How do I remove “surface charge” while testing with a conductance tester?
“Surface charge” refers to a temporary deviation of the battery open circuit voltage from its equilibrium level. It is, however, not a static charge on the surface of the plates such as seen in a capacitor, but results from concentration and ionic imbalances caused by recent charging or discharging of the battery. In electrochemistry this voltage deviation is referred to as polarization. Because it is not a static charge, it cannot simply be removed by a dissipating discharge. Charging a discharged battery concentrates the regenerated sulfuric acid electrolyte within the pore structures of the plates making it different from the bulk of the rest of the electrolyte. Since the concentration of the electrolyte at the electrodes governs the voltage of the battery, the higher pore concentration causes a higher voltage than would normally result from the average level of the electrolyte for the battery’s charge level. This can confuse those testing a battery into believing that the battery i
