Lead-based alloy and related processes and products
A lead-based alloy containing alloying additions of bismuth, antimony, arsenic, and tin is used for the production of doped leady oxides, lead-acid battery active materials, lead-acid battery electrodes, and lead-acid batteries.
1. A lead-based alloy comprising, in percent by total alloy weight:
0.0090% to 0.0150% antimony;
0.0010% to 0.0300% arsenic;
0.0010% to 0.0090% tin; and
balance lead and incidental impurities.
2. The lead-based alloy of claim 1 , further comprising, in percent by total alloy weight, 0.0030% to 0.0900% bismuth.
3. The lead-based alloy of claim 1 , further comprising, in percent by total alloy weight, up to 0.0010% silver.
4. The lead-based alloy of claim 1 , further comprising, in percent by total alloy weight, up to 0.0010% thallium.
5. The lead-based alloy of claim 1 , further comprising, in percent by total alloy weight, up to 0.0005% thallium.
6. The lead-based alloy of claim 1 , wherein the alloy contains 0.0090% to 0.0150% arsenic, in percent by total alloy weight.
7. A process for the production of a lead-acid battery electrode, the process comprising:
mixing water and a doped leady oxide powder to produce an intermediate paste, wherein the doped leady oxide powder comprises an oxidation product of a lead-based alloy comprising, in percent by total alloy weight:
0.0090% to 0.0150% antimony;
0.0010% to 0.0300% arsenic;
0.0010% to 0.0090% tin; and
balance lead and incidental impurities;
mixing aqueous sulfuric acid with the intermediate paste to produce an active material precursor paste;
applying the active material precursor paste to a lead-based alloy grid to produce a plate; and
exposing the plate to controlled temperature and relative humidity conditions for a period of time to cure the paste on the lead-based alloy grid and produce a cured plate.
8. The process of claim 7 , wherein the lead-based alloy comprises, in percent by total alloy weight, 0.0030% to 0.900% bismuth.
9. The process of claim 7 , wherein the lead-based alloy comprises, in percent by total alloy weight, up to 0.0010% silver.
10. The process of claim 7 , wherein the lead-based alloy comprises, in percent by total alloy weight, up to 0.0010% thallium.
11. The process of claim 7 , wherein the lead-based alloy comprises, in percent by total alloy weight, up to 0.0005% thallium.
12. The process of claim 7 , wherein the lead-based alloy comprises, in percent by total alloy weight, 0.0090% to 0.0150% arsenic.
13. A Process for the production of doped leady oxide, the process comprising:
charging lead-based alloy ingots into a ball mill, wherein the lead-based alloy ingots comprise, in percent by total alloy weight:
0.0090% to 0.0150% antimony;
0.0010% to 0.0300% arsenic;
0.0010% to 0.0090% tin; and
balance lead and incidental impurities;
milling the lead-based alloy ingots in air;
oxidizing the lead-based alloy during the milling to form doped leady oxide; and forming powder particles of the doped leady oxidizing during the milling.
14. The process of claim 13 , wherein the lead-based alloy comprises, in percent by total alloy weight, 0.0300% to 0.0900% bismuth.
15. The process of claim 13 , wherein the lead-based alloy comprises, in percent by total alloy weight, up to 0.0100% silver.
16. The process of claim 13 , wherein the lead-based alloy comprises, in percent by total alloy weight, up to 0.0010% thallium.
17. The process of claim 13 , wherein the lead-based alloy comprises, in percent by total alloy weight, up to 0.0005% thallium.
18. The process of claim 13 , wherein the lead-based alloy comprises, in percent by total alloy weight, 0.0090% to 0.0150% arsenic.