Project Report on P.V.C. Battery Separator [Eiri-1552]

Amongst the various systems and devices that are available for converting electrical energy to some form of storage energy for reconversion to electrical energy, lead storage battery is the most effective system available. The use of storage batteries is far and wide and mainly in the field of automobile, telephone exchange, submarines, aircrafts etc. Before 1946, most separators used in storage batteries were of wood and since then, these have been replaced either by PVC or micrporous rubber which are highly suitable. Sintered microporous PVC battery separators are the separators used in the storage batteries all over the world for enhancing the life and quality of the battery. The function of a separator  is  to isolate the positive and negative plates in a battery by providing a perfect insulation, these preventing short circuit  in them.  At the same time the separators function as  a permeable membrane so as to effect circulation of the electrolytes for the chemical reactions and free ionic flow. The selection of proper separator is important in obtaining maximum utilization of active materials. Formerly wood veneer made out of fir trees were used for this purpose.  These  veneer was  grooved to form ribs and treated in caustic soda. Recently wood has been replaced by treated paper, plastics and rubber. Paper  separators  are  made by treating paper of controlled porosity with phenol formaldehyde resin, curing, corrugating  to form the ribs and cutting to sizes rubber separators  are  made from  rubber latex  and silica gel.  Plastic separators  are  made from PVC granules sintered together.