INSTITUTE OF ELECTROCHEMISTRY
AND ENERGY SYSTEMS
“ACADEMICIAN EVGENI BUDEVSKI”

The research activities of the Lead-Acid Batteries Department (LABD) are focused on the development of new technological processes and improvement of existing technologies for manufacture of various types of lead-acid batteries to meet the challenges of modern transportation vehicles, including hybrid, all-electric vehicles and motorcycles; renewable energy storage systems such as photovoltaics, water, wind and other alternative power source systems; as well as the power supply requirements of the most dynamically developing applications as telecommunication and information systems. The end goal of the R&D activities of the LABD team is to create environmentally friendly technologies and achieve 100% recyclability of used lead-acid batteries.

The Department is founded by Prof. Detchko Pavlov with the IEES-BAS establishment in 1967. He was Head of LABD for almost 50 years. More about the brilliant Bulgarian electrochemists who brought his team to the level of internationally-renowned school of lead-acid batteries you can learn from the biographical film about him on YouTube.

• "Development of an innovative cloud system for intelligent battery management during their operation", in partnership with Stemo Ltd.  (Bulgaria) Operational Program "Innovation and Competitiveness" (2018 - 2019)
• "Investigation of different types of lead acid batteries for use in different renewable energy systems, production of prescriptions for improvement of the technologies for their production and specific operating regimes", BAS (2017-2019)
• "Electrochemical study of graphene for use in lead-acid batteries", Todu Ltd. (Bulgaria) (2017-2018)
• "Testing and physico-chemical characterization of lead acid batteries for automotive and stationary applications", Monbat Plc (Bulgaria) (2017-2018)
• "Characterization and optimization of the current technology of traction lead-acid battery production aimed at improvement of the capacity and cycle life of these batteries, Zibo Torch Energy Co. Ltd. (China) (2017-2018)
• "Influence of different carbon forms as additives in negative active mass of lead acid batteries on the processes leading to the loss of water at high operating temperatures",The Advanced Lead-Acid Battery Consortium - ALABC (USA) (2016-2018)
• "Effect of sulfuric acid concentration and additives on improving the performance of VRLAB with 1.30 g/cm3 electrolyte", The Advanced Lead-Acid Battery Consortium - ALABC (USA) (2015-2017)
• "Investigation of the effect of various additives to the negative active materials of lead-acid batteries and development of technologies for manufacture of lead-acid batteries with enhanced performance characteristics", BAS (2014-2016)
• "Melt Spun and Sintered Metal Fibre Networks for Lead-Acid Battery Advancement”, /MEMLAB/, FP7-EU (2012-2015)
• R&D projects aimed at improvement of existing and development of new technological processes for lead-acid battery production: Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.(Japan), Glatfelter Gernsbach GmbH & Co.,KG (Germany), Banner GmbH (Austria), Trojan Battery Ireland Ltd. (Ireland), Cabot Corporation (USA), Exide Technologies (USA),  AMCO/TAFE Batteries Ltd. (India), VARTA Batterie AG (Germany),  Monbat Plc (Bulgaria), Elchim-Iskra JSC (Bulgaria) and many more.

1. Saudi O., Matrakova M., Aleksandrova A., Zerroual L., Electrochemical behavior of PbO2/PbSO4 electrode in the presence of surfactants in electrolyte, Arabian Journal of Chemistry, (2020) In press, Corrected proofs, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arabjc.2020.03.011
2. Matrakova M., Aleksandrova A., Nikolov P., Saoudi O., Zerroual L., Electrochemical behavior of lead-acid battery alloys in the presence of different surfactant additives in the electrolyte., Bulgarian Chemical Communications,  52:A (2020) 74-79, https://doi.org/10.34049/bcc.52.A.232
3. A. Aleksandrova, M. Matrakova, M. Dimitrov, Evaluation of separator influence on charge acceptance of negative plates of lead-acid batteries, Bulgarian Chemical Communications, 52 Issue A (2020) 17-22, ISSN: 0861-9808
4. Mladenova B. B., Milusheva Y. D., Karsheva M. I., Hinkov I. D., Stankulov T. E., Borisov G. R., Boukoureshtlieva R. I.. Nano-sized Ag particles as catalyst in gas-diffusion electrodes for ORR. Bulgarian Chemical Communication, 50, Journal of the Chemicals Institutes of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and of the Union of Chemists in Bulgaria, 2018, ISSN:0324-1130, 114-118.
5. Pavlov D., Naidenov V., Milusheva Y., Vassilev S., Shibahara T., Tozuka M., Benzyl benzoate as an inhibitor of the sulfation of negative electrodes in lead-acid batteries, J. Energy Storage 17 (2018) 336-344, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2018.03.021.
6. Derafa I., Zerroual L., Matrakova M., On the electrochemical activity of β-lead dioxide in sulfuric acid solution: a comparative study between the chemical and electrochemical routes. Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry, 22 (2018) 1175-1183, ISSN: 1432-8488, doi: 10.1007/s10008-017-3861-3.
7. Pavlov D., Elementary reactions during charge and discharge of the positive and negative electrodes in a lead-acid cell. Proceedings of 10th International Conference on Lead-Acid Batteries - LABAT'2017 (Extended Abstracts), 10, Lead-Acid Batteries Department at IEES-BAS, 2017, ISSN:2367-4881, 75-78.
8. Shirov B., Naidenov V., Novel technology for production of lead-acid batteries by application of low energy impact technology (LEIT). Proc. 10th Intl. Conference on Lead-Acid Batteries,13-16 June 2017, Golden Sands, Bulgaria, 10, 2017, ISSN:2367-4881, 155-160.
9. Аtanassova P., DuPasquier A., Oljaca M., Nikolov P., Matrakova M., Pavlov D.. Carbon additives in advanced lead-acid batteries – solutions and opportunities. Proceedings of 10th International Conference on Lead-Acid Batteries - LABAT'2017 (Extended Abstracts), 10, Lead-Acid Batteries Department at IEES-BAS, 2017, ISSN:2367-4881, 9-12.
10. Derafa .I., Matrakova M., Zerroual L.. On the electrochemical activity of β-lead dioxide in sulfuric acid solution: a comparative study between the chemical and electrochemical routes. Proceedings of 10th International Conference on Lead-Acid Batteries -LABAT’2017 (Extended Abstracts), 13-16 June, Golden Sands, Bulgaria, 2017, ISSN:2367-4881, 143-146.
11. Saoudi O., Matrakova M., Aleksandrova A., Zerroual L., On the electrochemical behavior of Pb-Sb and Pb-Sb-Se alloys in sulfuric acid solution: effect of surfactants. Proceedings of 10^th International Conference on Lead-Acid Batteries -LABAT’2017 (Extended Abstracts), 13-16 June, Golden Sands, Bulgaria, 2017, ISSN:2367-4881, 255-258.
12. Rusin A., Naidenov V., Kudryavtsev А., Modern lead-acid batteries, Petropolis, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 2017, 154 pages, ISBN 978-5-9676-0812-4 (in English).
13. Pavlov D., Lead-Acid Batteries: Science and Technology, Second Edition, Published by Elsevier B. V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2017, ISBN 978-0-444-59552-2.
14. Rusin A., Naidenov V., Kudryavtsev А., Modern lead-acid batteries, Petropolis, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 2017, 154 pages, ISBN 978-5-9676-0812-4 (in Russian).
15. Chahmana N., Matrakova M., Zerroual L., Physicochemical and electrochemical study of lead acid battery positive active mass (PAM) modified by the addition of bismuth.. BCC, 48, 2, Institute of Chemical Engineering-BAS, 2016, 285-289.
16. D. Pavlov, Book: Lead-Acid Batteries: Science and Technology, 518 Pages, Chinese version, Elsevier B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2015, ISBN: 9787111496137. 
17. B. Drenchev, M. Dimitrov, V. Boev, A. Aleksandrova, Absorptive glass mat separator surface modification and its influence on the heat generation in valve-regulated lead-acid battery., J. Power Sources, 280 (2015) 66-73, ISSN: 0378-7753, IF: 6.217.
18. M. Foudia, L. Zerroual, M. Matrakova, Effect of mineral additive on the electrical performance of lead-acid battery positive plate, J. Power Sources 279 (2015) 146-150, ISSN: 0378-7753, IF: 6.217.
19. P. Atanassova, A. Du Pasquier, M. Oljaca, P. Nikolov, M. Matrakova, D. Pavlov, Carbon additives for deep cycling lead-acid battery applications, Proceedings of the 9th Intl. Conference on Lead-Acid Batteries - LABAT’2014,10-13 June 2014, Albena, Bulgaria, pp. 5-8, ISSN: 2367-4881,
20. P. Nikolov, M. Matrakova, D. Pavlov, P. Atanassova, A. Du Pasquier, M. Oljaca, Carbon additives for improving charge acceptance of flooded lead-acid batteries, Proceedings of the 9th Intl. Conference on Lead-Acid Batteries- LABAT’2014, 10-13 June 2014, Albena, Bulgaria, pp. 9-12, ISSN: 2367-4881
21. M. Foudia, M. Matrakova, L. Zerroual, Effect of mineral additive on the electrical performance of lead acid battery positive plate, Proceedings of the 9th Intl. Conference on Lead-Acid Batteries - LABAT’2014, 10-13 June 2014, Albena, Bulgaria, pp. 93-96, ISSN: 2367-4881
22. N. Chahmana, M. Matrakova, L. Zerroual, Physicochemical and electrochemical study of positive active mass (PAM) modified by the addition of Bismuth, Proc. 9th Intl. Conference on Lead-Acid Batteries - LABAT’2014, 10-13 June 2014, Albena, Bulgaria, pp. 97-100, ISSN: 2367-4881
23. M. Matrakova, V. Naidenov, "State of Health" of electrodes of starter lead-acid batteries operated at low temperatures, Proceedings of the 9th Intl. Conference on Lead-Acid Batteries - LABAT’2014, 10-13 June 2014, Albena, Bulgaria, pp. 125-128, ISSN: 2367-4881
24. D. Pavlov, P. Nikolov, Capacitive carbon and electrochemical lead electrode systems at the negative plates of lead-acid batteries and elementary processes on cycling, J. Power Sources 242 (2013) 380-399, ISSN: 0378-7753, IF: 5.211.
25. D. Pavlov and P. Nikolov, Lead–Carbon Electrode with Inhibitor of Sulfation for Lead-Acid Batteries Operating in the HRPSoC Duty, J. Electrochem. Soc., 159:8 (2012) A1215-A1225, ISSN: 0013-4651, IF: 1.952.
26. V. Naidenov, U. Markov, Influence of ultrasonic waves on the formation of lead-acid batteries, J. Power Sources, 217 (2012) 236-242, ISSN: 0378-7753, IF: 4.675.
27. M. Foudia, M. Matrakova, L. Zerroual, PbSO4 as a precursor for positive active material electrodes, J. Power Sources, 207 (2012) 51-55, ISSN: 0378-7753, IF: 4.675.
28. D. Pavlov, P. Nikolov, Lead-carbon electrode with inhibitor of PbSO4 recristalization in lead-acid batteries operating on HRPSoC duty, ECS Transactions, 41:13 (2012) 71-82, ISSN: 1938-6737.
29. D. Pavlov, Book: Lead-Acid Batteries: Science and Technology, 656 Pages, English version, ISBN 10: 0-444-52882-2, ISBN 13: 978-0-444-52882-7, Elsevier B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2011
30. D. Pavlov, P. Nikolov, T. Rogachev, Influence of carbons on the structure of the negative active material of lead-acid batteries and on battery performance, J. Power Sources 196:11 (2011) 5155-5167, ISSN: 0378-7753, IF: 4.951.
31. P. Nikolov, T. Rogachev, P. Atanassova, D. Pavlov, Addition of carbon blacks with different structure to the negative active mass for improving the HRPSoC performance of lead-acid batteries, Proceedings of the 8th International conference LABAT’2011, 7-10 June 2011, Albena, Bulgaria, pp.9-12, ISSN: 2367-4881.
32. D. Pavlov, P. Nikolov, T. Rogachev, Lead-carbon electrode in lead-acid batteries operating at HRPSoC duty, Proceedings of the 8th International conference LABAT’2011, 7-10 June 2011, Albena, Bulgaria, pp.13-16, ISSN: 2367-4881.
33. M. Foudia, M. Matrakova, L. Zerroual, PbSO4 as a precursor for PAM electrodes, Proceedings of the 8th International Conference LABAT’2011, 7-10 June 2011, Albena, Bulgaria, pp.77-80, ISSN: 2367-4881.