Disclosed herein are compositions, which can be used to coat electrode plates, comprising at least one carbonaceous material and at least one additive, wherein the at least one additive comprises a metal ion selected from calcium, barium, potassium, magnesium, and strontium ion, and wherein the metal ion is present in an amount ranging from 0.5 wt. % to 3 wt. % relative to the total weight of carbonaceous material. Also disclosed are electrodes and lead acid batteries comprising such compositions, and methods of making the compositions.

A lead-acid battery is disclosed. The lead-acid storage battery has a container with a cover, the container including one or more compartments. One or more cell elements are provided in the one or more compartments. The one or more cell elements include a positive plate, the positive plate having a positive grid and a positive electrochemically active material on the positive grid; a negative plate, the negative plate having a negative grid and a negative electrochemically active material on the negative grid, wherein the negative electrochemically active material comprises barium sulfate and an organic expander; and a separator between the positive plate and the negative plate. Electrolyte is provided within the container. One or more terminal posts extend, from the cover and are electrically coupled to the one or more cell elements.

A negative electrode material contains an organic anti-shrink agent which is soluble in water, and the organic anti-shrink agent, when extracted from the negative electrode material with an alkali aqueous solution, has an average particle size of not less than 0.1 m and not more than 9 m in sulfuric acid having a specific gravity of 1.25. A lead-acid battery includes a negative electrode plate containing an organic anti-shrink agent having a S element content of 4000 mol/g or more. The negative electrode contains 0.3 mg/cm.sup.3 or more of the S element in the organic anti-shrink agent.

To increase the conductivity and electric capacity of an electrode which includes active material particles and the like and is used in a battery, a graphene net including 1 to 100 graphene sheets is used instead of a conventionally used conduction auxiliary agent and binder. The graphene net which has a two-dimensional expansion and a three-dimensional structure is more likely to touch active material particles or another conduction auxiliary agent, thereby increasing the conductivity and the bonding strength between active material particles. This graphene net is obtained by mixing graphene oxide and active material particles and then heating the mixture in a vacuum or a reducing atmosphere.

A composition comprising a lead species (e.g., leady oxide, porous metallic lead, metallic lead, lead sulfate) a carbon material and an expander are described herein. Also disclosed are electrodes, devices (e.g., batteries) including the same. Methods for making and using the disclosed novel composition are also detailed herein.

A method of producing a pre-selenized (selenium-preloaded) active cathode layer for a rechargeable alkali metal-selenium cell; the method comprising: (a) Preparing an integral layer of porous graphitic structure having a specific surface area greater than 100 m.sup.2/g; (b) Preparing an electrolyte comprising a solvent and a selenium source; (c) Preparing an anode; and (d) Bringing the integral layer and the anode in ionic contact with the electrolyte and imposing an electric current between the anode and the integral layer (serving as a cathode) to electrochemically deposit nanoscaled selenium particles or coating on the graphene surfaces. The selenium particles or coating have a thickness or diameter smaller than 20 nm (preferably <10 nm, more preferably <5 nm or even <3 nm) and occupy a weight fraction of at least 70% (preferably >90% or even >95%).

A lead-acid battery is disclosed. The lead-acid storage battery has a container with a cover, the container including one or more compartments. One or more cell elements are provided in the one or more compartments. The one or more cell elements include a positive plate, the positive plate having a positive grid and a positive electrochemically active material on the positive grid; a negative plate, the negative plate having a negative grid and a negative electrochemically active material on the negative grid, wherein the negative electrochemically active material comprises barium sulfate and an organic expander; and a separator between the positive plate and the negative plate. Electrolyte is provided within the container. One or more terminal posts extend from the cover and are electrically coupled to the one or more cell elements.

A valve regulated lead-acid battery includes at least one cell including an element and an electrolyte solution. The element includes a negative electrode plate, a positive electrode plate, and a separator interposed between the negative electrode plate and the positive electrode plate. The negative electrode plate includes a negative electrode material. The negative electrode material contains a polymer compound having a peak in a range of 3.2 ppm or more and 3.8 ppm or less in a chemical shift of a .sup.1H-NMR spectrum measured using deuterated chloroform as a solvent, or contains a polymer compound having a repeating structure of oxy C.sub.2-4 alkylene units. The positive electrode plate includes a positive electrode material. A density of the positive electrode material is 3.70 g/cm.sup.3 or more and 4.65 g/cm.sup.3 or less.

A lead-acid battery includes a negative electrode plate; a positive electrode plate; and an electrolyte solution, the negative electrode plate including a negative electrode material containing an inorganic sulfate and an anti-shrink agent, the inorganic sulfate having a 111 crystal plane or an average secondary particle size of 3.8 m or more, the anti-shrink agent being adsorbed to the inorganic sulfate.

A lead-acid battery is disclosed. The lead-acid battery has a container with a cover and includes one or more compartments. One or more cell elements are provided in the one or more compartments. The one or more cell elements comprise a positive electrode, the positive electrode having a positive substrate and a positive electrochemically active material on the positive substrate; a negative electrode, the negative electrode having a negative substrate and a negative active mass on the negative substrate, wherein the negative active mass comprises a leady oxide, a synthetic organic expander, a very fine particle barium sulfate, and plurality of conductive carbons; and an absorbent glass mat separator between the positive plate and the negative plate. Electrolyte is provided within the container. One or more terminal posts extend from the container or the cover and are electrically coupled to the one or more cell elements. A negative electrode for a lead-acid battery and a battery having improved performance are also disclosed.