Storage battery electrolytes

Experiments have been in progress at the Bureau of Standards to determine quantitatively the effect produced by a wide variety of impurities on the rate of sulphation of storage battery plates. The method for making the determinations involves measuring the changing weight of the plates suspended in the solution. The various impurities are classified according as they affect the negative plates, the positive plates or both. A discussion is given also of certain combinations of impurities. Sodium and magnesium sulphates which are sometimes added to the electrolyte to “improve” the behavior of the battery are without effect on the rate of sulphation. It is important that some generally recognized specifications for storage battery electrolytes should be established.