Methods and system for manufacturing lead battery plates

Abstract

Methods and a system for manufacturing a lead or lead alloy plate lattice for a lead-acid battery are described, comprising continuous extrusion of a melt of lead or lead alloy under temperatures lower by 10-100° C. than the melting point of lead, or the lead alloy, the extrudate being subsequently subjected to a flattening process under a temperature lower by more than at least 230° C. than the melting point of lead or the lead alloy, with a total draft rate less than 10%, and thereafter the extrudate may be processed so as to manufacture a plate lattice.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing a lead, or lead alloy, plate lattice for a lead-acid battery, comprising:
 continuously extruding the lead, or lead alloy, under temperatures lower by 10 to 100° C. than the melting point of the lead, or the lead alloy,   flattening of an extrudate thus formed under a temperature lower by more than at least 267° C. than the melting point of the lead or the lead alloy,   wherein said flattening of said extrudate provides a total draft rate less than 10%, and   processing the extrudate so as to manufacture the plate lattice, wherein a cathode lead or lead alloy plate is manufactured, and wherein cooling of the extrudate is controlled to provide a grain size of said plate of 10-50 μm.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said flattening is performed under a temperature lower by more than at least 287° C. below the melting point of lead or the lead alloy. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said flattening is performed under a temperature lower by more than at least 297° C. below the melting point of lead or the lead alloy. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said flattening is performed under a temperature lower by more than at least 307° C. below the melting point of lead or the lead alloy. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said flattening of said extrudate provides a total draft rate of less than or equal to 5%. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said flattening of said extrudate provides a total draft rate of less than or equal to 3%. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said flattening of said extrudate provides a total draft rate of less than or equal to 1%. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said flattening of said extrudate provides a total draft rate of less than or equal to 0.5%. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said cooling is controlled to provide a grain size of said plate of 10-20 μm. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a coolant to cool the extrudate is provided in a die block during the extrusion. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a coolant to cool the extrudate is provided after the extrudate's passage of a die block. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising setting at least one supply parameter of a coolant based on a desired grain size of the extrudate. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein said supply parameter is selected from a group consisting of supply position, supply rate, coolant temperature, coolant pressure, and type of coolant. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein said setting is achieved by positioning a supply inlet for said coolant in a longitudinal direction of the extrudate. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein said setting is at least partially achieved by selectively feeding the coolant to at least one of a plurality of supply inlets, which are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the extrudate. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the type of coolant is selected from the group consisting of air, inert gas, liquefied gas, water, oil, cutting fluid, aerosol, vapor, a combination of at least two thereof or no coolant at all. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising sensing a temperature in a die block, and setting the supply parameter based on the temperature. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein an anode lead or lead alloy plate is manufactured. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein cooling of the extrudate is controlled to provide a grain size of said anode lead or lead alloy plate of 50-300 μm. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein cooling of the extrudate is controlled to provide a grain size of said anode lead or lead alloy plate of 100-200 μm.