Study on the structure and property of lead tellurium alloy as the positive grid of lead-acid batteries

A series of novel Pb-Te binary alloys with different contents of tellurium (0.01-1.0 wt.%) were investigated as the positive grid of a lead acid battery. The microstructure of Pb-Te alloys was observed using a polarizing microscope. The morphology of the corrosion layers and corroded surfaces of Pb and Pb-Te alloy electrodes were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) following the corrosion test. The electrochemical properties of Pb-Te alloys and Pb-Te-Sn alloy in sulfuric acid solution were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), open circuit potential (OCP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), alternating current voltammetry (ACV), and linear sweeping voltammetry (LSV). The results indicate that the introduction of tellurium results in grain refinement, increased corrosion resistance, and an accelerated oxygen evolution reaction for the Pb-Te binary alloys. The passive films formed on Pb-Te-Sn alloy shows improved performances in comparison to those on Pb-Ca-Sn alloy.