Battery Rejuvenation Epsom Salts???

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Stevedud

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Hi
I have read that using epsom salts in a lead acid battery can breath some life into a battery.
My battery measures ok when fully charged but will not take the load of starting the engine. If the plates are badly sulfated then using epson salts (about 10 tablespoons in a pints of very hot but not boiling removes the stuff off the plates. Has anyone tried this and does it work??
 
What does it measure while trying to start the engine?
Sounds like a cell or two are high-resistance. ( in which case RIP)
Epsom salts are probably better kept for post-hangover cleanouts I think.
I'm sure Elphin Saephety would frown upon the chemical games you describe.
 
Stevedud said:
Hi
I have read that using epsom salts in a lead acid battery can breath some life into a battery.
My battery measures ok when fully charged but will not take the load of starting the engine. If the plates are badly sulfated then using epson salts (about 10 tablespoons in a pints of very hot but not boiling removes the stuff off the plates. Has anyone tried this and does it work??
Click to expand...

What are you suggesting. Empty out the acid treat with magnesium sulphate solution and then refill with acid ?

I cannot think why it would work.

I can see how EDTA might make some improvement, to a lightly sulphated battery

A battery charger with a reconditioning stage might be a better bet or a pulsator such as Sterlings "Battery Desulphation Unit"

or The Courtiestown Desulphator

However I think you will find that a badly sulphated battery as had it.

You have checked and cleaned all the terminals, negative as well as positive and checked the isolator switch and the contacts in the solenoid and checked for dodgy crimped terminals
 
I have had limited success using EDTA many years ago, although it is doubtful whether the chemical or tipping out the sediment was the more effective. If the battery is doomed it could be worth just tipping everything out, flushing with tapwater to try to release any sediment at the bottom of cells, then refilling after flushing with de-ionised water.

I worked in a laboratory at the time, where EDTA, deionised water and sulphuric acid were 'free'. It might well not be economic if you had to pay for it all.
 
Sounds like it must be worth a try if your batteries are dead. The two links you show sound like one was written by someone who had read the other (!) but it still might work. My experience is that one cell goes down when it is shorted out by debris in the bottom so I don't quite understand why they say to pour out the acid gently.
 
Stevedud said:
Checkout these links
http://www.ehow.com/how_4853344_recondition-lead-acid-battery.html
http://ysuusy.com/Lead_Acid_Car_Battery_Repair.html
there are loads more on the net, Halfords also sell battery pills which you put in your battery to help things along.
I would give it a go but I cannot find espom salts/mangense sulfate easily in Turkey and batteries are a lot more expensive so thought I would find out if it works before spending more time looking for the chemicals
Click to expand...

As Vyv says if the batteries are dead give it a try, there's nothing to loose.
We'd like to know the results though.

(Epsom salts BTW is magnesium sulphate not manganese sulphate)

As for the two links.
One tells me that "sulphur accumulates on the lead plates", the other that "the lead simply rusts".
When I read statements like those I read no further!
 
I believe the "pills" are EDTA.

Question for one of the chemists - I know magnesium sulphate is not particularly soluble, but it's more soluble than lead sulphate isn't it? Does the epsom salts idea depend on converting some of the lead sulphate on the plates to magnesium sulphate that would then dissolve off? Would you get some kind of equilibrium like that?

In my time in the battery industry we did not believe any of these things worked. However we may have been biased in favour of selling more batteries instead!

Seriously, if a battery can't even produce a brief high rate discharge for starting, it's probably had it. The low rate capacity normally declines severely before you get to this point.
 
Question for one of the chemists - I know magnesium sulphate is not particularly soluble, but it's more soluble than lead sulphate isn't it?
Click to expand...
Yes much more soluble than PbSO4
In water:
MgSO4 26g per 100cm³ at 0C, 73.8g per 100cm³ at 100C

MgSO4.7H2O ( Epsom salts) 71g per 100cm³ at 20C, 91g per 100cm³ at 40C

PbSO4, 0.00425g per 100cm³ at 25C , 0.0056g per 100cm³ at 40C

Does the epsom salts idea depend on converting some of the lead sulphate on the plates to magnesium sulphate that would then dissolve off?
Click to expand...
No. Mug up on solubility products and also consider in a battery the sulphuric acid concentation!
 
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