal, 17: positive electrode terminal, 18: liquid port plug, 100: electrode plate, 101: current collector (positive electrode collection) Electrode), 102: Electrode material (positive electrode material), 103: Lattice, 104: First transverse bone, 106: Ear, 107: Cut surface, 200, 200a-200d, 210: Separator, 201: Base, 202: rib, 202a: first rib, 202b: second rib, 203: central region, 204: first end, 205: second end, 206: third end, 207: third 4 ends, 208: gap

Claims (11)

A positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, a separator interposed between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, and an electrolytic solution are provided.
The positive electrode plate includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode material held by the positive electrode current collector.
The negative electrode plate includes a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode material held by the negative electrode current collector.
The positive electrode current collector and the negative electrode current collector include a lattice portion, a first transverse bone portion provided at one end of the lattice portion, and an ear portion provided at the first transverse bone portion. Have,
At least one of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, at least one of the pair of corners of the end portion opposite to the first transverse bone portion, is chamfered.
The separator has a base portion and a plurality of ribs protruding from the base portion.
The base portion includes a central region, a first end portion and a second end portion that face each other in the vertical direction across the central region, and a third end portion and a third end portion that face each other in the horizontal direction across the central region. Has 4 ends and
A fluid flow path from the first end to the second end via the central region along the surface of the base, and from the third end along the surface of the base. A lead-acid battery having a fluid flow path that reaches the fourth end via the central region. The lead-acid battery according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of ribs include a plurality of first ribs extending in a first direction inclined from the vertical direction in the surface direction of the base portion. The lead-acid battery according to claim 2, wherein the inclination angle θ1 of the first direction with respect to the vertical direction is 10 ° or more and 90 ° or less. The plurality of ribs according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a plurality of second ribs extending in a second direction inclined in a direction opposite to the first direction from the vertical direction in the surface direction of the base portion. Lead-acid battery. The lead-acid battery according to claim 4, wherein the inclination angle θ2 of the second direction with respect to the vertical direction is 10 ° or more and 90 ° or less. The lead-acid battery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least one of the pair of corners of the positive electrode plate is chamfered. The lead according to claim 6, wherein the negative electrode plate has a non-opposing portion that projects from the chamfered surface of the positive electrode plate and does not face the positive electrode plate when viewed from a direction facing the positive electrode plate. Storage battery. The lead-acid battery according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the positive electrode current collector is an expanding lattice. The lead-acid battery according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the separator has a bag shape and houses the negative electrode plate. Total length of the plurality of ribs per area of the base portion ^is 0.3cm ^-1 ~1.7cm -1, lead-acid battery according to any one of claims 1-9. The lead-acid battery according to any one of claims 1 to 10, which is mounted on an idling stop vehicle.

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