The invention relates to an electrically conductive structure, particularly for using in an energy storage system of a vehicle, which is formed from a metal or a substance similar to metal at least in sections, containing a plurality of closed pores. The invention also relates to a system respectively comprising at least one of the following elements: a storage battery, particularly a lead storage battery, an electrical pick-up element which is electrically connected to at least one pole of the storage battery, and a structure as described above, which is part of the storage battery and/or the electrical pick-up element. The invention further relates to a method for producing such a structure.

Lead-acid batteries with low water consumption and hydrogen gassing, comprise electrodes of a carbon fibre material having a surface area of less than 50 m.sup.2/g. The carbon fibre material may also comprise non-carbon functional groups less than 22% by mass in the bulk fibre, and at least 78% carbon by mass in the bulk fibre. The carbon fibre material may be heated to a temperature of at least 1000° C. and cooled in an inert atmosphere to prevent non-carbon functional groups reforming on the carbonised carbon fibre material. The batteries are suitable for use in hybrid vehicles.

Lead-acid batteries with low water consumption and hydrogen gassing, comprise electrodes of a carbon fibre material having a surface area of less than 50 m.sup.2/g. The carbon fibre material may also comprise non-carbon functional groups less than 22% by mass in the bulk fibre, and at least 78% carbon by mass in the bulk fibre. The carbon fibre material may be heated to a temperature of at least 1000° C. and cooled in an inert atmosphere to prevent non-carbon functional groups reforming on the carbonised carbon fibre material. The batteries are suitable for use in hybrid vehicles.

A battery separator has performance enhancing additives or coatings, fillers with increased friability, increased ionic diffusion, decreased tortuosity, increased wettability, reduced oil content, reduced thickness, decreased electrical resistance, and/or increased porosity. The separator in a battery reduces the water loss, lowers acid stratification, lowers the voltage drop, and/or increases the CCA. The separators include or exhibit performance enhancing additives or coatings, increased porosity, increased void volume, amorphous silica, higher oil absorption silica, higher silanol group silica, reduced electrical resistance, a shish-kebab structure or morphology, a polyolefin microporous membrane containing particle-like filler in an amount of 40% or more by weight of the membrane and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene having shish-kebab formations and the average repetition periodicity of the kebab formation from 1 nm to 150 nm, decreased sheet thickness, decreased tortuosity, separators especially well-suited for enhanced flooded batteries.

A battery separator has performance enhancing additives or coatings, fillers with increased friability, increased ionic diffusion, decreased tortuosity, increased wettability, reduced oil content, reduced thickness, decreased electrical resistance, and/or increased porosity. The separator in a battery reduces the water loss, lowers acid stratification, lowers the voltage drop, and/or increases the CCA. The separators include or exhibit performance enhancing additives or coatings, increased porosity, increased void volume, amorphous silica, higher oil absorption silica, higher silanol group silica, reduced electrical resistance, a shish-kebab structure or morphology, a polyolefin microporous membrane containing particle-like filler in an amount of 40% or more by weight of the membrane and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene having shish-kebab formations and the average repetition periodicity of the kebab formation from 1 nm to 150 nm, decreased sheet thickness, decreased tortuosity, separators especially well-suited for enhanced flooded batteries.

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 bipolar lead acid battery with increased energy density is provided. The battery includes a number of lead acid wafer cell that each comprise a negative electrode having a negative electrode plate and a negative active material positioned on the negative electrode plate, as well as a positive electrode having a positive electrode plate and a positive active material positioned on the positive electrode plate. The positive electrode plate comprises a metal foil with a conductive film thereon, such as a titanium foil or substrate with a titanium silicide coating thereon. The lead acid wafer cell also includes a separator between the negative and positive electrodes, wherein the separator includes an electrolyte for transferring charge between the negative and positive electrodes.

A blended expander formula for use in the preparation of lead acid battery electrodes is disclosed. The mixture comprises fine particle barium sulfate, a first oxylignin, a second oxylignin, and a carbonaceous material. A method, a negative paste, and a negative electrode including the blended expander mixture are also disclosed. A lead-acid absorbent glass mat battery is further disclosed.

An electrical storage device includes high surface area fibers (e.g., shaped fibers and/or microfibers) coated with carbon (graphite, expanded graphite, activated carbon, carbon black, carbon nanofibers, CNT, or graphite coated CNT), electrolyte, and/or electrode active material (e.g., lead oxide) in electrodes. The electrodes are used to form electrical storage devices such as electrochemical batteries, electrochemical double layer capacitors, and asymmetrical capacitors.

An electrical storage device includes high surface area fibers (e.g., shaped fibers and/or microfibers) coated with carbon (graphite, expanded graphite, activated carbon, carbon black, carbon nanofibers, CNT, or graphite coated CNT), electrolyte, and/or electrode active material (e.g., lead oxide) in electrodes. The electrodes are used to form electrical storage devices such as electrochemical batteries, electrochemical double layer capacitors, and asymmetrical capacitors.