Lead-acid battery formulations containing discrete carbon nanotubes

1. A lead-acid battery paste, comprising a battery blend prepared from a battery mixture comprising:

lead oxide;

a plurality of discrete individual carbon nanotube fibers, not entangled as a mass, having an aspect ratio of from about 10 to about 500;

an organic material;

an inorganic salt; and

a non-fiber carbon moiety, wherein the discrete carbon nanotube fibers have an oxidation level from about 1 weight percent to about 15 weight percent.

2. The battery mixture of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic salt is selected from the group consisting of: barium sulfate, lead sulfate, calcium sulfate, tin oxide, and mixture thereof.

3. The battery mixture of claim 1 , wherein the non-fiber carbon moiety is selected from the group consisting of: carbon black, graphite, graphene, and mixture thereof.

4. A lead-acid battery paste comprising a battery blend prepared from a battery mixture comprising:

lead oxide;

a plurality of discrete individual carbon nanotube fibers, not entangled as a mass, having an aspect ratio of from about 10 to about 500; and

an organic material, wherein the discrete carbon nanotube fibers have an oxidation level from about 1 weight percent to about 15 weight percent.

5. The battery mixture of claim 1 , wherein the discrete carbon nanotube fibers are coated with a conductive polymer.

6. The battery mixture of claim 4 , wherein the discrete carbon nanotube fibers are coated with a conductive polymer.

7. The battery mixture of claim 5 , wherein the conducting polymer is selected from the group consisting of: polyaniline, polyphenylene vinylene, polyvinylpyrollidone, polyacetylene polythiophene, polyphenylene sulfide, and blends, copolymers, and derivatives thereof.

8. The battery mixture of claim 6 , wherein the conducting polymer is selected from the group consisting of: polyaniline, polyphenylene vinylene, polyvinylpyrollidone, polyacetylene polythiophene, polyphenylene sulfide, and blends, copolymers, and derivatives thereof.

9. The battery mixture of claim 1 , further comprises at least one surfactant or dispersing aid.

10. The battery mixture of claim 4 , further comprises at least one surfactant or dispersing aid.

11. The battery mixture of claim 9 , wherein the surfactant or dispersing aid is a sulfonated polymer selected from the group consisting of: ligno-sulfonate, sulfonated polystyrene, and combinations thereof.

12. The battery mixture of claim 10 , wherein the surfactant or dispersing aid is a sulfonated polymer selected from the group consisting of: ligno-sulfonate, sulfonated polystyrene, and combinations thereof.

13. The battery mixture of claim 1 , further comprising water, wherein the discrete carbon nanotube fibers are dispersed in the water.

14. The battery mixture of claim 4 , further comprising water, wherein the discrete carbon nanotube fibers are dispersed in the water.

15. The lead-acid battery paste of claim 1 , wherein the lead-acid battery paste has a concentration gradient through the thickness of the acid-battery battery paste.

16. The lead-acid battery blend of claim 4 , wherein the lead-acid battery paste has a concentration gradient through the thickness of the battery paste.

17. The lead-acid battery paste of claim 1 , wherein the lead-acid battery paste has a highest concentration at a surface of a current collector or at a surface of a separator.

18. The lead-acid battery paste of claim 4 , wherein the lead-acid battery paste has a highest concentration at a surface of a current collector or at a surface of a separator.

19. The battery mixture of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes comprise at least about 70 percent, by weight, of discrete carbon nanotubes.

20. The battery mixture of claim 4 , wherein the carbon nanotubes comprise at least about 70 percent, by weight, of discrete carbon nanotubes.

21. The battery mixture of claim 1 , wherein the discrete carbon nanotubes are oxidized.

22. The battery mixture of claim 4 , wherein the discrete carbon nanotubes are oxidized.

23. The battery mixture of claim 1 further comprising an inorganic salt.

24. The battery mixture of claim 4 further comprising an inorganic salt.

25. The battery mixture of claim 1 further comprising a non-fiber carbon moiety.

26. The battery mixture of claim 4 further comprising a non-fiber carbon moiety.