Document LKvxXmGwd6r1rmbjXYpjmO775

LIA22757 - -- ....... --*--**.......... ^ -- . .^ ,m Vii"*j'' * LEAD INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION 440 LZXINOTON AVCNUI NEW VO#WC 17, N. V. ; February lSrl?5li SUBJECTt WICKrL-CAIlCnJK BATTHtlES To Members of the Load Industrial Association! Ths press in recent months has given a lot of publicity to announce^nta Bide by the Sonotone Corp. concerning the nickel-cadmium stdrago battery. It is reported that Sonotone had cade 600.000 batteries of this type and they were now intent upon applying this battery to the automotive field and certain other In dustrial uses. Claims have been made concerning the lightness in weight, electrical characteristics, long life, and resistance to abuse of tho nickel-cadmium battery. Somowhera the statement was made that cadmium was plentiful and that only "two or more" pounds of nickel would be required per battery. A eervice life of 10 to 20 years was claimed. The cost of a nickel-cadmium battery was estimated ot two to five times that of the lead storage battery. The publicity also Included a statement that the Sonotono Corp. was licensing American Bosch Corp. and Canadian Aviation Electronics to manufacture nickel-cadmium storage batteries. L.I.A. INVESTIGATES Naturally, your Association would be quite concerned with any new pro duct which, by Implication or otherwise, might threaten the future of our major lead consumer - the storage battery industry. An investigation was begun and this report is intended to keep you iiiforced to the extent thet wv ere able to assemble information. BATT31I CONSTRUCTION Both positive and negative plates of this battery are made by pressing and sintering nickel pewdor. Tho plates are then activated by treating one with nickel nitrate and tho other with cadmium nitrate or chloride. Tho electrolyte is alkaline and is said to be merely a conductor, not boccoing a part of tha re action. Connectors or other fittings may bo made of nickel or some other currentcarrying metal which has been nickel-plated. l" 1 '-- ******-- ` < ] fj# sir NICKEL-CADMIUM BATTERIES 2- Tha earlier descriptions of this battery, as referred to in news items, speak of a 60 anporo-hour site as being capable of cranking an automobile engine. This size was used by a Sonotone engineer in his private automobile, but the remark was added that some larger ampere-hour site would probably be chosen for practical purposes. Cranking ability is only a port of the automobile battery's Job and the Socioty of Automotive Engineers toko congnizance of this fact by classifying bat teries according to ampere-hour capacity as well as cranking ability. According to Information wo havo received, the *twe pounds of nickel* referred to constitutes only the active materiel for a 60 ampere-hour five-coil (6-volt) battery. This doos not take into consideration the nickel for grids and for plating parts. A conventional 60 ampere-hour (6-volt) five-cell battery will alao require about 8 lb. of nickel for grid structure, plating, etc., mairing a total of 10 lb. of nickel. If the site of nickel-cadmium battery chosen is equivalent to the con ventional 100 cmpore-hour class, it is estimated that 16 lb. of nickel and 3.9 lb. of cadmium will be required. ECONOMICS Assuming that the claim of 10 to 20 year life for the nickel-cadmium battery is correct, to capture the er.tiro autciuotlve battery market would require some 6,000,000 batteries per year. This would uae about L.8,000 tons of nickel and 12,000 tons cf eccfaium. The following statistics on nickel ore from the 0. S. Bureau of Mines: P. S. NICKEL STATISTICS (In Shcrt Ians) ~~~ P.S. Supply (Net) * U.S. Consumption Difference 1915 191*6 191*7 191*8 191*9 1950 1951 1952 1953 120589 9851*3 79258 100639 91*31*5 95003 98981 112131 9621*8 80105 80757 93558 68326 98901* 861*16 10101*7 Hot yet available. /21*3l*l /18U8 - U.99 / 7081 /26019 - 3901 /12565 /11061* * U.S. production plus imports minus axports. From the above statistics it will be noted that there wero no years when the incroasod demand for batteries could have been satisfied. Alao, the P. S. Toverrmant was taking its requirements for stockpile and other purposes out of the ai-ovo differences leaving no free supply. In fact, nickel was under government allocation until November, 1953. Since then the shertago continues and because of the goverreent's take in 1951*, industrial custonsra have been notified that their January allotment of nickel has been cut 26 percent. A largor cut is promised for February. > 1 IW.I I UP-  "III**! ' ` ,v > l i A22759 i rwf iirr^tnniii'a j" HICKEL-CACttniK BATTERIES -3 The United States produces orer 60 percent of the world's supply of 0addun. U.S. production avorages slightly orer 1,000 tons per year, During the post seven years, the demand has excoedod the supply on alternate years. Each oxcoss was responsible for a price increase so that the cost per pound rose In 10 years fora 90* to $2.55. It is now $1.75 per lb. During the same period of time the prlco of nickel rose from 31.5* to 60* per pound* coarorrs If the information we have on raw material requirements Is nearly cor rect, any more coonent would be superfluous. Perhaps additional imports might be coaxed into this country but with rich a precarious supply-denand balance, the price would be subject to rather wide swings* There is apparently considerable difference of opinion as to whether the nickel-cadmium battery actually has sqy real advantage at low temperatures* It is also known that at s price, lead storage batteries of considerable longer 11fo than tho current average can bo, and ovon are, being manufactured* It is estimated that batteries bought by car-owners are purchased at a median prioe of $16.25, including trade-in allowance. The genoral fooling seems to be that tho averago automobile buyor cr operator is not intorestod in paying approximately $75.00 based on the possibility that he has acquirod a longer life hattory in view of tho average relatively short ownarship of American automobiles. Very truly yours. FOOTNOTEt Since the foregoing report was prepared, tho New Tor* papers of Feb ruary 17, 1951* havo reported a talk by *,*r. L, Cre.it Hector, vice presidont of the Sonotcno Corp. In this talk Mr. Hector substantiate* the findings of this report in that he says ho does not bolieve that tho nickil-oarteiua battery will come Into genoral automotive uso for nary years to cemo because of its high cost. He does mention its uso for spociel purposes such as< trucks, taxis, and Diesel locomotives, but hs doea not dircuss the availability of the raw materials. Kr. Doctor's talk groatly modifies tho publicity previously given tho nickel-cadmium battory. `vsr