Storage of the metals

The grid metallics should be stored and recovered separately from the battery paste so that metals from the alloys in the battery grids do not contaminate the relatively pure lead paste, which is ideal for producing soft lead. Alloys used to manufacture VRLA batteries do not contain either antimony or arsenic, and this means that the potential hazard of stibine (antimony hydride, SbHs) and arsine (arsenic hydride, AsHs) formation during the storage of the metallics is removed. Many automotive batteries with antimonial and arsenical alloys are still in use. 

This effect depends on the preparation and storage of the metal oxides. Therefore it is important to realise that more than one mechanism may be in operation with the metal oxides other than their catalytic behaviour, which leads us on to possible kinetic models in the following section. 

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