Development of lead foams for automobile batteries

Abstract

Open cell lead foam samples with, 48, 55, 60, 65 and 74% porosity, were successfully prepared by powder metallurgy and casting using ammonium bicarbonate, silica beads and salt particles as space holder filler. Additionally electrowinning and powder compact foaming methods were tried. The resulting foam samples resembled open foam cell structure; each cell had interconnections with neighboring cells. Small size lead (II) fluoride precipitates were observed interior of cells in the foam samples prepared using silica beads, resulting from the reaction between silica and HF acid during space holder removal. The compression stress-strain curve of foam samples prepared by powder metallurgy showed a brittle behavior following the initial elastic, while foam samples prepared by casting showed elastic-plastic characteristic metal foam deformation; crushing of cell edges on the bent cell walls and tearing of thin cell walls. The collapse stresses of the prepared foams were fitted with scaling relations. The imperfections such as curved, wrinkled and missing cell walls, voids on the cell edges and cell walls and non-uniform density lead to discrepancy between experimental and theoretical scaling parameters.