ELBC Show Guide - 1st Issue

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BENVENUTO ELBC 2024!

Trend setters of the lead world hit Milan ... and how!

In this, our special pre-conference guide, we look at the editorial agenda, review the history of this formidable event and exhibition and talk to the industry luminaries that make this the place to be this September.

ELBC and the history of two business models

MILAN

The Milan Fashion Show may make the headlines this week — why the fuss when ELBC is much more important? — but let’s not forget that the city is also famed for its nightlife, fine dining and the king of cocktails, the Negroni. ELBC: THE WAY WE WERE

A short history of Europe’s most important lead conference, why it was set up and the way it has changed over the years.

• New alliance formed of Addenda, Atomized Products Group and Black Diamond Structures

• Daramic powers on with yet better separators

• Neil Hawkes, ELBC (and lead) through the years

An A-Z of the abstracts that lie behind this year’s agenda, organized by conference stream, day and time

Editor

Michael Halls editor@batteriesinternational.com +44 7977 016 918

Publisher Karen Hampton karen@batteriesinternational.com +44 7792 852 337

Finance administrator

Juanita Anderson juanita@batteriesinternational.com

Deputy editor, Energy Storage Journal, Batteries International

Shona Sibary

shona@batteriesinternational.com +44 7585 355 955

Subscriptions, enquiries

subscriptions@batteriesinternational.com admin@batteriesinternational.com

Production/design Antony Parselle aparselledesign@me.com

International advertising representation karen@batteriesinternational.com

The contents of this publication are protected by copyright. No unauthorized translation or reproduction is permitted.

ISSN 1462-6322

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First light of dawn in Milan centre; a conference awaits ... urgently 4

Hawkes: CRU’s 35 year veteran of lead thinking and analysis 21

Mike Halls • editor@batteriesinternational.com

ELBC and the history of two business models

On October 29, 1945 a crowd of 5,000 stormed the Manhattan store of Gimbels in New York. Shoppers were so eager to buy the first modern version of what we now call the biro that 50 NYPD officers had to be dispatched to keep the crowd under control.

The store made a fortune that day. The biros sold out with each being priced at $12.50 — about $220 in today’s money.

For a while the patent holder, Milton Reynolds, made a fortune — he even went out (as one does) and bought a French château.

But the pens were too expensive and soon competition was snapping at his heels. Famous classic names such as Parker, Waterman and Paper Mate emerged and were soon fighting to take part of his business.

But the firm to watch was a French one called Bic. Its founder Marcel Bich — he didn’t like the ‘h’ at the end of his name — worked out that he could earn more by reducing the cost per item but selling greater numbers of pens. (And, of course, make them disposable.)

In 2005 his company announced it had sold its 100 billionth biro.

One product, two business models. Each successful, but one far outgunned the other.

This ELBC one of the background themes to the conference will be trying to determine how the mature business models of our battery giants can be improved.

Lead battery sales continue to be at an all-time high but there is a mounting impression that the hunger for new sources of business is waning.

If that is the case the present complacency — based mostly on geographical presence rather than superiority of product — needs

to be challenged. And challenged promptly.

One of the reasons for the cheapness and prevalence of Bic biros is the so-called Wright’s Law.

Wright’s Law — Y=aXb — states what at first looks like the blindingly obvious. The more we do something, the better we get at doing it. (And not forgetting that there are also economies of scale.)

But its genius is in its cost implications.

Theodore Wright, a 1930s aviation engineer in the US — found that every time total aircraft production doubled, the required labour time for a new aircraft fell by 20%.

The great strength of this law is that it introduces an element of predictability about costs (and therefore profits). Two issues that are fundamental to every business.

So putting this back to ELBC, this is why we all need to hear — as we are promised — some of the tangible results from the Consortium for Battery Innovation.

We need to introduce these new battery capabilities for cycle life, PSoC and the like, as fast as possible — effectively to create a step-change in the price of lead batteries and fight off the rising competition from other technologies.

This year’s ELBC will be one of the most interesting in recent years.

In 2022 we were still recovering as an industry from the pandemic but also reeling from the increased cost in the price of energy. But that is behind us. We now need to return to the basics of creating better, sharper businesses.

Mike Halls, Editor

Welcome to Milan, home to this year’s European Lead Battery Conference and the place to be this September.

Milan, ELBC: An appointment with destiny

What is it with battery conventions colliding with other major newsworthy events? First, it was June, Germany and the UEFA Europa champions league where EES and Battery Show 2024 delegates were forced to wander the streets of Munich and Stuttgart dodging semi-inebriated fans patriotically draping themselves in flags of all colours.

Fast forward three months to September and now we all find ourselves in Milan for this year’s ELBC. Which also just happens to clash with the biggest fashion week on the planet.

Locals in Lombardy’s regional capital may well wonder why the crème de la crème of the haute couture world have all donned comfortable footwear and plastic lanyards. Batteries International dares you all to say, if challenged, that you chose to leave your Jimmy Choo’s at home.

Other than having to share Italy’s second most populous city with models strutting increasingly outlandish outfits, it is, of course, a welcome week in the lead battery world and something we all anticipate with about as much excitement as one might the unveiling of Chanel’s new winter clutch bag.

Batteries International suspects the real reason we are in Milan this year is a quirk of history — it has nothing at all to do with fashion. It must surely be because Alessandro Volta, the Italian physicist and chemist — credited as

inventor of the electric battery — is still considered one of the most illustrious citizens of the Como region.

There’s actually quite an interesting story regarding his discovery of the voltaic pile in 1799. Just eight years earlier, his friend Luigi Galvani announced that the contact of two different metals with the leg muscles of a skinned frog resulted in the generation of an electric current that caused the leg to twitch.

Animal electricity

Galvani interpreted this as a new form of electricity found in living tissue, which he called “animal electricity.” Volta felt that the frog merely conducted a current that flowed between the two metals, which he called “metallic electricity.” He began experimenting a year later with metals alone and found that animal tissue was not needed to produce a current. Who’d have known?

With this came his announcement of the first electric battery which he reported to the Royal Society before travelling to Paris to present his invention to Napoleon Bonaparte in person.

As we all know — or rather we all should know — the “volt”, unit of measurement was named after him, crediting his discovery that a continuous flow of electricity was possible — something, Albert Einstein said, is the fundamental basis of all subsequent invention.

There is no doubt that, were he alive today, Volta would be attending the ELBC with gusto.

In many ways he was a forerunner of us — a symbol of the revolutionary transition of 18th century natural philosopher to modern scientist.

He had the talent to grasp the crucial link between development of scientific activity and the exchange of this knowledge among scientists and peers. Something which is surely at the heart of the ELBC conference?

There is much to say about Italy’s richest city. Most, you can probably read in a travel guide.

|But did you know, for example, that Milan boasts the world’s oldest shopping mall, the highly ornate Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II? Or that the park of Villa Invernizzi is home to a colony of pink flamingos, brought to Italy by the owner of the mansion, Romeo, “king of Italian cheese,” Invernizzi in the early 1970s?

The city also has an incredible tram network, the most developed in Europe which has been in use since 1876 and consists of 17 tram lines covering 181 kilometres.

Probably the most important thing delegates need to know is that you may overhear locals talking about the “The Years of Lead.”

But relax. They are not discussing the demise of this industry in favour of other

chemistries and technologies. Instead they are referring to the name given to a period of years in the late 1960s-early 1970s when there were waves of street violence, labour strikes and political terrorism in the city.

Powerhouse city

Milan has played a central role in the Italian political and cultural world for decades. In the 1950s, it became the powerhouse of the Italian reconstruction effort. We suspect there may be another reason delegates need to muster courage. Milano has an electrolyte all of its own — the aperitivo! It is considered an absolute institution taking place every day between 7pm-9pm.

The trend began in the late 19th century when Gaspare Campari created a drink that stimulated rather than spoiled the appetite and the bitter red aperitif was born. Nibbles were added a little later (which developed into elaborate buffets in some bars) and aperitives are now a kind of art form with Milan boasting some of the best bartenders and mixologists in Italy. Together with Campari, the Negroni here is also renowned. Called Negroni Sbagliato (meaning “Negroni turned wrong”) it was invented at the Bar Basso (Via Plinio 39) which serves over 500 cocktails and aperitivos. Batteries International looks forward to seeing you all there!

Delegates hit downtown

Away from the convention centre (20 minutes’ walk or 12 minutes by tram), the downtown districts all have their own appeal.

The Centro Storico is the historic centre contained within the area once delimited by the medieval city walls. Porta Romana is known for clubbing and Brera once more famous for its art galleries now sees its cobbled streets come alive at night with the good and great of Milan dining in sleek restaurants and swish lounges.

Isola is a trendy area blooming out of the former working-class district where family-run trattorias sit next to bars in refurbished warehouses all seemingly crammed into tiny streets and leafy courtyards. The famous Blue Note Jazz Club is here, the Italian branch of the famous New York club featuring world class musicians and a great dining experience.

Unusual decor

Milan has a church decorated with bones, aptly named Basilica San Bernardino alle Ossa. Built in 1210 to accommodate vast piles of human bones from a nearby hospital and cemetery. Today they decorate many areas including chandeliers and walls.

A few facts for good measure

Milan has hosted two Fashion Weeks every year since 1958

Famous Italians born in Italy include Giuseppe Verdi, Leonardi da Vinci, the family Visconti who ruled Milan from the 13th century until 1447, jockey Frankie Dettori and former leader of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi

The canals of Milan were designed by Leonardo da Vinci who was commissioned to build a canal network connecting Milan with Como for the transportation of marble. Today, just two canals exist, the main one Naviglio Grande is at the heart of restaurant, club, and café bar society

The city has two top football teams, AC Milan and Inter-Milan and both play at San Siro stadium, often known as “football’s La Scala”. This is the largest football stadium in Italy seating just over 80,000 people.

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Have conference must travel

The ELBC’s peripatetic travels around Europe have provided the industry with magnificent locations as well as great events — think of palaces in Istanbul, castles in Malta and 19th century fairground museums in Paris. But mostly it has been at the heart of bringing an industry together and, as a consequence, resolving some of the toughest scientific and technical questions challenging the lead battery world.

The European Lead Battery Conference has had a remarkable and often colourful history — but its importance to the development of lead batteries since the first event in Paris in 1988 cannot be underestimated.

It is equally remarkable not just for the way it has created intellectual debate when little had existed before but just how affectionately both the pioneers and seasoned attendees speak of the event.

Clearly, they also associate the ELBC with forming long and important

friendships and they have enjoyed the social side, which has sometimes been quite extraordinary; but they are also quick to praise the technical advancements that have often resulted from the meetings of minds at the event.

And these have helped shape the entire global lead battery community.

Secrecy and paranoia

The ELBC also led the way in terms of helping open a forum where the lead battery industry could talk to each other. The sharing of informa-

Before the first ELBC in 1988, it was rare for technical personnel and sometimes senior management in the battery industry to attend conferences.

Adversaries from other companies rarely met. Publications were discouraged and even prohibited in some companies.

tion and ideas in such an open way has not always been encouraged by the battery sector — for a long time many companies positively protected their ideas and baulked at the idea of speaking freely on technical issues.

The ELBC was a pioneering and controversial idea when it first set out to bring senior battery executives together. Before the first ELBC in 1988, it was rare for technical personnel and sometimes senior management in the battery industry to attend conferences.

Adversaries from other companies rarely met. Publications were discouraged and even prohibited in some companies.

That said, there were some small battery workshops and symposia that proved exceptions to this attitude, such as those held at meetings of the International Power Sources Symposium (UK), the Electrochemical Society (USA) and The Fara-

THE GALA DINNER: REASONS TO GET BOISTEROUS, PARTS ELBC1 TO ELBC17

Arguably one of the highlights of the event — the closing dinner of the ELBC but this year a specially themed buffet featuring Italian food and wine — has only gained in status in the eyes of delegates over the years. There is pressure to ensure the gala night is delivered to a high standard every year and that everyone enjoys it — and, of course, it is delivered within budget.

“This event has very much changed over the years but we work with local companies to see what is possible. But they always seem to go well and people seem to enjoy them regardless,” says Maura McDermott who has helped organize nearly all these dinners.

The gala dinner has become a focal point of the event, but it has changed drastically in its nature; in its early days, delegates were often persuaded to perform — something that many say they no longer miss!

“The highlight of the week was the conference dinner when everybody let their hair down,” says one conference attendee. “For some years it was common practice for teams from countries to take part in a sing-song on the stage but these became repetitive and tedious and from about 5ELBC, professional entertainers were engaged to perform a cabaret.”

One group made an impression for many years, often dressing up in ‘Australian national dress’ — a cowboy hat with dangling bottle corks to ward off the flies — to lead a sing-song. It was a difficult act to do as in reality only one of them was Australian.

“One year,” he recalls, “the wives of the ELBC organizing team got involved with a group of them singing the ‘(Seven Little Girls) Sitting in the Back Seat’ with

accompaniment.”

Those times are well gone given the huge number of attendees (and partners) that need to be seated

Geoffrey May, director of FOCUS Consulting, says the social events of ELBC have always been memorable — and some especially so. “In Istanbul we had a dinner on the James Bond island and sang the ‘Wheels on the Bus’ on the boat back to the mainland to the puzzlement of many non-English delegates,” May says.

“In Edinburgh the Programme Committee all wore kilts, which was a spectacle — especially Boris Monahov in a kilt!”

One Edinburgh delegate said: “Dave Prengaman, Mark Stevenson and Ralf Beckers looked even better in their kilts! Mark claimed he had Scottish roots — presumably his family had been deported from there a century beforehand — and I guess Dave and Ralf just liked the look of the check pattern.”

Moderation in excess

And there have been times that, despite the efforts of the organizers, the events of the gala dinner have gone too far.

One industry speaker recalls how events took an unfortunate turn after the gala dinner at Warsaw. “The other tables had left and then suddenly the waiters brought out enough vodka shots for a couple of hundred delegates … but there were barely 40 remaining.

“The result was mayhem an hour later,” he says. “But it was all good in the end. Friendships can be forged in the most ridiculous circumstances!”

Another recalled a memorable night at the closing evening of 15ELBC in Malta. “It was magical. Dining outside at night. Stars

above and opera singers wandering among the tables belting out the most amazing songs. It was unforgettable.”

Above: Scotsmen of dubious ancestry 14ELBC, Edinburgh, a grand entrance and a magical night dining under the stars at 15ELBC, Malta

day Society. But these were involved in pure research, very academic and rarely attended by engineers, chemists or metallurgists from industry.

This mentality was understandable in a sense.

At that time, the industry was dominated by a small number of big battery companies including Exide, Varta, JCI, Chloride, GM, Delco, Tungstone, and the Swedish, French and Spanish Tudors.

But in reality, the first four of these, with their worldwide subsidiaries, effectively controlled the global lead battery industry.

The manufacturers were protective of their work and any research that could give them a competitive advantage.

Their cautious confidentiality was understandable since they all developed, produced and tested new materials — such as alloys, additives, separators — and new manufacturing processes extensively before using them in their products. They were seeking improved, more reliable, performance and durability.

Even as the industry started to change and more third-party suppliers emerged, the battery industry retained a suspicion of sharing information and giving away trade secrets.

Only a few years before the first ELBC meeting, independent supplies of separators, additives and alloys became available but most had specifications defined by the battery companies and a restriction on who they could supply.

Consequently, companies were suspicious of conferences and the exchange of technical information.”

A game changer in Asia

The idea of what would eventually become the ELBC was conceived against this backdrop of secrecy by Michael Mayer, who working for the Lead Development Association (LDA) — now the ILA — was maintaining regular communication with the main battery companies through providing information and assistance where possible.

ELBC locations through the years

1988 Paris

1990 Brussels

1992 Geneva

1994 Munich

1996 Sitges/Barcelona

1998 Prague

2000 Dublin

2002 Rome

2004 Berlin

2006 Athens

2008 Warsaw

2010 Istanbul

2012 Paris

2014 Edinburgh

2016 Valletta

2018 Vienna

2020 Virtual

2022 Lyon

2024 Milan

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he started organizing half-day informal seminars at the LDA’s offices in Berkeley Square, London, to which he invited representatives from European battery companies. Around 40 to 50 people would attend and discuss a wide range of topics such as dry charging, wrought grids and alloys.

“Held every few months they were affable and useful without confidentiality being breeched or being contentious,” said one attendee.

But it took another catalyst for the concept of the ELBC to truly emerge.

USA: sorfin@sorfin-yoshimura.us JAPAN: tokyo@sorfin-yoshimura.jp

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THAILAND: jiroyoshimura@sorfin-yoshimura.jp

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LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: THE CHOICE OF VENUE

Since the first ELBC in Paris, the event has visited many European cities, developed an exhibition — and a quite special gala dinner — that has gone from strength to strength.

“The numbers of delegates grew and there was great competition and interest in the choice of venue, which was handled by the team,” one attendee said. “Then a highly successful exhibition was organized by Allan Cooper and demand for exhibition space has grown ever since.”

The administration on the event: coordinating speakers, exhibitors, papers, hotels and much more is intense — as is making that tough decision each year as to where to host the event.

One of the greatest challenges every year is finding a suitable venue to host the event.

While it is too small for some of the bespoke exhibition centres around Europe, designed to host thousands of delegates, it is too large for many hotels.

Whereas first event in Paris attracted around 200 attendees, Brussels increased this to around 220. To put this number in context, the 16ELBC in Vienna in September 2018 set a new record with more than 900 delegates in

attendance. This year in Milan over a 1000 people will attend

An important development for the ELBC was the addition of an exhibition, which has also enjoyed strong growth. In the first year of the conference some 19 booths were occupied. This year in Milan, there will be as many as 120 exhibitors.

Perhaps the most difficult of the conferences to arrange was the 2020 one which, because of Covid, could only be held in a virtual setting. This meant exhibitors had to create their own stand — using a template set up by the ILA — to display their products in a virtual exhibition hall. A virtual networking lounge had to be created so that attendees could talk to each other. Equally difficult was the task of liaising between two studios, one in the UK and the other in Germany, with a communication feed that had to mix live talk with preplanned presentations.

“One of the joys of Lyon in 2022 was the phew-it’s-over feeling as we returned to the real conferences of the past,” says one long-time delegate. “Because however much you appreciate the quality of the presentations, it’s the ability to talk things over your

peers that adds the value.

“In the early days it was very academic in its focus; while much of the content still is, one of the big changes has been the exhibition we now do and that has meant a lot more networking and face-to-face time for people.”

As more exhibitors and suppliers attended, many started hosting their own dinners and entertainment external to the event itself. With the increasing attendance, the supply companies sought local castles, palaces or well known local hostelries to entertain their customers.

“It is a case of just going to see what is available in different cities in Europe. We would get lost in a venue that is too spacious,” says an organizer.

“And, of course when we do find a venue, getting the right dates can be difficult. We book two to three years in advance, but even then it can be difficult to get the dates we want.”

The conference did originally experiment with putting on activities for the spouses and partners of delegates — city tours and other social activities. But these were scrapped after it became apparent these individuals preferred to organize themselves.

1988: Paris

1990: Brussels

2000: Dublin

2008: Warsaw

2014: Edinburgh

2018: Vienna

2022: Lyon

2024: Milan

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The ABC acted as a catalyst for the European event’s formation, with positive feedback and a good response to the seminars prompting the LDA and key industry figures to turn Mayer’s planning into the solid reality of the European Lead Battery Conference.

SOLVING THE PCL PROBLEM

The ELBC — or at least some of its founders and attendees — also played a pivotal role in solving one of the industry’s great challenges.

At the first LABAT Conference in June 1989, Ernst Voss (Varta) and David Rand founded the AlphaBeta PbO2 Society.

The object: ‘for lead battery scientists to collaborate in grappling with the ever-emerging demands that new applications place upon the science of lead batteries’.

To this day, the members often meet for dinner parties at ELBC, ABC and LABAT meetings.

In the 1990s, it had become clear that premature capacity loss (PCL), whereby the life of a lead battery is drastically shortened under deep cycling, was becoming a major concern for the lead battery industry and was holding back its growth.

The issue proved more prevalent in designs that used grids made from antimony-free or lead-calcium alloys to reduce water loss.

Moreover, it was independent of plate design or how the paste was applied.

The problem occurred with both flooded batteries and then with

the new wave of VRLA technology developed in the early 1980s.

Recognizing the seriousness of PCL, a number of key industry figures, all heavily associated with the ELBC and predominantly members of the Alpha-Beta Society, including Kathryn Bullock, Ian Dyson, Frank Fleming, Herbert Geiss, Michael Mayer, Eberhard Meissner, Pat Moseley, Bob Nelson, Ken Peters, David Prengaman and David Rand, formed a study group to attempt to solve this challenge.

Prompted by this action the ALABC instituted the World Study Group into Premature Capacity Loss of Lead-Acid Batteries in 1993, chaired by Rand.

Solving the problem was no easy task, it took many years and involved many individuals but it is now widely acknowledged that the work of the ALABC and the uninhibited ad hoc discussions at ELBC gatherings were key factors in ultimately solving this puzzle.

“The final piece of the puzzle was ‘compression’. This parameter was pointed out by Alpha-Beta Society member Paul [Rüetschi] and gave us ways to defeat PCL,” Rand said.

In August 1986, the first Asian Battery Conference (1ABC) took place in Hong Kong. Industry veteran David Rand says that in May 1985, Jerry McAuliffe, director of the Zinc and Lead Asian Service, and John Manders at ZALAS (Zinc and Lead Asia Service), invited him to help in setting it up. Some 180 delegates attended the event.

The ABC acted as a catalyst for the European event’s formation, with positive feedback and a good response to the seminars prompting the LDA and key industry figures to turn Mayer’s planning into the solid reality of the European Lead Battery Conference.

Rand had some years earlier already met Mayer, who was promoting lead batteries at a BCI conference in Munich. He invited Rand to speak at one of the LDA events in London. They also both attended 2ABC in Singapore in August 1987.

“It was there that Michael invited me to help him and Ken Peters form the first European Lead Battery Conference (1ELBC),” says Rand. “This was held in France in September 1988 and some 220 delegates attended.”

The three conspirators became lifelong friends and in discussing topics and themes for discussion at ELBCs enjoyed many escapades together, especially when it involved an atmosphere of warm British ales and steam trains.

On the back of the 1ELBC success, an early organizing committee of sorts started meeting to review offers for papers and consider programmes for future meetings.

Some of those individuals included Ken Peters, Michael Mayer, Maura McDermott — who still helps the conference today — and industry veteran David Rand.

“It was obvious from the number of offers of papers received that there was great interest in discussing common problems and experiences and, moreover, confidentiality could be maintained,” Rand says. “Some meetings later, a more formal selection committee was formed to put the programme together.”

In those days, the proceedings from such events were published in the Journal of Power Sources and also distributed in book form by Pasminco Metals. This biennial practice, which continued up to 11ABC in 2005, stopped in 2007 after the journal publisher decided that the papers were not attracting sufficient citations, especially when compared with other battery chemistries.

Some of the various Alpha-Beta members in Berlin at 9ELBC

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It’s not surprising that many today would advocate a return to the status quo of yesteryear.

Keeping focus despite growth

Since those early and very heady days, the event has grown in terms of its sophistication and number of delegates. Nevertheless, its technical focus and format in many ways has remained little changed.

Demand for papers reached the point that the decision had to be made where necessary to run two sessions in parallel to enable more content and more speakers to participate, while allowing delegates to choose the topics in which they were most interested.

“There was no theme as such but similar topics were grouped in the five half-day sessions and holding these in parallel, or having several halls at the same time, was contentious,” Peters said much later.

“The compromise, which was very successful, was to have two sessions dedicated to the suppliers and equipment manufacturers in parallel with two sessions which mostly covered more basic research and technical work. Both were uniformly well attended.”

The initial concerns of the battery manufacturers with respect to confidentiality were eventually allayed as they understood the advantages of such an event — and started to see its increasing popularity globally.

The event pioneered the way for similar conferences launched later, perhaps the most notable being the creation of LABAT in Bulgaria and the start of other conferences in India and China.

Must-attend events

But the increasing attendance and willingness to present some details of their work demonstrated their popularity and opportunity for discussing common problems without revealing confidential details. ABC became an instant must-attend event, ELBC followed in its footsteps.

“Programmes tended to follow industry changes and trends. Delegates welcomed the opportunity to hear about other people’s problems and successes and, hopefully, came away with helpful ideas for their work,” Peters said much later. “In this respect the concept of ABC and ELBC and the following successful series was new and created a template for industry conferences worldwide.”

But these conferences were more than just a template for others. They became a hugely useful forum for the

entire industry.

Neil Hawkes, lead analyst at CRU, the commodity analysis firm, has attended ELBC for almost three decades — he went to the first one in 1996. He says he likes the consistency the event has maintained in terms of its structure and the real value for him is securing face-to-face time with a high number of senior executives in a short space of time.

“The conference hasn’t really changed in terms of its ethos and structure,” he says. “The format usually has people like me on the first morning presenting on the market more generally — the big themes of the moment — and then it goes to much more technical content after that.

“But it has grown into a huge event using that formula and has become more formal by necessity as a result. In the early days, it was a more relaxed atmosphere with fewer people, now I sometimes feel like I am speed dating with the meetings there!

“But the real value has always been meeting the lead producers that go there. I find it a very friendly confer-

ence from that perspective. It is very sociable compared with comparable conferences I attend.”

Geoffrey May, director of FOCUS Consulting, who has only missed a couple of events since the start, says the conference’s commitment to staying true to its roots has stood it in good stead.

Now, with its steady growth over the years both in numbers and stature, May believes ELBC is an unmissable event. “In an era where conferences are produced rather like stage shows and marketed to the audience to attract delegates and exhibitors, ELBC is organized on more traditional lines with a call for papers and only the keynote speakers are invited by the organizing committee,” he says.

“The call for papers brings in a large number of offers of papers and the Technical Programme Committee has to sift through the offers. New research is given a high priority and the quality of the work, the reputation of the authors and the relevance to current issues is important in selecting the papers.”

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Reject table for failed batteries

Short change over time

Making flooded lead batteries achieve the performance of their more expensive AGM counterparts has been a long-held ambition of battery makers. But also improving VRLA performance to reduce costs is a double win.

Better performance for flooded and VRLA batteries

— without adding to the cost

Daramic’s latest innovation — Daramic® Stratosphere™ — is a revolutionary new approach that increases battery performance and reduces costs for both flooded lead batteries (FLB) and VRLA ones.

Stratification of the electrolyte has challenged lead-acid batteries since their earliest days. This is particularly the case for flooded batteries used in applications such as energy storage systems and in auxiliary batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles, and other uses where extreme temperatures and partial state of charge conditions can accelerate the stratification process.

The variability of stratification exacerbates open circuit voltage excursions and discharge voltage fluctuations, which result in battery sulfation. That increase ultimately affects the charge acceptance and cycle life of the battery.

The typical functions of a traditional flooded battery separator involve managing <10% of the electrolyte in the system, but unfortunately the separator does not regulate the distribution of the acid in each cell.

Advanced absorbent glass mat (AGM) separator technology provides a solution to these stratification issues, improving the efficiency of battery management systems.

However, this comes at the expense of increased complexity and cost of more than double in battery design and manufacturing.

Daramic’s innovative Daramic Stratosphere technology, featuring a proprietary gelation composite substrate, controls the electrolyte by absorbing the electrolyte and expanding into the void space by 50%.

For flooded batteries, this evolution in technology retards stratification

ensuring reliable sulfate ion transport and communication with the battery management system (BMS), improving the battery’s Partial State of Charge (PSoC) cycle life by at least 2x, and all while maintaining affordability of FLB.

For VRLA batteries, Daramic Stratosphere separator technology

We Impact Stratification?

§ Control Batteries

§ Stratification is evident

§ PAM: Soft top; sulfated hard bottom

§ NAM: Soft throughout

§ N-Wrap, P-Wrap:

§ No stratification evident on plates

§ Observed only surface sulfation

§ PAM was slightly soft throughout

can replace AGM, increasing filling and formation speeds, and negating the need for vacuum systems, high battery compression (>5%), or intricate and expensive manufacturing processes that are usually required. The introduction of Daramic Stratosphere technology represents a huge step forward for lead-acid batteries.

The introduction of Daramic® Stratosphere™ technology brings significant advancement to both flooded and VRLA systems, reinforcing the position of leadacid batteries as one of the most cost-effective and reliable battery technologies available today.

Whether enhancing the performance of a flooded system, or improving the cost structure of AGM/VRLA — Daramic Stratosphere technology enables the next evolution of leadacid batteries.

Daramic says its Daramic Stratosphere technology features a proprietary gelation composite substrate, and so controls the electrolyte by absorbing the electrolyte and expanding into the void space by 50%. The introduction of Daramic Stratosphere technology brings significant advancement to both flooded and VRLA systems, reinforcing the position of lead-acid batteries as one of the most cost-effective and reliable battery technologies available today.

Validation of the technology has been proven by research in two Daramic facilities, one in the US and

the next leap forward, taking 2V performance enhancements to be scaled up to the 12V level with realtime testing with battery manufacturing partners.

Team members in Japan and US

Margaret Roberts, patent liaison; Kevin Whear, vice president strategic marketing; Juri Iwama, development & evaluation; Susmitha Appikatla, R&D electrochemical engineer; Eric Miller, director of lead-acid battery R&D; , Abel Sy, senior research scientist.

Neil Hawkes is one of the conference plenary session speakers. His opening presentation — Tuesday 10.05am — will be eagerly awaited as he describes lead batteries’ role in what he calls the present ‘seismic energy shift’. Here, he talks to Shona Sibary about his thoughts on the health and state of the market.

Lead: a steady price performer

Neil, congratulations — this month marks 35 years since you joined CRU. Straight after graduation too! Since then, you’ve become one of the industry stalwarts. Did you imagine when you left university that you’d still be working for the same company so many years later.

No! It was just a way of paying off my student debt. Get a proper job for a couple of years and then see how it goes.

Obviously, I’ve been seeing how it goes ever since at CRU. It’s the people at the company and in the lead industry that have kept me here.

I’ve formed good friendships and relationships in and around the industry and that sort of camaraderie has been a huge pull.

Also, I think the independence of CRU means that I can be bearish if I want to about lead. I don’t have to always be positive about it! If I’m seeing a negative thing to say, then CRU doesn’t stop me from saying it. People respect us for that.

And how long have you been attending ELBC conferences?

It’s coming up to 30 years. My first conference was at Sitges, near Barcelona, in 1996. I’d been invited to speak and I was curious to hear more about these meetings which had already gathered a reputation for being the place to go to hear about everything in the world of lead and batteries. For myself as a speaker — and I’ve represented CRU at most of these events — it gives me a chance to let the industry understand the workings of the lead market.

How have they changed?

Probably the most obvious is in terms of size and increased reputation. However, the essential components of ELBC haven’t changed. This is the place to be if you want to find out some of the latest things in the world of lead but also want to meet the people that are making things happen in lead.

Nowadays too the whole lead industry is under threat — which we really haven’t seen the like of in the past 20 years — and there’s definitely a siege mentality, which can be a creative thing, under-pinning perhaps the last two meetings.

And what do you derive from the meetings?

Though I enjoy listening to many of the presentations, the most important for me is the networking that goes with the event. At its simplest a great deal of my job is to work out the balance between supply and demand for lead. The supply side is the easier part to calculate but the demand side— the trends, the larger picture of what’s going on — is something that you obtain from these

“The independence of CRU means that I can be bearish if I want to about lead. I don’t have to always be positive about it! If I’m seeing a negative thing to say, then CRU doesn’t stop me from saying it. People respect us for that.”

conferences. Sometimes the picture is not so clear, market trends are difficult to decipher , and it tends to work in an osmotic kind of way.

You have described lead as a steady performer. Why?

It comes down to the so-called ‘closed loop cycle’. The main end use for lead is for replacement batteries and existing vehicles on the road. That comes back eventually as scrap which feeds into the recycling chain which then comes back as lead in new batteries and goes into replacing batteries again in vehicles. That closed loop cycle is very efficient with high recycling

rates. So unlike other metals that rely more on primary supplies from mining, lead is less reliant on that part of the supply chain and tends to have a much smoother market imbalance compared to other metals.

Because the imbalance between supply and demand on a global basis is less marked than in other metals that’s why it tends to be a steady price performer.

Also, with other metals you get mine disruptions, strikes etc and that can have a really huge impact on those metal prices — bigger than with lead because the numbers are much smaller on the mining side.

Having said that, there was an upward move in lead prices this spring, followed by a recent decline.

What was the reason for this?

The answer has nothing to do with lead industry fundamentals. It was more to do with just a broader investor move into metals, which was led by copper which is seen as one of the great shining lights of the green energy transition.

Investors thought the timing was right to buy into the copper story and so this spilt over into buying into other metals, including lead, and that pulled the price up.

They were taking their cue from expected future demand strength rather than just current demand. And current demand has been lacklustre of late.

So this realisation of the ‘here and now’ prompted a selloff across all metals and lead prices came back down but because they didn’t rise as much in the first place, they didn’t subsequently fall as much either.

That’s been the story for lead for many, many years. If you look at the average price for lead, from 2010 to now, it’s in the low $2,100s per tonne. Typically, the price tends to pivot around that low $2,100s trading range. Sometimes, as it did in the spring, it gets up to above $2,300 and sometimes it dips below $2,000 but most of the time the price is just trading around that pivot point of $2,100.

What factors are at play at this price point in the future?

There are two. The first, that has surprised many this year, is that the Chinese lead market has become tighter than expected.

For many years there has been an excess of capacity to recycle the scrap. The feeling now is that because lithium batteries are accounting for a greater share of the Chinese market, China is ahead of the curve in terms of pushing lithium over lead.

The lead battery share had been starting to slip a little in recent years and that is now being reflected in less lead scrap hitting the market.

The second point is that China is a battery exporter. And those batteries that are exported do not go back into China as scrap (because China has a ban on lead scrap import)s. So, whenever that battery does fail it’s going to fail in some other parts of the world and not in China.

The lead scrap pool isn’t shrinking as such — more that it also isn’t rising as much as it was. The result of which means exports out of China of refined lead were a flood in the last two years but have now become a trickle this year.

Is this concerning?

Well, I’m even hearing rumours of some lead actually going into China in the months ahead rather than continuing to trickle out. The world is watching to see how this plays out over the next couple of months.

At the moment though, I don’t think anyone in the rest of the world is too worried.

And what’s the second factor?

The US presidential election is grabbing the headlines and that creates uncertainty about what the outcome is going to be come November and all the different implications this may have for global trade of specific metals and the green energy transition. The two parties have differing policies or plans for all those areas.

This is going to create volatility going through the autumn as well as in the run-up to the election. I wouldn’t like to say it’s going to be net positive or negative for lead at the moment.

But if, as we clearly saw in the spring, the copper price decides to have a big rally, or decides to have a big sell-off, then that will pull lead prices to some extent as well.

What about the EV market slowing down?

What kind of impact will this have on lead?

It will generally be a positive. The broader CRU view is that the long-term trend is for ever greater vehicle electrification. But that road is becoming a little bit longer. This year EV sales have slowed. People are starting to question if they’ll be driving EVs in the next five or 10 years.

In the interim people are taking up more hybrid vehicles, the vast majority of which have lead batteries in them either as a starter or as an auxiliary function. Or just simply sticking with ICE vehicles for now.

Some of the full electric vehicles only use lithium batteries and there’s no lead batteries in them — but they are very much in the minority.

So it might be an issue for the 2030s in terms of being negative, but through this decade it’s arguably got a little better for lead demand.

Maybe the greatest impact to lead has been the China boom in the 1990s and 2000s and then more recently the emergence of lithium batteries taking share away from lead in all its uses.

Finally… you must have seen so much change in the industry over the years. What has been the biggest swing?

When I first joined CRU somebody said: ‘You know the replacement of the lead battery is about five years away.’ And then, dot dot dot …! And it’s like, it will ALWAYS be five years away. Lead has always had this threat of another battery chemistry coming along and replacing it completely wholesale.

So how does lead fit into this brave new world?

It’s not a black and white answer. Lead will still have a big role to play in the future, it’s just a changing role in among all these different battery chemistries.

Neil joined CRU in 1989, after gaining a Geology degree at Southampton University in the UK. Today, he is a principal analyst responsible for its lead market analysis and is the main author of its reports, the Lead Market Outlook and the Lead Monitor. As a recognised authority on lead, he is a regular speaker at conferences and has also undertaken research in more specific lead industry topics.

Tel: 317.290.8485 | Email: sales@eagleoxide.com | www.eagleoxide.com

To the outsider the lead battery business seems to be a tranquil landscape where nothing seems to change very rapidly. The truth is vastly different. One moment all is calm, the next it has lurched in yet another direction.

Progress achieved in difficult times

2015

• Zesar invests in new factory in Manisa, near Turkey’s port city of Izmir. Later expanded to another factory. Plans are to double the firm’s manufacturing area to 10,000m2

• GS Yuasa acquires Turkish battery firm, boosts stake in Malaysia, expands further in Indonesia.

• C&D Technologies’ CEO plans revamp aimed to restore lead battery reputation the firm had in the 1990s and 2000s.

• ALABC restructuring approved by its members and ILA.

• Bipolar batteries make a spectacular return to the limelight with two firms, Advanced Battery Concepts and Gridtential, providing possibly viable alternatives to regular lead batteries. Both firms will end up winning the BCI innovation award

• Asahi Kasei acquires Polypore International, the parent company to Daramic and affiliates.

• Death of DeLight Breidegam, charismatic founder of East Penn Manufacturing and creator of the largest family owned battery business in the US.

2016

• BCI launches innovation award. Hammond wins award for further development of its K2 range of expanders and opening up its E=MC2 laboratory to serve the battery industry.

• Tactical tax reasons are involved in the creation of Johnson Controls International based in Ireland and

formed through a merger of Johnson Controls and Tyco International.

• End of a legend. Ann Noll, one of the great institutions of Battery Council International, retires after 37 years with the council. Greatly missed by North American battery firms as well as worldwide.

• Four lead association bodies BCI, ILA, EUROBAT and ABR agree to kickstart a global pro-lead battery campaign. This is the first attempt at full coordination between the organizations.

• Cellusuede moves into new base and 125,000sq ft factory at Rockford in US state of Illinois.

• Ecoult, the East Penn subsidiary, installs UltraBattery in smart grid test bed in Dublin.

• Founder of ALABC Michael Mayer dies.

• A watershed moment for lead battery research when Argonne National Laboratory, RSR Technologies and East Penn Manufacturing agree to work together under a standard US government cooperative research and development agreement.

2017

• ENTEK International, battery separator designer and producer, signs an agreement with Separindo, the Indonesia-based polyethylene battery separator producer and Japanese glass company NSG Group, to make and sell PE separators across Asia. Breaks ground on new plant for this in 2019.

• BCI leads the way with pushing for lower blood lead levels for workers in battery plant.

• Death of Detchko Pavlov, Bulgarian academician and probably the greatest expert on the lead battery that has ever lived. Over his lifetime his research contributed to much of our present understanding of how lead batteries work. He is particularly remembered for the generosity of spirit in sharing this knowledge around the world.

• Doe Run expands lead mining on back of higher lead prices.

• Monbat buys Italian recycling firm Piombifera Italiana.

• Penox opens new product development centre in Germany.

• Chinese e-bike lead battery maker Danneng Power International expands output with $870 million sales.

• BM Rosendahl opens development centre.

• EC fines lead cartel Recyclex, Campine, Ecobat Technologies for fixing lead prices.

• Exide Industries opens $100 million plant in Bengal.

• Belectric, a UK lead acid/lithium battery firm, is bought by German utility Innogy SE (previously RWE).

• Black Diamond Structures opens battery testing for nanomaterials technology facility in Texas.

• Exide Technologies waives the right to use Exide brand name in perpetuity to Indian battery giant Exide Industries. This follows a 20-year dispute over the issue.

• Daramic announces greenfield plant in Gujarat, India finished and operational.

• NorthStar wins BCI award for its remote monitoring technology. This

Julie McClure

allows battery users to review the battery’s health and status at any time from anywhere.

2018

• Batek Makina opens 43,000 sq ft plant in Dilovasi in Turkey.

• Furukuwa Battery partners Vietnam’s Pinaco in UltraBattery manufacturing deal. Furukuwa already had operations in China, India, Indonesia and Thailand.

• C&D Technologies, a portfolio company of KPS Capital Partners, acquires Trojan Battery Company.

• Proposal for new body to replace ALABC mooted at Vienna ELBC. The Consortium for Battery Innovation emerged the following year.

• SY Innovations formed, designed to support SY Group and explore new markets, products and sales/marketing techniques.

• Gridtential wins BCI award for its bipolar battery solution but automation problems on the production line dog adoption despite backing from wellknown battery manufacturers.

• Chinese battery firm Leoch makes undisclosed investment in UK firm DBS Energy.

• Hollingsworth & Vose invested in capacity expansion in raw material and global separator production to support the AGM market.

• Duracell unveils new lead battery, citing cost benefits against lithium.

• Solar power company Mobisol partners African lead battery firms for storage component to its offering.

• Canada’s Discover Energy buys Korean lead manufacturing business iQ Power Asia.

• India’s Exide Industries moves into lithium with Leclanché in joint venture.

• Innovative New Zealand lead battery pioneer ArcActive partners East Penn

• Amara Raja, Gravita sign recycling

deal. JCI, which has worked with Amara Raja for 20 years, formalized an agreement between the two this year.

• Narada inaugurates first of five gridscale lead carbon ESS in Germany.

• EnerSys buys Canada’s Alpha Technologies for $750 million in push into energy storage markets.

• Korean lead battery maker AtlasBX gets go-ahead to build lead battery plant in US.

• Trojan Battery sold to C&D Technologies as last remaining link with Godber family cut.

2019

• RSR Technologies wins BCI award. Working with East Penn Manufacturing and the US Argonne National Laboratory, used Argonne’s Advanced Photon Source synchrotron to look at, in real time, the crystallization of lead plates at the atomic level during the charging and discharging process. The results enable the firm to develop Supersoft-Hycycle alloy, which enhances lead battery performance.

• Microporous forms joint partnership with Chinese firm Zisun, the largest fully integrated producer of glass microfibres and media in Asia, allowing Microporous to add AGM separators to its product range.

• Specialist battery machine maker Wirtz Manufacturing invests in nickel-zinc battery maker ZAF Energy Systems.

• Johnson Controls Power Solutions — the former battery division of JCI bought by Brookfield Business Partners for $13 billion — launched itself with the name Clarios

• Lead batteries in India lose subsidies under new FAME-II regulations.

• East Penn takes stake in lithium battery maker Navitas

• Exide Industries moves into e-rickshaw battery manufacturing.

• Water Gremlin moves back to full production after agency shut-down.

• Upside Group switches on 25MWh lead carbon system in Germany.

• John Devitt, VRLA pioneer and developer dies aged 96.

2020

• Hammond Group completes the first step to employee ownership.

• Covid-19 claims first lead battery insolvency victim, Moll, but outlook for the firm brightens later.

• Exide Technologies (and four subsidiaries) file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to facilitate the sale of its North American assets. In July Exide sells its North American assets to Atlas Holdings.

• German formation firm Inbatec and Kustan become equal and independent subsidiary of new firm RedDotPlastics.

• ArcActive wins BCI innovation award with technology to replace negative battery electrode with non-woven carbon fabric that achieves high DCA with minimal loss.

• Exide Technologies officially separates from its North American business and in October becomes a new European, Asia-Pacific firm. European business, free from the US parent, can focus on its automotive and industrial energy storage technologies. It has two R&D facilities as well as 11 production plants across Europe.

• Don Gribble, inspirational founder of Batteries International, passes away in November.

• California DTSC issues writ to former Exide Technologies — now called Stryten Energy — to recover Vernon clean-up costs. Saga continues.

2021

• Batek Makina, the Turkish battery equipment manufacturer, takes over Italian formation firm Bertola and its subsidiary Moran.

• India’s second largest lead battery

maker Amara Raja announces plans in February to begin working on lithium battery cells.

• Hammond, East Penn, CBI launch joint research program in March. CBI meanwhile announced it had launched a new European research project using neutron diffraction.

• China moves to ban lead batteries in low-speed electric vehicles.

• Chris Pruitt, East Penn CEO takes over as new BCI president.

• Kathryn Bullock, one of the greats in the electrochemical history of the lead battery, passes away in May.

• Hammond Group wins BCI innovation award for development of using lead silicate as a way to counter acid stratification in lead batteries. This is subsequently called GravityGuard.

• Oxis, the lithium sulfur battery developer, is acquired by Johnson Matthey.

• BCI victory as lead batteries removed from California’s DTSC danger list. A huge vindication of the value of BCI’s tireless campaigning on the subject.

• Lead/lithium hybrid trial starts in Poland in July. GS Yuasa, later, wins another installation of lead/lithium hybrid.

• Clarios pulls $1.7 billion capital raising via an IPO at last minute citing market volatility.

• Ecobat buys German lithium battery recycler Promesa in July in clear sign of future plans. It follows this up in October with acquisition of Emrol.

• ENTEK closes acquisition of NSG separator division in September can offer AGM, P/E and lithium separators.

• Women in The Global Battery Industry group launched at BCI meeting held in San Diego, California.

• Sunlight Systems says it will spend €50 million ($59.2 million) to create the world’s largest motive lead battery unit.

• Long Duration Energy Storage Council formed in November by 24 tech companies.

• Monbat plans to open a bipolar lead battery facility by 2024. In following June agreement reached with ABC when Monbat managers secure near 21% stake in the group.

• Stryten buys vehicle power division of Galvion a military equipment maker. In December it buys Tulip Richardson Manufacturing which makes injection moulding products and in January acquires Storion Energy, a vanadium flow battery technology firm.

2022

• Disturbing signs of imminent lithium battery shortages, well before the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing chaos.

• Shake up of maritime transportation rules becomes likely after cargo vessel Felicity Ace sinks off Azores with talk of lithium fire in EVs being transported.

• Shareholder reveals in February ahead of Metair’s results announcement that the South Africa holding group is to sell off its batteries business.

• Surprises at Ecobat as Marcus Randolph is appointed in March as its president and CEO taking over from incumbent Jimmy Herring.

• Clarios acquires Spanish recycler Metalúrgica de Medina

• India’s Exide Industries announces plan in March to invest $800 million in lithium manufacturing.

• Gridtential signs development agreement with Camel Energy

• Ahlstrom-Munksjö launches AGM line in June in Italy. European battery production is still a mainstream market.

• EU warns in June ‘hazard’ classification could endanger battery investments/

• Campine acquires Recyclex in €3.5 million agreement in July after court process in May.

• Mark Stevenson wins International Lead Medal at ELBC Lyon iand becomes 29th member of Alpha/Beta club. Eckhard Karden also wins ILM.

• Senior management buy-out of Monbat, now one of the five largest battery manufacturers in Europe

• Advanced Battery Concepts wins BCI innovation award

• Gridtential announces plans to develop bipolar pilot line with Hammond and Wirtz.

• Ace Green Recycling plans to produce US lead in 2023.

• Clean-up envisaged for Exide’s former plant at Vernon, California which enters ‘next phase’.

• Industry first as batteries insurance warranty scheme launched.

2023

• UK and US legislators consider further laws to tighten up lithium safety

• ABC agrees bipolar lead BESS projects deal

• Prices and supply chain disruptions hit all battery supplier firms.

• International Energy Agency warns further substantial hikes in all battery packs.

• New direction for lead with ‘battolyser; project launched.

• Clarios challenges Mexico claims on soil contamination

• Lithiun fire on container ship blamed on battery from hold EV cargo. Second such fire recorded.

• Gopher Resource wins BCI innovation award with better slag processing.

• Battery ‘rogue genius’ William Brecht dies at his home in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

• Leoch’s battery assembly plant in Monterrey, Mexico to be operational by end of year says chairman Dong Li.

• Battery and auto components group Metair Investments, 100% owner of Mutlu Aku, First National Battery and

• Decision on controversial proposals for lead metal to be added to an expanded European chemicals authorization register is shelved until late 2024. Later until 2025.

• EU competition chiefs accuse Clarios, Exide Technologies, Banner, Rombat, Fiamm Energy Technology and its predecessor Elettra of possible collusion to fix starter battery prices, aided by trade association EUROBAT.

• Lead battery developers are urged to apply for US federal funding worth up to $3.5 billion after energy chiefs clarify their eligibility for the cash.

says it is mulling plans to sell off three subsidiaries including EAS Batteries — for which a planned deal fell through last year.

appoints Thomas Slabe as the company’s third CEO and president in five years.

Consortium for Battery joins three-year US program for deployment of advanced

Sunlight Group signs agreement to acquire the remaining 50% stake in its German lead battery recycling subsidiary Ubatt.

• Private equity firm Trent Capital acquires full control of Microporous

chooses South Carolina as site to build its planned $500 million lithium ion gigafactory.

• Industry leaders say new lower workplace limits for lead set to become EU law will create unnecessary compliance costs for battery manufacturers.

• European lead acid battery manufacturer Exide Technologies acquires German lithium battery tech firm BE-Power.

• Sergio Pezzotti, founder of battery components group Accumalux, dies in Monza, Italy on March 19 aged 91.

• Largo and Stryten Energy plan a 50-50 joint venture to be a key player in the vanadium supply chain for North American flow battery market.

• US treasury secretary Janet Yellen warns cheap exports from China of products including batteries are damaging national economies.

• South Korean car firm, Hyundai Motor and subsidiary Kia agree strategic cooperation with India’s Exide Energy.

International, New Lab and Clean Tech Strategies to investigate long duration energy storage. Roger Miksad, president of BCI says: “This will bring together BCI, CBI and three national laboratories to conduct pre-competitive research aimed at improving lead battery performance.”

• US Department of Energy Better Plants Program awards EnerSys, for the implementation of the Sovema Cold Cube cutting system.

• The most eagerly awaited party of the decade — the special centenary BCI conference celebration — kicks off in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. ENTEK wins BCI battery innovation award for its solvent-free separator technology

Trojan Battery Company wins Amplify marketing award with its “Say Yes to Trojan AES!” campaign.

• Clarios partners in JDA Swedish sodium ion cathode material and cell technology developer Altris to develop batteries for the automotive industry.

• US president, Biden, accelerates trade dispute with China on May 14 calls for hike of tariffs.

• Europe cannot keep up with the money being thrown at the electric vehicle and energy storage industries through US Inflation Reduction Act

• The European Commission re-enters China EU tariff war and penalizes ‘battery electric vehicles that benefit from unfair subsidization.’

• Stanley Whittingham, joint Nobel Prize winner for inventor of the lithium battery, awarded a knightbood

• Paul Rüetschi, legendary battery exponent from the 1960s to 1990s, dies a year short of his 100th birthday.

• US Department of Energy issues conditional loan of up to $1.2 billion to ENTEK, to finance making lithium-ion battery separators.

• Lee Koenig, the driving force in creating the modern Crown Battery, dies aged 94.

• Lead recycler Ecobat commissions its first lithium recycling plant in the US.

• Leoch International reveals plans to build two additional lead battery manufacturing plants (Malaysia, Mexico, as well as expanding lithium capacity in China and Vietnam.

• US Department of Energy awards $5 million each to Battery Council

• The Alpha-Beta Society names Frank Fleming as its 31st member.

• EnerSys acquires Bren-Tronics, a manufacturer of portable power products including small and large format lithium batteries.

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ELBC2024 CONFERENCE AGENDA – TUESDAY

Speakers for ELBC Tuesday

Tuesday 9:00-10.30

9:00-12:00: ONE STREAM ONLY

MARKETS AND TRENDS (PART 1)

9:00-10.30: Chaired by Florian von Steinkeller, chair of ILA executive general manager, Glencore-Britannia Refined Metals

9.00-9.20: Andy Bush, executive director, ILA, UK and Florian von Steinkeller

Opening remarks

9:20–9:45: Christophe Pillot, director, Avicenne, France

The global rechargeable battery market (20202030)

The main goal of this presentation is to forecast the worldwide rechargeable battery market from 2023 to 2030: Areas of focus include: the rechargeable battery market in 2023; by technology: Lead acid, Li-ion, others; by application: portable, industrial, automotive; by battery suppliers; rechargeable battery market forecasts up to 2030; xEV market in 2023 and forecasts up to 2030; other app: industrial, stationary, motive; and, lithium ion versus lead acid.

9:45-10:05: Dong Li, founder & president, Leoch International, China Asian battery market forecast

An overview of the lead-acid battery market in the Asia-Pacific region, including market size, forecast, and market share by segment, is discussed as indicated in the presentation title.

10:05–10:30: Neil Hawkes, principal analyst, CRU, UK

Can lead turn its resilience into brilliance in the seismic energy shift underway?

This presentation will address how lead might yet surprise in playing a bigger role than expected alongside other battery raw materials and the implications for prices.

MARKETS AND TRENDS (PART 1) CONTINUED

11:00–12.00: Chaired by Alistair Davidson, executive director, Consortium for Battery Innovation, UK

11.00-11.20: Amlan Kanti Das, senior VP Luminous Power Technologies, India

Energy storage opportunities for lead batteries in emerging markets

11:20–11:40: Matthew Raiford, technical director, Consortium for Battery Innovation

The future for lead batteries — a technical review of recent developments and future performance enhancements

This discussion will cover how lead battery technology is a key solution for future energy storage needs, and how the industry globally is innovating to meet new performance plateaus.

11.40-11.50: Julie McClure, chair MAC Engineering and president of the Steering Committee of WGBI

WGBI: Putting in the work to support the women of our industry

11.50-12.00: ELBC retrospective

STREAM 1: KEY INNOVATIONS IN THE INDUSTRY (PART 1) 1.15-2.45

Chaired by Bernhard Riegel, VP R&D, Hoppecke Batterien, Germany

1:15–1:25: Bernhard Riegel

EUROBAT Innovation Roadmap 2035

The EUROBAT Battery Innovation Roadmap 2035 outlines advancements in lithium, lead, nickel, and sodium battery technologies, emphasizing sustainability, circularity, and digitalization. It explores promising future technologies like solid-state and flow batteries.

EU policy initiatives such as RePowerEU and the new Electricity Market Design boost battery demand, while the Net-Zero Industrial Act (NZIA) and upcoming Innovation Funds aim to scale up domestic manufacturing. The Critical Raw Material Act (CRMA) addresses supply chain resilience.

The roadmap also predicts increased electrification in renewable energy and low-emission transport applications.

Overall, it provides a strategic framework for advancing battery technologies and ensuring Europe’s leadership in a sustainable and resilient market.

1:25–1:45: Begüm Bozkaya, technical manager, Consortium for Battery Innovation, Germany

Revolutionizing lead batteries: CBI’s key findings

The Consortium for Battery Innovation has developed a technical program to advance the lead battery technology to deliver reliable, safe, cost-efficient, and sustainable batteries. The technical program mainly focuses on energy storage systems (ESS), auxiliary and motive power applications to enhance several performance metrics such as charge recovery, opportunity charging and lifetime of batteries under partial state-of-charge operations.

Several projects across the UK, EU and US are included in the technical program covering not only fundamental but also applied research.

This presentation is concentrated on the main findings obtained from the current research projects. Additionally, new technical projects that are selected from the CBI´s Request for Proposals (RFP) will be overviewed.

1:45–2:05: Tim Fister

X-Ray synchrotron radiation-novel results from studies at Advanced Photo Source (APS) Emerging markets in long duration energy storage and auxiliary batteries for electric vehicles will require lead batteries capable of deep discharge over hundreds to thousands of cycles. The most common failure mode in these appli-

cations is related to the positive active material (PAM), where maintaining interparticle connectivity and connectivity to the positive grid becomes increasingly challenging.

Deep-cycle batteries often rely on a high α PbO2 content after formation, but gradually transition to PAM with predominantly β PbO2 during cycling. Here, we demonstrate the conditions that promote α and βPbO2 during formation, as well as the surprising presence of residual PbO in commercial battery plates formed with varying acid concentration, current density, soak time, and temperature.

These conditions also apply to the substantial swings possible in positive electrodes during cycling that can approach neutral or even locally alkaline conditions at deep discharge.

Within this dataset, we follow changes in PAM composition and particle size during initial cycling and at end-of-life, where the electrodes are nearly 100% βPbO2 with crystallites that have ripened 10-fold in size than after formation. Using both atomic-scale and continuum modelling combined with high-resolution 3D X-ray imaging, we provide mechanisms explaining this evolution and models for extending cycle life at deep discharge.

2:05–2:25: Spartacus Pedrosa, executive director, ITEMM, Brazil

Moura perspective on energy storage system developments in South America

Lead carbon batteries are a key energy storage solution for various applications, offering advantages such as recyclability and cost-effectiveness. However, ensuring their longevity remains a critical challenge. This presentation explores novel approaches to extend the operational lifespan of lead carbon batteries by integrating intelligent charge algorithms and employing optimized lead and alloys.

The integration of intelligent charge algorithms enables precise control over the charging process, mitigating common issues such as overcharging and sulphation, which are major contributors to battery degradation. This approach optimizes the charging profile based on real-time battery condition and environmental factors, thereby enhancing battery health and longevity. Additionally, optimized lead purity improves electrochemical performance.

By selecting lead compositions and alloying elements carefully, detrimental compounds are minimized, reducing capacity loss and extending cycle life.

This presentation delves into the principles behind intelligent charge algorithms and optimized lead alloys, showcasing their synergistic effects on lead carbon battery life improvement.

STREAM 2: SUPPLIERS FORUM

Chaired by Doug Lambert, battery consultant, UK and Kevin Campbell, global head of strategy & market development, Digatron, Germany

1:15– 1:22: Stoyan Gishin, professor, Elektrotechnologia, Bulgaria

Co-authors: V. Dimitrov, K. Vlachkov, P. Matev

Production of lead-acid accumulators and batteries and application in energy storage, electric vehicles, electric trucks with intelligent systems and computer-controlled impulse current electrotechnologies

Innovative intelligent systems and electrical technologies have been developed in the production of lead accumulators and batteries with pulsed current with computer control and registration

Florian von Steinkeller

1:15pm – 4:15pm

ELBC2024 CONFERENCE AGENDA – TUESDAY

of the parameters and results of electrochemical processes – amount of electricity, electricity, electric voltage, duration of the processes, current impulses and others.

Criteria have been developed that specialized software programs with fuzzy logic measure, calculate, compare with the main parameters of the dynamic state of various electrochemical processes and automatically determine the duration of current pulses in order to conduct them in an energy and ecologically efficient manner.

The main advantages are speeding up electrochemical processes and productivity, saving electricity, improving their electrical characteristics, increasing their service life, significantly reducing the conduct of harmful electrolysis processes and, accordingly, releasing acid aerosols that pollute the working environment and others. IS and electrical technologies have been verified at the level of RLT 7, 8 – competitive production in Bulgaria and China and can be sold worldwide.

IS and ET are innovative solutions for the production and charging of accumulators and batteries for vehicles, RES, energy storage and others and are protected by patents in Bulgaria and other countries.

1:22–1:29: Martin Grosskreutz, sales engineer, CMWTEC technologie, Germany

E-Load SA — the new upgrade system for testing solutions in the production line Mobility is one of the driving factors of the global economy and raises a need for increased requirements for sustainability. As a consequence the requirements on reliability and battery life of automotive batteries are steadily increasing. CMWTEC’s answer to this trend is our End of Line Test machine (EOL) based on the HRD principle. This technology has been well established in the market already.

Two base components of this proven technology are now brought together destined to become a bestseller on their own – called E-Load SA. – With its stackable load modules, cooled by a closed water circuit, the E-Load SA will work with existing HRD applications for all battery types including added utility, like the ability to add more discharge power if necessary.

The system comes with the latest version of our proven, flexible and effective QTS test software which covers not only the HRD test but also provides the possibility of creating sequences of up to five different test procedures for each battery test including OCV, CCV, CC, DCR, ACR (impedance with optional CCA display). Aging of older HRD load systems increases risk of failing over time, and the current market leading HRD systems have been discontinued.

1:29–1:36: Paul Everrill, CTO, Black Diamond Structures, US MOLECULAR REBAR: performance, process, and synergy with other additives MOLECULAR REBAR detangled carbon nanotube products have been a part of the lead-acid battery industry for over a decade, helping manufacturers to reach their goals, reduce their costs, and design the next generation of batteries.

Batteries featuring our products can be found on store shelves in North America, powering eRickshaws in India and Bangladesh, delivering market-leading EFB performance in South Africa, supporting advanced traction designs in Europe and the Middle East, and powering thousands of cars, trucks, and motorcycles in South America.

Our products are commercially validated (TRL9), scaled, and continue to support the

innovation of our partners. During our presentation, Black Diamond Structures will share our latest product updates and new customers testimonials.

First, we plan to share mechanistic details of our latest product, PbLite , which was formulated as a process additive to enhance manufacturing output and decease waste production. PbLite builds on years of observations from the field where operators noted the ease of processing and heightened plate output triggered by our traditional performance products.

With PbLite, we were able to separate the process improving aspects of MOLECULAR REBAR from its performance improving aspects. The new additive is cost negative, generating revenue for the manufacture in minutes by returning more plate value than the cost of the material. PbLite is a critical product which can help manufacturers increase their output, revenue, and competitiveness versus other companies and chemistries.

Second, we plan to share our development of MOLECULAR REBAR products for BESS and provide details on its mechanism for this green-technology critical application which may define the future of the lead-acid battery industry. Third, we plan to provide brief updates on our AUX and traction products. Black Diamond Structures cordially invites you to join us as we share our most recent products, data, and innovations.

1:36–1:43: Michael Maul, VP of technology, Polypore International, US Stratosphere: empowering the next-generation flooded and AGMe-VRLA batteries to transcend stratification Stratification of battery electrolyte has challenged the flooded lead-acid battery (FLB) since its inception, especially in cycling applications where the electrolyte density gradient stratification exacerbates battery sulfation. Standard FLB separators do not regulate the distribution of the acid and stratification causes instability for monitoring systems measuring an OCV that represents the charge state of the battery. Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) separator technology provides a solution to these stratification issues, improving the efficiency of battery management systems. However, this comes with increased complexity and cost of more than 2X.

Daramic’s innovative Stratosphere technology, featuring a proprietary gelation composite affixed to a microporous substrate, adeptly controls the electrolyte stratification by volumetrically swelling into the void space between electrodes by 50%, meanwhile, absorbing and immobilizing the electrolyte. This technology retards stratification ensuring more uniform electrolyte concentration, good ion transport and reliable chargestate communication with battery management systems.

This results in ≥2X longer cycle life in Partial State of Charge (PSoC) applications, while maintaining affordability of FLB compared to AGM batteries. Furthermore, for AGM batteries, Daramic Stratosphere separator technology can replace AGM separator, decreasing filling and formation times, negating the need for vacuum systems, high battery compression (>5%), or expensive VRLA manufacturing processes. Daramic Stratosphere technology consolidates the best aspects of AGM Valve-Regulated Lead-Acid Batteries (VRLA), Gel VRLA and FLB separator technologies like no other separator, providing a stable voltage consistent with typical AGM VRLA, a cycle life consistent with typical Gel VRLA, and the low cost, ease of manufacturing associated with FLB.

Tuesday 1:22–1:2

The introduction of Daramic Stratosphere technology represents a significant advancement and evolution in the field of lead-acid batteries, reinforcing its position as one of the most cost-effective battery technologies available today.

1:43–1:50: Francesco Capuzzo, sales and marketing director, Sovema Group, Italy

Enhancing energy efficiency and sustainability in battery manufacturing: a review of Sovema Equipment

Sovema Group is a pioneer in providing energy-efficient equipment for battery manufacturing, vital for the sustainable energy transition. Sovema Group’s equipment integrates advanced technologies, optimizing energy consumption while ensuring high performance.

This is especially valid in the oxide production and formation steps. By streamlining production processes and minimizing energy wastage, Sovema Group empowers battery manufacturers to achieve higher throughput with lower energy inputs, enhancing operational sustainability.

The continuous technological advancements in the processing equipment mark a significant difference between the state-of-the-art solutions and the older machines in terms of energy efficiency and sustainability, providing considerable savings in cost and environmental impact, two imperative aspects battery manufacturers must deal with.

This presentation reviews Sovema Group’s innovative solutions, emphasizing their impact on energy efficiency.

1:50–1:57: Michael McDonagh, Eco Power Technologies, UK

High capacity SLI formation — breaking the barriers

New LAB formation processes save manufacturers millions of dollars, with lead acid battery formation energy costs composing 50% of total factory energy costs. The majority of formation programs are based on fixed Ah inputs. Little regard is given to the charging voltage despite knowing that energy is voltage-dependent.

Voltage is greatly affected by two factors: the connection resistance and the method of energy input. SEM and EDX results have shown that connection resistance is linked to a complex sulphate insulating layer on the connector surface formed under conditions existing on acid-filled batteries, and acid spray during charging.

Tests have shown connection resistance of manufacturers’ in-service connectors was up to 100 times greater compared to new connectors.

Paul Everrill

Martin Grosskreutz

ELBC2024 CONFERENCE AGENDA – TUESDAY

A new formation connector design that is easier to fit and restricts acid ingress was designed. Field trials with this connector have saved battery manufacturing companies hundreds of thousands of dollars by eliminating arcing damage and reducing average formation energy by 3.5% with further savings in scrap/reworked batteries.

Additionally, a second factor is the method of inputting energy to the battery. Highly efficient formation algorithms have been devised, saving both energy and formation time compared to manufacturer’s programmes. The algorithms rely on the kinetic lag between current input and ionic movement, to minimise the onset of the parasitic reactions of water electrolysis, gas evolution and heat.

The presentation explains the thermodynamics and kinetics. Working with industrial partners, lab trials have shown that formation energy savings of 16% and time savings of 20% can be achieved for flooded SLI batteries against an industry-standard programme

1:57–2:04: Marco Robotti, materials engineer, Hammond Expanders

Gravity-Guard — the advanced paste additive to enter the new era of Lead Acid Batteries

During the last 30 years, lead acid batteries have been facing major challenges, such as the adoption of start/stop technology, the development of autonomous driving vehicles, the introduction of electric vehicles, and the demand for increased capacity for energy storage.

This reliance on electrification in transportation is exemplified by auxiliary batteries becoming common in most vehicles to ensure safety even under extreme temperature conditions (from -30°C to +75°C). Another example, is EV fast charging stations will require energy storage to supplement the utility’s electrical infrastructure.

Numerous battery designs, such as flooded, GEL, AGM, flat plate, tubular, prismatic, spiral wound, and bipolar, exist to provide focused benefits for specific applications.

However, a common factor for improvement in all designs begins with the enhancement of positive (PAM) and negative (NAM) active material utilization, a critical area for research in LABs. Hammond’s research team, in collaboration with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and leading battery consultants, has improved paste additives for each electrode separately using 2V laboratory cell testing. The latest results on Hammond’s patent pending Gravity-Guard will be presented in this project.

2:11-2.18: Klaus-Dieter Merz, VP technology, Abertax Technologies, Malta

Most efficient and highest quality process for VRLA batteries in GEL-technology

The first production of GEL batteries goes back to the ‘60s starting with low-capacity batteries (<25Ah). At that time, blocs and later cells were assembled with formed negative and positive electrodes. This resulted in a direct gel filling process.

Due to high production costs coinciding with environmental issues, this technology became obsolete and was replaced by the so called two shot process: – formation with liquid sulphuric acid and discharging – acid drainage and gel filling with a vacuum filling machine and charging.

2:18–2:25: Tamás Mészáros, co-owner, Blewin Batteries, Hungary

Innovative grid technology and its impact on the technical and economic parameters of lead batteries

Blewin batteries utilizes extra fine fibre lead-grids and related production technology to produce higher performing lead acid batteries. In this presentation the Uff (the next step of leadgrid development) technology, and resulting enhancement in energy throughput and the reduced charging time will be covered. Uff and Uff 2.0 production and the latest developments in this new type of pure lead grid technology will be summarized as well.

2:25-2:32: Wang Wei, director of technology department, Nanjing Glass Fiber R&D Institute, China

Innovation research of battery separator under low carbon background

The role of thin pasting paper in the clean production of VRLA battery is summarized, and this paper mainly introduces how this clean production for battery grid as well as the role of glass fiber and cellulose based pasting paper, respectively. The advantages and disadvantages of the two kinds of pasting paper are analyzed in combination with the production technology and its influence on the battery performance, while the future market development and prospect of pasting paper are also forecasted.

2:32-2:39: Shep Gerrish, VP electrode, formation and finishing, TBS, US

3:15–3:22: Xiaofei (Helen) Jiang, international marketing director, Alpha Beta Fiberglass Product, China

The important role of high-performance AGM separators in lead-acid batteries

Modern life relies heavily on efficient and reliable energy storage solutions. For decades, batteries have driven technological progress from humble beginnings as lead-acid batteries.

But as the demand for higher performance and sustainability continues to grow, the question arises: what trajectory will battery technology follow in the future? The future of batteries is inextricably linked to continued innovation and a commitment to sustainability. As research and development continues, we can expect further development of existing technologies and the emergence of novel solutions. The key is to find the right balance between performance, cost and environmental impact to create batteries that can power a cleaner, more sustainable future.

This paper will discuss Alpha Beta’s product line and how we are contributing to a more sustainable battery process.

3:22–3:29: Carmelo Brocato, commercial and marketing director, Engitec Technologies, Italy

Technological jump in Engitec CX Crusher

This introduction suits perfectly to our battery recycling industry where it is well-known that the industrial & traction batteries i.e. the “DIN type”, have a higher content of lead and are therefore potentially able to grant the user of the plant a higher profit, but are very difficult to be processed in standard breaking and separation plants.

The author of this paper illustrates the technological jump pursued by Engitec in the design and manufacturing of the new Heavy Duty Hammer Mill and product separation line that allows processing up to 100% of such batteries with very interesting acceleration in the ROI. Further innovations are also illustrated.

3:29–3:36: Steve Mate, CEO, Mate Gauge, Canada

The Mate gauge virtual micrometer for lead battery production

After years of deploying thickness measuring systems and closely working with our customers, Mate Gauge has introduced the Virtual Micrometer. The Virtual Micrometer puts all the power of laser thickness measuring into the context of the well known traditional micrometer, now with the added capability to measure material width.

With the development of our custom mgApps, Mate Gauge has made its technology more accessible and relevant to battery manufacturers. In this presentation, we will describe the origins and design of the Virtual Micrometer, and how you can leverage this for continuous monitoring of lead strip and plate production

3:36–3:43: Riccardo Ferrari, process engineer, GME Recycling, Italy

Polypropylene recovery from lead acid battery scrap: innovative approach by GME team Polypropylene, a commonly used plastic in battery casings, has historically posed a significant challenge in the recycling process due to its complex composition. Recent advancements have revolutionized polypropylene recovery from discarded lead-acid batteries. GME has developed an innovative recycling plant that not only shreds, washes, and decontaminates polypropylene, achieving an impressive purity level of <200 pof lead, but also employs advanced sorting and separation techniques, such as wavelength-viewer based for color detection, to efficiently isolate and extract polypropylene components.

The output from the plant is available in two forms: PP Chips (approximately 10mm in size) and PP Granules (approximately 1mm in size). This innovative approach diverts significant amounts of plastic waste from landfills, enabling the reuse of polypropylene in various industries, thus reducing the demand for virgin plastics and conserving valuable resources.

This paper presents a detailed study of the polypropylene recovery process and highlights GME’s contributions to a sustainable and circular economy.

3:43–3:50: Francesco Marfisi, sales director, CAM, Italy

CAM innovation: lead oxide production by mechanical milling and induction melting of lead for grid and lead pellet production

This presentation will discuss several case studies from client experiences using new technology from CAM for emission-free production of lead oxide by mechanical milling (Lead Shaver)

Carmelo Brocato

Xiaofei (Helen) Jiang Tuesday 3:15–3:22

ELBC2024 CONFERENCE AGENDA – TUESDAY

and magnetic induction (Fasmelt). Mechanical milling technology was introduced in 2006 and since then, the Lead Shaver has undergone continuous development to become an integral component of lead oxide production systems in several countries.

This emission-free technology is optimal for factories that are located in highly populated areas. The case history of a factory in Berlin, Germany, will be discussed. The latest development of this milling technology is the LSXL, a Lead Shaver built to cut cylindrical slugs directly from one-ton lead hogs used in facilities throughout North America.

Two Lead Shave XLs are currently being installed in a battery factory in the US. Fasmelt was introduced in 2022 and is now in service in several facilities in Europe.

Using magnetic induction for grid production and cylinder casting is a clean, emission-free, and economical way of melting lead and alloys quickly and on a just-in-time basis for efficiency and flexibility.

3:50–3:57: John Wirtz II, president, Wirtz Manufacturing, US

Advancements and innovation in plate-making technology to support current and future market trends

The Wirtz Group of Companies, with manufacturing capabilities in USA, India, and China, and sales and technical/sales centers in USA, Mexico, Brazil, Europe, India, Korea, China, and Australia, continue to position ourselves to not only innovate and deliver the fastest and tightest tolerance manufacturing processes for battery manufacturing, but also more localized sales and support for superior service to our customers.

Our goal is to be the absolute best partner for our customers, ensuring their success when they install Wirtz technology. We look to accomplish this by focusing on the following: faster production rates; tighter tolerances; reduced floor space; reduced emissions; reduced exposure; continuous manufacturing; and, superior service.

As battery markets trends continue to evolve, Wirtz has consistently been ahead of the curve with our equipment technology. This presentation will highlight Wirtz technology critical for current market trends and highlight Wirtz commitment to development to continue to help push our industry forward.

3:57-4:04: Senem Sen, R&D manager, Yigit Aku, Turkey

Yigit Akü the journey from a local manufacturer to a global leader in battery technology

Yigit Akü A.Ş., established in 1976 in Ankara, Turkey, has grown into a leading manufacturer of automotive and industrial batteries. The company has a long-standing commitment to innovation, investment, and sustainability. Starting with a small team and a modest production facility, Yigit Akü has expanded its product range and production capabilities, introducing advanced battery technologies and eco-friendly practices over the decades.

The company’s strategic investments have led to the development of multiple state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities within Turkey, and its international expansion has established a strong global presence. Through strategic partnerships and a focus on research and development, Yigit Akü continues to drive innovation in the battery industry.

Yigit Akü’s product portfolio includes high-performance automotive batteries, industrial solutions for various sectors, and specialized batteries for wide range of applications. The

company is committed to sustainability through closed-loop recycling, renewable energy integration, and energy-efficient operations.

Yigit Akü aims to maintain its technological edge, expand its global footprint, and reinforce its sustainability initiatives, ensuring continued growth and leadership in the battery industry.

4:04–4:11: Alberto Bergamaschini, commercial director & business developer, and Giorgio La Sala, CEO, STC, Italy

Improvements in existing lead acid battery recycling plants

In the lead acid battery recycling field, it is always essential to be constantly updated on the most innovative solutions and technologies available on the market in order to boost the recycling process efficiency while reducing environmental impact almost to zero. Our presentation will illustrate some practical examples of various possible improvements to be implemented on existing plants, focused on how to increase overall plant performances in the most effective and convenient way possible

STREAM 1: KEY INNOVATIONS IN THE INDUSTRY (PART 2) 3:15–4:30

3:15–3:35: Elizabeth Ashton, research associate, Loughborough University, UK; coauthor: Jonathan Wilson

The battery electrolyser: utilising lead acid battery technology as a method of green hydrogen production

A variety of metallic impurities inherent to leadacid batteries can catalyse undesired reactions, leading to an increased production of hydrogen and oxygen gases within the battery cell. However, our research at Loughborough University has enabled the design and development of an integrated battery and electrolyser system, facilitating controlled overcharging to yield pure hydrogen gas.

As a result, the previously undesired gassing of the lead acid battery can be utilised to improve the cells performance when operated as an electrolyser. We have developed this combined battery and electrolyser by utilising lead battery technology, for low-cost green hydrogen production.

The design of our system is such that complete separation of the oxygen and hydrogen gas has been achieved. There is currently no low-cost electrolyser on the market that works with a poor load factor such as renewable generation.

However, we can improve load factor by balancing energy supply and demand with the combined battery and electrolyser. The battery-electrolysers operates as a lead battery to store electrical energy, however once the cell is fully charged then additional energy allows production of hydrogen gas by electrolysis of the electrolyte solution.

3.35–3:55: Enqin Gao, director of research & development, Hammond Group, US Methods of modifying structures of lead acid battery active materials

In 2021, CBI published the updated Technical Roadmap, in which set out the most challenging KPIs that lead battery industry had ever proposed. For example, extreme high cycle life (6,000 cycles at 80% DoD), very long calendar life (15-20 years) and high energy efficiency

Tuesday 3:15–3:35

(88-92% energy storage efficiency) were assigned for ESS application. Since then, many scientists and engineers from lead battery industry all over the world started to working on how to make those goals a reality.

The active material of lead battery, as the energy absorbing and delivering part of battery, plays the principal role. Modifying the structure of active material is one of the most effective approaches to meet these goals. In this presentation we report how we designed and selected additives based on their thermodynamic and kinetic properties.

Some additives can increase the solubility of lead ions in the paste and reduce the time, temperature, energy and cost of curing process. Some additives can change the formation process, improve formation efficiency, modify after formation active material composition and pore structures.

3:55–4:15: Aldrich Estonilo, battery engineer, Gridtential Energy, US Advanced deposition methods for bipolar battery active materials: improving high rate performance and cycle life

Gridtential Energy has developed an innovative method of depositing active material onto the current collectors of bipolar batteries. The process involves applying the positive and negative active materials (PAM and NAM) simultaneously to the current collectors and then curing the subassembly as one.

This results in strong corrosion layer formation on both the positive and negative plates while surface treatments result in a very large surface area of contact. The end result is a notable decrease in internal resistance inside the battery, which serves to both increase cycling life and improve high-rate performance for charge and discharge.

Gridtential is currently working to further develop this process and is comparing the results with those of more traditional deposition methods. In practice, the team is observing a >10% decrease in internal resistance which is yielding a commensurate increase in cycle life and decrease in recharge time. All work has been conducted on Gridtential’s Silicon Joule platform, but the process could be applied to other platform types.

4:30–5:00: PANEL DISCUSSION: PUSHING THE LIMITS OF LEAD BATTERIES

Panellists: Matt Raiford, Begüm Bozkaya, Eberhard Meissner, Enqin Gao, Francisco Trinidad, Paul Everill and Shane Christie

Chaired by Carl Telford, research & innovation director, Consortium for Battery Innovation, UK

Enqin Gao

Elizabeth Ashton

Meet HFSAB at ELBC — Booth 55

H. Folke Sandelin AB (HFSAB), exhibiting at the ELBC in Milan on September 16 to 19 on booth 55, is the world leading supplier of continuous lead extruders with over 60 years of experience in design and manufacture of high-quality machines, well-reputed for their reliability, robustness and durability.

More than 350 machines have been successfully delivered worldwide since our company has been founded in 1958.

With our roots in the cable industry, and highest demands on product quality and process and production reliability within closest tolerances continuously over weeks, we offer a well proven technology for lead acid battery strip manufacturing with very unique material properties with zero porosity, no inclusions and a controlled homogeneous grain structure below 20 µm.

The first extrusion line to be used in commercial production in the leadacid battery industry is successfully in operation at the new HOPPECKE

state-of-the-art plant in Poland since end of 2022.

Our portfolio comprises fully auto matic, easy-to-operate and energy and cost-efficient lead extrusion equipment for continuous strip manufacturing — from single machines to complete lines including automatic double spoolers and turnkey solutions.

Expertise in processing lead and lead alloys enables us to offer one-source solutions from lead ingot to spool and full support to our customers over the entire product life cycle from plan ning to installation, thus mastering the specific challenges in their industry.

Consistent development over decades, staff expertise, service as a core competence and close partner ship with our customers have contributed to our success. These core competences have been our fundamental claim in the past and will be in future.

H. Folke Sandelin AB

Dynamovägen 7, Box 4086 SE-591 04 Motala, Sweden

With headquarters in Motala, Sweden, HFSAB is your strong and reliable partner in meeting the global demands of tomorrow already today.

Continuous Lead Extrusion

For production of pure lead and lead alloy strips for Thin Plate Pure Lead and other Advanced Lead Acid Battery Technologies

Phone: +46 (0) 141 20 36 30

Email: hfsab@hfsab.com www.hfsab.com

What we offer: patented lead extrusion process for flat and profiled strip.

How you benefit: continuous, extremely reliable and cost efficient production of a high-quality strip within very close tolerances and perfect control of homogeneous grain structure in repeatable quality.

H. Folke Sandelin AB Motala, Sweden, +46 (0) 141 20 36 30, hfsab@hfsab.com, www.hfsab.com

Visit us at the on booth 55.

Speakers for ELBC Wednesday

ELBC2024 CONFERENCE AGENDA – WEDNESDAY

Photo Name Norbert Maleschitz

9:00-12:00: ONE STREAM ONLY: MARKETS AND TRENDS (PART 2)

Chaired by Richard Pekala, CTO, ENTEK International, US, 9.00-10.20

9:10-9:35: Norbert Maleschitz, executive VP and COO, East Penn Manufacturing, US Charging ahead — exploring future opportunities for lead batteries

In a constantly changing environment it is important to stay on top of all the trends which are happening in the energy storage sector. Though the lead battery technology is very mature, there are still plenty of opportunities. Energy storage is in high demand and it is not about one single technology, it is about multiple storage technologies. Lead batteries still have its viability in many sectors like as auxiliary batteries in EVs or HEVs, motive power applications, UPS and data storage and many more.

Newer applications such as microgrids for grid stability and cost optimization are future opportunities with significant growth potential. This presentation will lay out the different sectors of growth potential and will also touch on technical aspects which needs to be worked on and to be improved to meet the future requirements.

9:35-10:00: Nick Starita, president, Energy Solutions Division, Hollingsworth & Vose, US Industrial lead battery global market trends and forecast

The global industrial lead battery market continues to evolve based on the changing needs of its diversified applications, customers, and regulations. To understand these market dynamics, data and insights were gathered from industry experts to analyze both the stationary and motive power segments.

We will review the industrial battery market trends, from threats from alternative technologies to exciting opportunities in ESS, and lead battery forecast for key regions and applications to draw conclusions about the future business outlook for our industry.

10:00-10.20: Angela Johnson, VP, Ricardo Strategic Consulting, UK

Automotive technology outlook-the future for lead batteries

9:00-12:00: ONE STREAM ONLY: MARKETS AND TRENDS (PART 2)

Chaired by Dong Li, founder and president, Leoch, 10.50-12.00

10:50-11:10: Martin Seban, director mid-market, KPMG Consulting, France

Battery energy storage systems-market outlook for all battery technologies to 2035

Commissioned by the Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI) and the International Lead Association (ILA), KPMG’s report on the Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) market provides a detailed outlook and identifies key opportunities up to 2035.

The report highlights crucial applications such as ancillary services, energy arbitrage, or customer bill management. It focuses on the market drivers, forecasts, and strategic opportunities, with a particular emphasis on the market potential of lead-based battery technologies in the evolving energy landscape.

Nick

Starita

11:10-11:35: Ray Kubis, chairman, Gridtential Energy/Silicon Joule Technology, US The Battery Technology Race

The US and Japanese launched the critical Lithium battery developments, yet the Korean and Chinese companies have dedicated billions of investments and 10s of thousands of engineers across multiple chemistries to now lead the battery business. The Clean Energy Transition is calling for over 4 TWh of batteries by 2030, and the race is on by governments and companies to claim large and profitable shares of the fast-growing market. The presentation will outline his view and forecast for winners by 2030 in the critical application platforms.

11:35-12:00: Steve Binks, senior regulatory affairs director, International Lead Association, UK

Martin

Seban

Charging the future: How the new EU battery regulation will shape the next decade The publication of the EU Batteries Regulation in 2023 introduced a new era where for the first time the entire life cycle of batteries will be regulated.

The complex regulation supports Europe’s clean energy transition and will apply to all batteries including portable, electric vehicle, industrial, SLI and batteries for light means of transport (e.g. electric bikes, e-mopeds, e-scoot ers).

New targets are established that impact access to the EU market for all battery chem istries, including lead, such as carbon footprint thresholds, minimum recycled content for new batteries, minimum material recovery levels following recycling and even restrictions on use of the most hazardous substances.

The presentation will give an overview of the main elements of the battery regulation and provide an insight on how this may deliver the promise of sustainable, circular and safe batter ies.

1:15-2:30: STREAM 1: TOWARDS

ROBUST PSOC OPERATIONS

Chaired by Begum Bozkaya, technical manager, CBI, Germany

1:15-1:35: Carter Abney, global technical application manager for batteries, Borre gaard, US. (Co-author is professor Stewart Parker, ISIS Neutron and Muon Facility)

Investigation of lignosulfonates in a negative electrode by inelastic neutron scattering Lignosulfonates are widely accepted as an indispensable component in the negative electrode of a lead battery, imparting dramatic improvements in cycle life and cold crank. They are also frequently blamed for inconsistent battery performance and premature failure.

Measuring the persistence of lignosulfonates presents a challenge, as they are added at very low weight percent (0.2–0.3 wt%) and are diluted in lead, obviating any ability to characterize them by traditional spectroscopic or x-ray scattering techniques.

The use of neutrons to investigate lead batteries has recently emerged, due to the superior penetration depths compared to x-rays. However, due to their fundamental physical properties, neutrons also interact most strongly with light elements such as carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen.

As a result, neutrons provide a uniquely powerful tool for investigating lignosulfonates, even while dispersed in an abundance of lead. In this work we present the first application of inelastic neutron scattering (INS) to the quantification of a common lignosulfonate in a lead battery negative electrode.

Data were collected on sampled negative electrodes from 2V flooded cells following curing, formation, cycling, and at end of life. Interpretation of the INS spectrum reveals a dynamic process where lignosulfonates dissolve from and re-adsorb to the negative electrode over the course of battery lifetime, and hints at the complex and interrelated phenomena which need to be balanced to achieve optimal battery performance.

This work provides a first step for better understanding the physicochemical behaviour of lignosulfonates in lead batteries and the rational design of novel battery expanders.

1:35-1:55: Amlan Kanti Das, senior VP, Luminous Power Technology, India

Examination of the influence of NAM expander material on the performance of lead acid batteries

Luminous Power Technologies (LPT) has a wide range of innovative battery products in the power back-up and residential solar space. Lead batteries (LAB) in their present state, suffer from low cycle life and charge efficiency, leading to high system costs specific use cases. With great

Norbert Maleschitz

Wednesday 9:10-9:35

Begum Bozkaya

Wednesday 1:15-2:30

ELBC2024 CONFERENCE AGENDA –

advancements being made in battery chemistries, it has become imperative to make more efficient LABs to maintain its cost leadership.

This project was undertaken to understand the effect of different type of NAM additives, provided by Hammond Expanders, on the performance of LABs developed by LPT. In general, LPT had the following objectives in mind; (i) to improve charge efficiency, (ii) to improve cycle life, especially at partial-state-ofcharge (PSOC) (20-80% SOC) and (iii) to reduce water loss.

To validate these objectives, we have selected a 12 V and 150 Ah battery variant, and carried out charge efficiency, PSOC cycling and water loss tests. During our study, no improvement in charge efficiency was observed, whereas the PSOC cycle life (between 20-80% SOC) improved significantly from 1650 cycles for a control battery to 2250 cycles for battery containing Hammond’s advanced expander in the NAM.

Furthermore, we observed a 7.6% reduction in water loss when using Hammond’s advanced expander in the NAM.

1:55-2:15: Rainer Bussar, battery additives manager, Penox, Germany

Review of the limits of structural optimization of the Positive Active Mass – technical perspective, costs, and environmental aspects In 2022, Penox conducted a study investigating the optimal red lead (RL) content in the positive active mass (PAM) for efficient lead-acid battery formation. Since 2021, Penox has offered a new class of functionalized oxides – especially the new RL+. PENOX has now studied the remaining optimization potential of the positive electrode and the respective contribution of advanced oxides, i.e., functionalized Red Lead. This new study expands on the impact of standard and advanced types of RL in the PAM on the plate-making and formation processes for automotive and industrial batteries.

This research deals with the structural effects that can be obtained using functional oxides in PAM. These oxides combine several functions to improve the positive electrode’s stability with a narrow particle size distribution supporting controlled porosity of the formed active mass, resulting in enhanced and consistent mass utilization.

Penox innovation decouples the content of PbO2 of the RL from the particle size and establishes intrinsic support of the structural backbone of the formed PAM. Furthermore, by coating RL with tetrabasic seeding material, it is possible to achieve a tetrabasic structure in a more straightforward curing process without the need to steam cure the plates.

1:15-2:30: STREAM 2: OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEAD BATTERIES IN ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS

(PART 1)

Chaired by Geoffrey May, director, Focus Consulting, UK

1:15-1:35: Huw Roberts, Director, CHR Metals, United Kingdom

Prospects for lead carbon batteries in Chinese BESS installations

According to China’s National Energy Administration the total installed capacity of so-called “new energy” storage at the end of 2023 was 31.4 GW or 66.9 GWh. This was a 260% increase from the 8.8 GW/18.2 GWh installed at the end of 2022. The expansion of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) is forecast to

continue at a rapid pace for several years and will run alongside further growth in sources of renewable energy especially solar, with capacity in this sector of the market increasing by 217 GW last year, 150% more than in 2022.

While it is estimated that over 97% of BESS installations in China currently use lithium-ion batteries, official policy is to encourage the development of a range of energy storage technologies. Prospects for lead-carbon batteries have been boosted by investment in several large-scale projects and work continues to improve cycle life and cost.

A key advantage of lead batteries, acknowledged in official reports, is their safety, typically a smaller footprint than required by lithium-battery installations, the fact that there is a considerable residual value in lead batteries at the end of their useful life and that there is already well-developed, environmentally sound recycling infrastructure in place.

1:35-1:55: Athanasia-Maria Tompolidi, R&I manager, Consortium for Battery Innovation, Belgium

Modular energy storage with clean hydrogen (MESCH) project

The MESCH project is funded by Innovate UK (UKRI) and has a duration of 24 months, kicked off in May 2024 with a lifespan until April 2026. The international project team comprises: UK-based Consortium for Battery Innovation (project coordination), Ultima Forma (hydrogen storage) and Loughborough University (technical development), Malawi-based Renew’N’able (community engagement) and INFLO (commissioning, operation, training) and Bulgaria-based MONBAT (major battery manufacturer and energy-storage player).

The vision of MESCH project is to enable inclusive access to a sustainable source of energy. MESCH project focuses on a new form of battery and hydrogen production technology (the battery-electrolyser) within a modularized hybrid energy storage system.

The battery-electrolyser both stores electrical power and produces hydrogen using electrolysis. This state-of-the-art technology has as results: low-carbon footprint, provision of electricity buffering and multi-vector energy storage, reliable 24-hour access to electricity and clean fuel by using low-cost components.

1:55-2:15: Goetz Langer, head of LAB development, Hoppecke, Germany

Enhancing the performance of pure lead batteries for Cycle Life in Renewable energy storage applications

Pure lead batteries exhibit resilience in operation over a wide range of temperatures and are therefore suitable for use without the need of any cost intensive air conditioning. Their capability to be inserted in circular systems with high recycling rates makes them particularly attractive for the use in less developed regions, unlike their lithium-based counterparts.

This low environmental footprint for pure lead storage was considered a key benefit for the Horizon Europe project LoCEL-H2, which focuses on providing off-grid energy supply to microgrids in remote areas. To simulate real-world operating conditions, various Partial State-of-Charge (PSOC) and Full State-of-Charge (FSOC) tests were selected from existing or newly developed standards.

Optimization of cycle life within these tests included battery design, novel NAM additives, as well as key physical and chemical properties of AGM and PAM. Preliminary findings from these

Athanasia-Maria Tompolidi

Wednesday 1:35-1:55

simulations will be presented, emphasizing the correlation between battery characteristics and their impact in cycle life. Based on these preliminary results, it can be concluded that pure lead VRLA AGM batteries are a viable option for low-maintenance renewable energy storage.

3.00-4.25: STREAM 2: OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEAD BATTERIES IN ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS (PART 2)

Chaired by Roger Miksad, president & executive director, Battery Council International

3:00– 3:15: Roger Miksad, president & executive director, Battery Council International, US

Exploring the landscape of US government support for the battery industry

This presentation will overview current U.S. government initiatives supporting the battery industry, with a focus on providing European stakeholders a clear understanding of Washington’s role in shaping future trends and opportunities.

He will discuss the U.S. government’s incentives for manufacturing expansion, research and development, and supply chain enhancement. He will also provide case studies to explain the intricate web of subsidies, incentives, and funding opportunities provided by federal agencies and recent legislative efforts.

Roger Miksad 3:00– 3:15

ELBC2024 CONFERENCE AGENDA – WEDNESDAY

Attendees will gain insights into key programs targeting different pieces of the battery ecosystem, from raw material sourcing to end-of-life recycling, an understanding of U.S. government initiatives and their impacts on global competitiveness, and an outlook on future trends in U.S. battery policy.

3:15-3:35: Alyssa McQuilling, research & innovation manager, Consortium for Battery Innovation, US Storage liftoff — program overview and proposed research

Battery Council Internation (BCI), in collaboration with the Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI), three national laboratories, and eight lead battery manufacturers, was awarded funding by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to complete pre-competitive research and development with the aim of enabling lead batteries to achieve a $0.05/ kWh Levelized Cost of Storage (LCOS) for long duration energy storage applications.

The project will incorporate four task areas which are: 1. development and testing of Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) load profiles; 2. atomic-scale analysis of lead battery components after utilization in the LDES; 3. fundamental research into lead crystal structures; and 4. use case definition and modelling to drive understanding of how lead batteries can best reach the LCOS goals defined by SI 2030.

Tasks 1 and 4 will be led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Task 2 will be led by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), and Task 3 will be led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

3:35-3:55: Francisco Trinidad, battery consultant, Spain

Lead battery challenges for energy storage systems

Cost and charge efficient long cycle life energy storage applications are expected to be one of the fastest growing battery markets in the coming years. Lead batteries are facing significant challenges to comply with customer expectations, mainly in terms of cost, charge efficiency and cycle life, that need to be overcome to be present in this market.

The most critical factor is to reduce the Total Cost of Energy Storage (TCOES) by reducing the initial investment (acquisition cost), reduce or eliminate maintenance, and increase calendar

life. The cost of standard flooded batteries is relatively low, but maintenance needs, durability and cycle life does not always fulfill customer expectations.

However, maintenance free designs (gel or AGM) need to reduce TCOES and improve charge efficiency to be fully competitive in energy storage applications. This presentation will focus on the latest developments, some of them successfully applied in automotive batter ies, but lacking sufficient maturity level for long life industrial applications. Several strategies to cope with energy storage requirements will be discussed, such as reducing weight of key components (electrolyte, grids and intercell connectors), improving active material efficiency (conductive additives or porosity enhancers) and increasing charge efficiency (new carbon blends and expander formulations).

3:55-4:15: Scarleth Vasconcelos, graduate research associate, Villanova University, UK

Proof of concept magnetic field monitoring in cycled lead acid cells

Acid stratification negatively impacts battery performance, leading to reduced efficiency and shortened lifespan, a critical failure mode in flooded lead-acid batteries (LABs). The use of a Magnetic Field (MF) provides early onset notification of stratification by monitoring variations in H+ concentration during cycling, with the capability to discern other failure modes in non-flooded LABs.

This research explores the correlation between H+ concentration changes in H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) electrolyte and acid stratification. The uniqueness of this study lies in optimizing parameters, including input amplitude and frequency, to achieve early stratification detection through magnetic field mapping characterization for Battery Management System (BMS) applications.

Experimental measurements involve tracking pH at the top and bottom of 100 ml individual electrolytes, approximately 13 mm apart, and magnetic field variations across different H2SO4concentrations, ranging from 1.07 to 1.33 specific gravity.

3.00-4.25: STREAM 1: INNOVATIONS IN BATTERY MANAGEMENT AND PRODUCTION

Chaired by Ming Zhang, battery consultant, China

3:00– 3:20: Boris Monahov, CSO, Wavetech, Germany

Crystal control technology innovations in lead batteries for industrial applications

Cycle life is a major battery performance parameter. WaveTech Group has developed a unique charge pulse profile based on modifying the kinetics of ionic movement in lead-acid cells, called CCT. This enhances the microstructure of the NAM and PAM.

The corrosion rate becomes lower, no extra heat is evolved and the gassing rate is reduced. The electrochemical processes in the cells are optimized. As a result, cycle life is doubled. Less frequent replacement along with enhanced operation of VRLA monoblocs reduces undesired expense and reduces the battery total cost of ownership.

WaveTech has performed series of field tests studies with large telecom operators in Europe, Asia, and Africa, with a global UPS manufacturer, as well as with a large lead battery manufacturing company. The benefits were confirmed.

Pritpal Singh 3:20– 3:40

In our presentation laboratory and field test results will be shown to illustrate the effect of CCT in flooded and AGM VRLA batteries, as well as in battery manufacturing (formation).

3:20– 3:40: Pritpal Singh, professor, Villanova University, US

Measurements of DC internal resistance and its variations with state of charge, load current, and cycle age of a sealed LAB

The precise measurement of DC Internal Resistance (DCIR) of a Sealed Lead-Acid Battery (SLAB) is of significant importance to accurately estimate the battery’s State-of-Health (SoH), which indicates its performance and cycle age. However, a seemingly simple DCIR measurement has been a challenge, since its value changes continuously – during the battery’s charge, discharge, idle period, and even during its measurement duration.

This research developed a simple and practical method, which is accurate, repeatable, and can measure the DCIR of 12 V, 200 Ah SLABs, for a given charge level and at the specified load current. DCIR values comprise the ohmic resistance and the resistance due to electrochemical processes. Some available measurement methods were first evaluated.

These methods included fixed DC load, two-tier DC load, and the voltage relaxation technique. The limitations of these methods pertain to poor repeatability, subjectivity, and inconsistency of results. Next, we present our successful experiments to identify two Virtual Open Circuit Voltage (VOCV) based novel methods.

The selected new method is one of these two methods, based on the pre-validated concept of VOCV. We notably present the results of the DCIR variations with the battery’s SoC, for nine distinct life stages during the battery’s cycle life.

3:40– 4:00: Mariusz Slowik, VP & director of production and logistics, AutoPart Battery, Poland

Advancing lead oxide battery production: integrating machine learning with Barton reactor operations

4.25-5.00: ALL STREAMS: PANEL DISCUSSION: ENSURING LEAD BATTERIES PLAY A ROLE IN FUTURE ESS

Carl Telford, chair. Panellists: Amlan Kanti Das, Alyssa McQuilling, Berhard Riegel, Ed Shaffer, Ming Zhang

Francisco Trinidad Wednesday 3:35-3:55

ELBC2024 CONFERENCE AGENDA –

Thursday

9.00-10.40: STREAM

1: AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCT AND TEST DEVELOPMENT:

9:00–9:20: Eckhard Karden, Battery Consultant, Germany

Market and technology trends for 12V batteries in electrified vehicles

In the rapidly growing market segment of battery-electric vehicles, key requirements for the low-voltage distribution system and its battery are changing drastically. For example, engine cranking, which used to determine the CCA power sizing of batteries, is no longer required, and key-off loads may be powered, or the low-voltage battery replenished, from the high-voltage battery while the vehicle is parked safely.

Simultaneously, quiescent loads are growing significantly due to customer comfort functions, over-the-air software updates, and several other factors. With electrified driver assistance systems and autonomous driving functions, 12 V power supply systems and their components will have to meet new requirements (Functional Safety) in addition to traditional reliability. While the automotive industry is undergoing disruptive change, the paper will snapshot technology trends for low-voltage power supply systems and derive challenges and opportunities for 12V lead-based automotive battery systems

9:20–9:40: Micha Kirchgessner, research manager, Penox Germany and Martin Wieger, ABR Austrian Battery Research Laboratory, Austria

Automotive lead-acid batteries — a review and “outside view” on the perspective for (European) automotive batteries

Penox perspective

In 2022, Penox and the Austrian Battery Research Laboratory (ABR) decided to investigate the status of selected automotive battery technologies. The technical collaboration seeks to understand better the robustness and remaining optimization potentials of advanced automotive technologies such as EFB and AGM. The survey study presented fundamental perfor-

mance values, such as the 50% and 17.5% DoD cycle lives for selected aftermarket batteries (all data is strictly anonymous). Furthermore, the study highlights technical limits and typical performance variations per technology for stateof-the-art batteries.

Failure modes in laboratory testing and from field return batteries are compared and discussed. Furthermore, ABR has developed advanced testing procedures to predict battery failure and has studied the remaining ‘fitness’ of replaced automotive batteries in Austria and Germany. The surprising result was a high share of batteries that had been replaced and could effectively be operated afterwards.

This learning underlines the need for more robust criteria to distinguish irreversible failures from weak electrical performance caused, for example, by undercharging conditions. The tech nical survey was performed with different but comparable battery types and sizes obtained from the EU battery market and the field, including return batteries in Austria and Germany, and is entirely anonymous.

ABR perspective

Battery Research Laboratory (ABR) decided to investigate the status of selected automotive battery technologies. The technical collaboration seeks to understand better the robustness and remaining optimization potentials of advanced automotive technologies such as EFB and AGM. The survey study presented fundamental performance values, such as the 50% and 17.5% DoD cycle lives for selected aftermarket batteries (all data is strictly anonymous). Furthermore, the study highlights technical limits and typical performance variations per technology for stateof-the-art batteries. Failure modes in laboratory testing and from field return batteries are compared and discussed.

Furthermore, ABR has developed advanced testing procedures to predict battery failure and has studied the remaining ‘fitness’ of replaced automotive batteries in Austria and Germany. The surprising result was a high share of batteries that had been replaced and could effectively be operated afterwards.

This learning underlines the need for more robust criteria to distinguish irreversible failures from weak electrical performance caused, for example, by undercharging conditions.

9:40–10:00: Aaron Bollinger, assistant VP, automotive engineering, East Penn Manufacturing, US

Process and product design for xEV low voltage applications

The application of LV (low voltage) auxiliary batteries in vehicles with increasing degrees of powertrain electrification up to full battery electric vehicles will require robust battery systems to provide energy for safety critical functions. To meet this developing application, improvements must be made in product consistency and reliability. Opportunities for improvement can be found in both product and process design. When improving the product design, it is important to understand the requirements of the application and have methodologies to evaluate the fitness for use. Part of this presentation will discuss the industry activities underway to characterize the application and East Penn’s experience in supplying into the auxiliary application.

The design can be improved through structured design methodologies like Design for Manufacturability and Prototyping. These methodologies and their applicability to the lead battery space will be reviewed. The manufacturing process can be evaluated through meth-

Thursday 9:40–10:00

odologies like FMEA and Failure Tree Analysis. These techniques help identify key product components and characteristics, as well as identify the way in which processes or components can fail.

The benefit of these methodologies will be discussed, and real-world lead battery examples will be presented.

10:00–10:20: Jonathan Wirth, data scientist/software engineer, BatterieIngenieure, Germany

Statistical analysis of short-term prediction for safety state-of-function

Exploring potentials of stimuli for enhanced robustness within a pre-competitive working group, strongly supported by Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI), a database with test vectors was created in which lead batteries were subjected to daily driving cycles.

The scenarios simulated include different vehicle (BEV and µHEV) and usage types (sales agent, short-distance commuter, elderly care, craftsperson, and others), climatic variants and varying generator and alternator setpoints. The batteries tested cover a broad range of field-relevant ageing effects.

The aim of the test vectors is to validate algorithms for predicting the performance of the lead battery. For this purpose, the end voltage of a predefined safety-relevant discharge current profile (Safety State-of-Function, SSoF) is continuously predicted based on regular stimuli (ripples, charge/discharge steps). The battery is then occasionally subjected to an actual SSoF profile to validate the prediction.

Six different SSoF profiles of different size and duration are used, five of which comprise two steps. In this paper, the stimuli and SSoF profiles of selected test vectors are statistically analyzed to show the extent to which certain properties of the stimuli can contribute to an accurate shortterm prediction.

9.00-10.40: STREAM 2: INNOVATIVECOMPONENTS FOR LEAD BATTERY

SYSTEMS

Chaired by Eric Miller, director LAB R&D, Daramic, US

Chaired by Bernd Engwicht, director of automotive battery application, East Penn Manufacturing, Germany

Aaron Bollinger

Eckhard Karden

Aaron Bollinger

Eckhard Karden

9:00–9:20

Perry Kramer

ELBC2024 CONFERENCE AGENDA – THURSDAY

9:00–9:20: Richard Pekala, CTO, ENTEK International, US

Structure-Property Relationships in Absorptive Glass Mat (AGM)

ENTEK Absorptive glass mat (AGM) and polyethylene/silica are the two most common separators used in lead batteries to space the electrodes and allow for ionic conduction. These separators are not only different in composition, but the polyethylene/silica separators have ribs and ~60% porosity whereas AGM is flat and contains ~92% porosity.

In this presentation, we review how silica fibres are manufactured, and then the influence of key characteristics such as fibre morphology, fibre diameter, surface area, polymer binders, and process conditions on key AGM characteristics. In particular, we will examine how the fibre diameter distribution impacts % porosity, pore size distribution, and compression-recovery in both a ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ state.

Finally, we will briefly discuss the development of new AGM formulations to further mitigate acid stratification.

9:20–9:40: Angel Kirchev, research director, CEA-LITEN/Laboratory for Stationary Storage of Renewable Energies, France

Low-cost, circular, plug & play, off-grid energy for remote locations including hydrogen

Positive tubular plate technology offers significant endurance under conditions combining deep cycling and excessive overcharge. Such robust features makes these electrodes suitable for hybrid electrochemical applications combining the energy storage function of the lead acid battery and the production of hydrogen by electrolysis.

The operation and ageing mechanism of the positive tubular plates with lead-antimony grids under profiles, which could be typical for such hybrid electrochemical applications, have been studied within the Horizon Europe project LoCel-H2.

The results from the electrochemical and the corrosion tests indicate that the selected approach may deliver economically sustainable solutions for local small and medium scale hydrogen production in electric grids with strong

9:40–10:00: Shu-Huei Hsieh, associate professor, National Formosa University, Taiwan

New understanding of novel components in advanced lead batteries

Our laboratory specializes in synthesizing nano particles, nanorods, nanowires, and graphene oxide (GO) using wet chemical methods such as electro-electroless plating, sol-gel, and hydro thermal processes. Additionally, we modify carbon materials to enhance their compatibility with metals, with a particular focus on estab lishing a highly stable electrochemical interface between lead (Pb) and carbon. Activated carbon fibre cloth (CF) is a monolithic, conductive, and hydrophilic material.

A Pb/CF cloth/Pb composite (LCF) as a highly efficient lead-carbon electrode exhibits high charge acceptance and long cycle life for lead batteries (LAB) during HRPSoC cycling. There fore, the Pb-C (Lead-Carbon) composite serves a dual purpose in a LAB, contributing to both high-rate efficiency and acting as an electrode to assemble a cell.

In evaluation of the two functions; when employing LCF plates in a LAB the discharge time during a 500 W cycling test of a 12 V, 6 Ah battery over 200 cycles is consistently 120 minute, and the remaining capacity of the battery remains almost unchanged.

Additionally, the 1C discharge cycle life of a 12 V 60 Ah battery exceeds 200 cycles.

10:00–10:20: Nicolas Clement, chief scientist, Hollingsworth & Vose, US and co-author, Stuart McKenzie, CEO, ArcActive, New Zealand

Novel glass fabric electrode material for grid replacement in lead batteries

Lead acid batteries have been using lead grid to hold positive and negative active mass for more than a century. Manufacturing of the lead grids, their compositions and geometries highly influences battery performance and cost.

ArcActive and Hollingsworth and Vose have combined their expertise to invent a new way to make plates for lead acid batteries. The combination of H&V knowhow in fibrous glass media manufacturing and ArcActive experience in making plates using fibrous media has enabled a breakthrough discovery on plate design.

Thursday 9:40–10:00

This glass fibre-based plate innovation with a reliable supply chain will lead to the following benefits for the lead acid battery:

• Lower weight by lowering the quantity of lead used.

• Improve performance.

• Increase cycle life.

We will present details on the technology and share battery performance improvement comparing the traditional design with new technology.

11.05-12.25:

STREAM 1: EXPANDING THE REACH OF LEAD BATTERY TECHNOLOGY:

Chaired by Paul Everill, CTO Black Diamond Structures, US

11:05–11:25: Perry Kramer, assistant VP of technology, East Penn Manufacturing, US Design and process evolution for enabling lead battery technologies

East Penn continually investigates novel lead battery designs with the goal of maintaining market position and expanding into new applications. Carbon felt negative current collectors

Thursday11:25–11:45

that East Penn has investigated with industry partners.

Methodologies used to advance research, such as minimum viable products and experiments, will be discussed. Implementation of pilot lines and prototype builds have allowed East Penn to exhibit the capability of these technologies in automotive, reserve power and motive power applications. Both technologies require manufacturing technology that is not common in the current lead battery industry.

Through design iterations and process improvements, East Penn has increased the MRL and TRL level of each of these technologies. In the following examples, East Penn has demonstrated the capability of these technologies through multiple experiments and prototype builds.

ArcActive negative electrodes significantly improve charge acceptance in both micro hybrid and AUX EV applications while also potentially improving calendar life in high temperature float applications. Bipolar technology significantly improves deep discharge cycle life and is very tolerant to abuse such as over-discharge. These attributes make this technology attractive in many applications including personal mobility, ESS, motive power, and as an automotive AUX battery.

This presentation will describe the inventions, early experimentation with test results, and new approaches for manufacturing these novel designs.

11:25–11:45: Pascual Garcia Perez, R&D manager, Imerys Graphite & Carbon, Switzerland

New carbon additives for advanced lead batteries

Imerys Graphite and Carbon is a worldwide leader in supplying highly specialized and environmentally friendly carbons for several high technology industries. We are committed to offer a diversified range of carbon additives able to fulfil all requirements for advanced lead batteries.

The TIMREX CyPbrid product family was especially designed for advanced lead batteries. These products combine high surface area, typical of carbon blacks, with high intrinsic conductivity and high apparent density, typical of graphite. Carbon materials added to the negative plate formulation improves the charge acceptance at partial state of charge as well as the cycling performance of lead-acid batteries. Experimental studies trying to understand

Pascual Garcia Perez

Shu-Huei Hsieh

Pascual Garcia Perez

Shu-Huei Hsieh

ELBC2024 CONFERENCE AGENDA –

which specific properties of the carbons are at the origin of those improvements have been done in the past but the recent focus is on developing and selecting suitable products for new automotive and stationary applications. Imerys development activities for carbon blacks and synthetic graphite aim to fulfil these requirements for advanced lead battery applications. The role of carbon materials on the negative electrode and how the surface groups can affect both the charge acceptance and hydrogen evolution will be discussed.

11:45–12:05: Eberhard Meissner, battery consultant, Germany

A fresh look at Negative Active Material: three types of electrochemical reaction occurring simultaneously in the same location

The negative electrode is not only the site of the NAM charge/discharge (main) reaction, but also of two independent side reactions: hydrogen evolution (H2 followed by upward arrow Ant sitting next to the 2) and oxygen reduction (O2 downward arrow). The three internal electro-chemical charge-transfer currents sum up to negative electrode’s external electrical current iel = icharge-discharge + iH2 Upward + iO2 downward measured at the battery terminal.

As electrons required for cathodic side reactions may be provided at any time by anodic NAM discharge, the external electrical current does not control the rates of internal reactions. Species involved in main reactions and in hydrogen evolution are abundant in the electrolyte; therefore, their kinetics depend mainly (in different manners) on local potential, acid concentration and temperature. However, oxygen is usually sparse at NAM surface; the rate of oxygen reduction is mainly controlled by actual local concentration of oxygen dissolved in the electrolyte.

Therefore, hydrogen evolution and the presence of hydrogen formed already during previous operation, stored either as gas in micro-bubbles or dissolved in electrolyte – may impede oxygen access to the NAM surface according Henry’s Law. This may influence oxygen reduction rate: sudden “H2upward bursts” may even “wash out” O2downward from electrolyte and gas bubbles. Less access of oxygen to NAM and lower oxygen reduction (O2 downward) reaction may increase loss of water from the cell.

As local potential, acid concentration and

oxygen concentration may vary over all the NAM sites of an electrode, complex distributions of charge-transfer reaction currents may be generated over both electrode plane and electrode thickness.

11.05-12.25 STREAM 2: PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF SCIENCE — WHAT’S NEXT FOR

LEAD BATTERIES:

Chaired by Emma Thacker, senior manager materials development, EnerSys, UK

11:05–11:25: Cailin Buchanan, postdoctoral researcher, Electrochemical Materials and Interfaces Group, Argonne National Laboratory, US

Accelerating the investigation of organic expander molecules to understand structurefunction relationships in lead acid batteries Expander molecules such as Vanisperse A are added to the negative electrodes in lead acid (PbA) batteries to enhance surface area and discharge performance. These expanders typically reduce charging rates, however, which limits the use of PbA batteries in advanced applications.

A deeper understanding of the ways that expander molecules interact with lead species and ultimately control discharge and charge performance remains elusive. Additionally, investigations of alternative expander molecules are often based on a “trial and error” approach, which is a slow experimental process that limits researchers’ abilities to draw broader conclusions.

We have developed an automated electrochemistry platform to screen model expander molecules (MEMs) systematically as a function of their functional groups using cyclic voltammetry. Electrochemical performance is quantified through discharge and charge enhancement factors relative to a baseline performance without expanders.

We establish four categories of MEMs: enhancers, inhibitors, traditional, and rheology modifiers. Although many MEMs that have been screened to date have been categorized as traditional or inhibitor, a novel class of enhancers have been identified as well, which were not even considered possible.

The automated platform has accelerated the pace of electrochemical screening and allowed for better reproducibility and quality control through repeat measurements.

Thursday 11:45–12:05

11:25–11:45: Alberto Romero, R&D engineer, Exide Group, Spain

An electrochemical tool for characterizing a soft lead sample

During the charge process of a lead battery (LAB), the main reactions of the positive plate (PbSO4/PbO2) and the negative plate (PbSO4/ Pb) take place. On the other hand, when the battery is in the state of overcharge or self-discharge, other secondary reactions take place. Two of these reactions are the Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) in the positive plate and the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) in the negative plate. As a result, current is consumed by several mechanisms during these states.

Consequently, if these secondary reactions are catalysed by the operating conditions, LAB performance may be adversely affected by a water consumption increment. One of the main causes of OER and HER catalysis is related to the effect of metal impurities.

The presence of these impurities is due to the different raw materials used in battery manufacturing, with soft lead being the main precursor.

Buchanan

Cailin Buchanan Thursday11:05–11:25

On the other hand, this fact will be critical for the LAB market in the coming years, as the EU regulation requires a higher content of secondary materials in the batteries, which normally contain higher impurity levels.

With the aim of predicting the catalytic effect on water consumption of the soft lead used to build the plates of a LAB, a low-cost tool was developed in this work. So, soft lead samples were characterized by this tool using a three electrode cell and applying an electrochemical technique.

11:45–12:05: Frederick Agyapong-Fordjour, research scientist, Argonne National Laboratory, US

Fundamental studies: Understanding the discharge mechanism and capacity limits of lead acid battery electrodes

Enhancing lead battery design to optimize material use, accelerate recharge rates, and extend cycle life hinges on a comprehensive understanding of electrochemical and chemical processes at atomic and molecular scales.

This study explores how using well-defined electrode interfaces provides insights into the fundamental limits of discharge capacity and recharge rates. Our findings elucidate the relationship between discharge rates and PbSO4 particle size/layer thickness, and how they are critical in determining the maximum accessible discharge capacity of both negative and positive lead electrodes. These insights have informed the development of a mathematical model that captures underlying processes governing lead ion and (bi)sulfate ion gradients, nucleation, and growth — foundational to explaining the empirical Peukert law from first principles.

BOTH STREAMS TOGETHER

12:25 – 1:00: Eckhard Karden, Norbert Maleschitz, Spartacus Pedrosa, Luca Brisotto, Sibel Eserdag Panel discussion: Future of lead batteries for automotive applications

1.45-5.00 The CBI General Assembly and a technical debate will be held. This is open to CBI members only

Cailin

Eberhard Meissner

Eberhard Meissner

September 16-19, Milan, Italy

Explore Hammond Innovation

“METHODS OF MODIFYING STRUCTURES OF LEAD ACID BATTERY ACTIVE MATERIALS”

Hammond Leadership Gordon Beckley, Steve Barnes, Brad Bissaillon and New CEO Bobby Lucas AT

ENQIN GAO Director of Research & Development Hammond Group USA

MARCO ROBOTTI Materials Engineer Hammond Expanders UK

NEW WHITEPAPER RELEASE

DETAILS RECENT INDEPENDENT RESEARCH FINDINGS ON GRAVITY GUARD®

NEW VIDEO FOR ELBC 2024 EXPLORING RECENT CHANGES AT HAMMOND AND ACROSS THE BATTERY INDUSTRY

FORUM PANELIST

“KEY INNOVATIONS” SPEAKER & PANELIST