[RE-wrenches] Gunk in lead acid batteries

[benn kilburn]

Wrenches,I have a client with a newer (March '11) set of lead acid batteries (24 x 2V = 48V bank) that has a reoccurring 'problem' that i haven't seen or heard of before, i'm wondering if any of you have???
There is a very sticky, gooey, grey metallic like gunk floating on top of the electrolyte.  It has gummed up a couple (so far) of my eyedroppers that i use with my refractometer, and despite my efforts, when a little bit of this gunk finds its way onto the refractometer lens, it is difficult and time consuming to remove. I can only imagine the havoc it would reap on a hydrometer if it were sucked inside!
The (very reputable) battery manufacturer has told me... "This happens occassionally when our supplier uses too much releasing agent in their separator.  It is inert and will not cause any capacity or performance issues.",  this is good news, and they mention it can be removed by swirling a glass rod around in the electrolyte.   Alas i do not have glass rods in my tool bag so i resort to spinning a tywrap between my fingers, which seems to be quite effective as the gunk is quite sticky, then squeezing it off with a rag.  However even after i've removed as much as possible, for several batteries, a little bit of the gunk still manages to get on my refractometer lens. Argh!
The issue that is really getting to me now is that once i've removed as much as will come out of each battery and am thankful that i've gotten rid of it all, several weeks to a month and a half later... there is more of it!  I pull out an amount about the size of 7/16" nut each time  Not from every battery, but from at least 2/3 of them every 1.5 months or so.  Unfortunately i haven't been monitoring exactly how much or from which cells each time. It appears to be random.  I can share some pics, but i don't have them readily available at the moment.
For a battery bank that cost in the range of $30,000 i find it difficult to explain, and i receive a cockeyed stare, when tell the client that he has to endure this very annoying inconvenience.  
Am i alone on this one?
Thanks,benn
DayStar Renewable Energy Inc. benn at daystarsolar.ca780-906-7807 HAVE A SUNNY DAY





 		 	   		  
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