Influence of Crystal Structure and Interparticle Contact on the Capacity of PbO2 Electrodes

Chemically prepared specimens of α- and β-PbO 2 were discharged in 1m H 2 SO 4 under defined conditions of mechanical compression. Various quantities of graphite were added to the PbO 2 specimens in order to study the influence of electric contact between particles. Electrodes of a-PbO 2 (having a high degree of structural disorder) presented a higher discharge efficiency than those of well crystallized β-PbO 2 . The capacity increased in the presence of graphite and with increasing Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) area