The development and potential applications of a Pb-Al Alloy

Abstract

Although widely used in batteries, lead alloys are heavy and have poor creep properties. To develop a lighter, more creep resistant battery alloy, the possibility of alloying lead with aluminum has been explored. Although aluminum and lead are immiscible, rapid solidification and mechanical alloying techniques allow the production of an alloy with uniformly distributed phases. Aluminum additions have been demonstrated to improve creep resistance and increase electrical conductivity, as well as reducing density. Ongoing work is aimed at optimizing the processing, structure and properties of Pb-Al alloys.