Disclosed are electrode plates for a lead acid battery. The electrode plates are formed of an electrode plate having a face, the electrode plate comprising a lead or lead alloy grid coated with an active material and the electrode plates having a porous, non-woven mat comprised of polymer fibers coating on the face of the electrode plate, as well as a method for making the coated electrode plates and lead acid batteries containing the coated electrode plates.

A shoe for dispensing a molten metal such as lead into a mold cavity of a rotating drum to continuously cast a web of a plurality of serially connected grids or battery composite electrodes of a carbon fiber material with a cast metal conductor. The shoe may have at least one elongate orifice slot in a face confronting the drum, a molten metal supply passage communicating with the orifice slot and an excess molten metal return slot opening into the confronting face downstream of the supply slot relative generally to the direction of rotation of the drum.

A shoe for dispensing a molten metal such as lead into a mold cavity of a rotating drum to continuously cast a web of a plurality of serially connected grids or battery composite electrodes of a carbon fiber material with a cast metal conductor. The shoe may have at least one elongate orifice slot in a face confronting the drum, a molten metal supply passage communicating with the orifice slot and an excess molten metal return slot opening into the confronting face downstream of the supply slot relative generally to the direction of rotation of the drum.

An example includes a method including forming a battery electrode by disposing an active material coating onto a silicon substrate, assembling the battery electrode into a stack of battery electrodes, the battery electrode separated from other battery electrodes by a separator, disposing the stack in a housing, filling the interior space with electrolyte, and sealing the housing to resist the flow of electrolyte from the interior space.

An example includes a method including forming a battery electrode by disposing an active material coating onto a silicon substrate, assembling the battery electrode into a stack of battery electrodes, the battery electrode separated from other battery electrodes by a separator, disposing the stack in a housing, filling the interior space with electrolyte, and sealing the housing to resist the flow of electrolyte from the interior space.

According to one embodiment, a nonwoven fiber mat includes between 10% and 50% by weight of a plurality of first glass fibers having an average diameter of less than 5 m and between 50% and 90% by weight of a plurality of second glass fibers having an average diameter of greater than 6 m. The nonwoven fiber mat also includes an acid resistant binder that binds the first and second glass fibers together. The nonwoven fiber mat has an average pore size of between 1 and 100 m and exhibits an air permeability of below 100 cubic feet per minute per square foot (cfm/ft.sup.2) as measured by the Frazier test at 125 Pa according to ASTM Standard Method D737.

A method for forming an electrical connection to a microscale electrically conductive fibre material electrode element, such as a carbon fibre electrode element of a Pb-acid battery, comprises pressure impregnating into the fibre material an electrically conductive lug material, such as molten Pb metal, to surround and/or penetrate fibres and form an electrical connection to the fibre material and provide a lug for external connection of the electrode element. Other methods of forming a lug for external connection are also disclosed.

A method for forming an electrical connection to a microscale electrically conductive fibre material electrode element, such as a carbon fibre electrode element of a Pb-acid battery, comprises pressure impregnating into the fibre material an electrically conductive lug material, such as molten Pb metal, to surround and/or penetrate fibres and form an electrical connection to the fibre material and provide a lug for external connection of the electrode element. Other methods of forming a lug for external connection are also disclosed.

An electrode for a lead acid battery is provided. The electrode includes a pasting material distributed on the electrode and arranged to provide uniform current density. A lead acid battery having a plurality of electrodes, each electrode having pasting material providing uniform current density across the electrodes is also provided. A method for manufacturing a battery electrode is also provided and includes applying a portion of the electrode with a pasting material providing uniform current density.

An electrode for a lead acid battery is provided. The electrode includes a pasting material distributed on the electrode and arranged to provide uniform current density. A lead acid battery having a plurality of electrodes, each electrode having pasting material providing uniform current density across the electrodes is also provided. A method for manufacturing a battery electrode is also provided and includes applying a portion of the electrode with a pasting material providing uniform current density.