Application and mechanism of pore-like Bi as a hydrogen evolution inhibitor in lead-carbon batteries

Abstract

Materials that enhance electrolyte transport and suppress the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) have been a focus in the development of negative electrodes for lead-carbon batteries. This study focuses on bismuth (Bi), a metal with a high overpotential for hydrogen evolution. With the quantities of reactants carefully controlled, pore-like Bi material was synthesized through a straightforward chemical reduction method. This material was then mechanically mixed with activated carbon (AC) and applied to the negative active material (NAM) of lead-carbon batteries. A series of characterizations were conducted to examine its structural features and electrochemical performance. The results demonstrate that the pore-like Bi structure significantly enhanced NAM utilization and effectively suppressed HER. Cycling tests revealed that pore-like Bi markedly increased the specific surface area of NAM and delayed the sulfation of the electrode plates, providing the Bi/C electrodes with abundant active sites, which alleviated performance degradation caused by water loss. Furthermore, the 2% Bi/C battery have a cycle life of 5,226 cycles. As a non-toxic and cost-effective metal, Bi has considerable potential as an additive for lead-carbon batteries.