Deep cycle lead-acid batteries have historically been manufactured with a relatively high percentage of tetrabasic lead sulfate (TTBLS) in the unformed plate material crystal structure.  This TTBLS crystal structure produces a strong active material structure in the formed plates required to achieve the long cycle life needed in deep cycle battery applications (similar to the strength added to concrete by the addition of rebar). 

Prior to the introduction of synthetic TTBLS additives, the plate production process utilized a high temperature, high humidity curing process designed to achieve a relatively high percentage of TTBLS in the unformed plates.  Even though this curing process was well controlled and produced consistently high levels of TTBLS, it was not well suited for controlling the size of the individual crystals that were ‘grown’ in the crystal development process.  The resultant crystals varied widely in size and if the crystals grew too large, the plates were difficult to form and recharge and had lower capacity than those with smaller crystal sizes.

Through the addition of synthetic TTBLS with a uniformly fine crystal structure to the paste during mixing a smaller, more uniform TTBLS crystal structure is produced throughout the plate structure (click here to see this formation under a microscope).  This uniformly controlled TTBLS crystal structure results in the enhanced performance, charging and life characteristics of the US Battery Xtreme Capacity Diamond Plate Technology listed on the next page.