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Topic: Changing the electrolite for lead acid battery  (Read 3079 times)

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Offline maxvortex

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Changing the electrolite for lead acid battery
« on: October 24, 2012, 02:32:29 AM »
Hi.

What would happen if i put 30% KOH solution instead of 33% H2SO4 solution between lead acid plates ? What kind of chemical reaction should happen and should this lead to some explosive or other problems.

Basically i want to make some small lead acid battery but instead of H2SO4 i would like to use KOH.

Max

Offline Borek

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Re: Changing the electrolite for lead acid battery
« Reply #1 on: October 24, 2012, 03:59:56 AM »
No way. Lead battery chemistry is based on the presence of the concentrated sulfuric acid. Just like you can't bake a cake replacing flour with sand, you can't make an acid battery work replacing H2SO4 with KOH.

Not to mention the fact that adding concentrated KOH to concentrated acid is asking for troubles, as the mixture gets hot and starts to boil, splashing around. If confined in the box it can probably even explode.
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Offline maxvortex

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Re: Changing the electrolite for lead acid battery
« Reply #2 on: October 24, 2012, 06:12:21 AM »
OK.
But i would try it on fresh, newer used lead acid plates.
This should be any problem, like i wrote, just for trying.

The reason for trying this is because i have few kilos of KOH left :-).

Max

Offline vex

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Re: Changing the electrolite for lead acid battery
« Reply #3 on: October 24, 2012, 09:58:44 AM »
I agree with Borek that this won't work at all. After all, it is a lead-acid battery...

Can you write out the equations for what's happening in the cell? Maybe that'll be a good starting point.
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Offline curiouscat

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