Lead is one of those things that is just plain bad for you. For instance, consider lead bullets, frying pans, and lead acid batteries. All of these pose unique dangers ... especially if hurled at high enough velocities.
While recycling programs exist for most forms of lead, including lead-acid batteries, Greenpeace studied the programs and found that industrialized nations don't recycle much lead. Generally speaking, environmental regulations covering lead recycling make the process too expensive. Developing nations, thanks to their cheap labor rates and less stringent (or non existent) regulations, are able to outbid companies from industrialized nations for waste lead stock. This leads (no written pun intended) to developed nations essentially exporting lead where it is reprocessed in an unhealthy manner.
According to PulseTech Products Corporation, "thousands" of lead acid batteries are needlessly thrown away and potentially recycled every year, adding to an already unhealthy situation. According to an industry trade organization, approximately 117 million 12-volt batteries were shipped to retailers in 2008. It is assumed that a double-digit portion of these units was unnecessarily replaced. While the company's estimate may be nothing more than a wild guess, their patented battery charging technology seems to be serve a useful and practical purpose.
Lead acid batteries can be kept in service longer with proper maintenance. This is especially true for batteries in vehicles that are used seasonally, like a summer-only sports car or a winter-only snowmobile. As batteries age during normal use or sit idle, lead sulfate crystals (a byproduct of charging and discharging) enlarge and can build-up where they create a physical barrier across the surface of the plates within the battery cells. This build-up can become so dense that a battery is no longer able to accept or release energy.
To help extend the life of a typical 12-volt lead acid battery, PulseTech Products Corporation developed a series of Xtreme Chargers. These chargers utilize a maintenance feature that clears up sulfate buildup. The company's patented technology is claimed to increase average battery life by 3-5 times. A proprietary charge algorithm coupled with advanced battery evaluation capabilities eliminates the need for users to identify battery type or chemistry so the charging process is simple. Battery cold-cranking power of existing batteries often increases after several cycles on the Xtreme Charger. The charger determines charge rates ranging from 0.1 - 2.5 amps depending on the battery's internal condition.
We used PulseTech's 5-Stage Maintenance Charger on a 1996 BMW Z-3 that was stored from December 2008 through May 2009. Admittedly, we have no way of knowing the condition of the existing battery before the went into storage other than it was a few years old and it seemed to work fine. After a season on the charger, the Z-3 fired quickly and has started effortlessly since. This maintenance may have extended the life of the Z-3's battery, but it will take a few more years to know for sure.
However, for drivers with multiple occasional use vehicles, golf cars, or NEVs (neighborhood electric vehicles), the Xtreme Charger may make its value known much more quickly. The unit works with all types and sizes of 12-volt lead-acid batteries including flooded, fill and charge, Gel, AGM and Maintenance Free (from less than 10 Ah to over 150 Ah).
PulseTech also offers battery testers and solar-powered chargers. Check out www.extremecharge.com for more information.