Glossary
Alloy
A mixture of a metal with other metals or other substances to change its properties.
The current conductors in batteries are made of pure lead or lead alloys. Pure lead is very soft and can only be used in wound or tightly packed batteries.
In the past, the chemical element antimony was often used for hardening, but it is not suitable for sealed batteries. Using a calcium alloy, which is common today, also significantly reduces water loss during the chemical processes in a battery. This in turn makes it possible to manufacture sealed, leak-proof and absolutely maintenance-free batteries.