Behaviour of lead electrodes in sulphate electrolytes. I. Effect of electrode preparation on discriminant curve cyclic voltammograms

A new technique called discriminant curve cyclic voltammetry (DCCV) has been developed to study the cycling behaviour of battery plate materials. The method is used to investigate the effect of various electrode pretreatments on the cycling behaviour of pure lead in sulphate electrolytes. It is found that three distinctive patterns of response are observed depending upon the surface condition of the lead. The results are correlated with photographic evidence obtained by scanning electron microscopy.