Role of nano-carbon additives in lead-acid batteries: a review

Development in lead (Pb)-acid batteries (LABs) is an important area of research. The improvement in this electrochemical device is imperative as it can open several new fronts of technological advancement in different sectors like automobile, telecommunications, renewable energy, etc. Since the rapid failure of a LAB due to Pb sulphation under partial-state-of-charging, electrode grid corrosion and water loss are some major obstructions in its advancement. The doping of various carbon forms into the negative active material of an electrode has been suggested to be effective at improving the storage capacity and cyclic life of LABs by suppressing irreversible sulphation. This report is an attempt to focus on different theories related to the working mechanism of carbon and to summarize the investigation results observed by various researchers regarding the significant role of nano-carbon additives in LABs. On the basis of that, we tried to compare their performance along with the discussion on the best possible additive.