Saving old battery as spare: EDTA reconditioning...

I've been told a half-dead battery is actually a live salvageable battery if its not too old or too fried.

SO far, two products look really good:

(1) the 'spike' charger that has some kind of duty cycle which apparently doubles the life of a battery.

Examples:
http://www.batterybes.com/pulsetechnology.html
http://www.battery-rechargeable-charger.com/car-auto-battery-life-saver-picture.html


They all seem based on this idea:
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5998968/description.html


or, interestingly, using di(tri)sodium EDTA to dissolved sulphate deposits:

(2) EDTA Additives

http://eduhosting.org/classes/windgens/fixbatts.html


http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:FU85VIrse9wJ:www.survival-training.info/Library/Batteries/New%2520Life%2520for%2520Sulphated%2520Lead-Acid%2520Cells%2520-%2520Richard%2520Perez.pdf+sulphation+in+lead+batt ery&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=21&gl=ca

So, what do you think? I'd rather have a $40 emergency battery than a dangerous paperweight.

The really difficult part is getting all of the metal atoms which have shed too many of their outer valence shell electrons, ionized, lost affinity for similar atoms, formed inert molecules, and have precipitated out of the electrolyte to form a nice layer in the bottom of the battery case, to "jump" back up onto the plates and grids and take their former positions in the matrix. None of those additives explain how they accomplish that.

Here's an alternative. Recycle the battery, get your $4 scrap value for it. Save the $40 you would have spent on additives, add about ten more dollars and purchase a $55 NEW battery (with a warranty) if you need one. Let the recyclers reclaim and reconstitute the lead, nickel, and cadmium back into a useful form.

The really difficult part is getting all of the metal atoms which have shed too many of their outer valence shell electrons, ionized, lost affinity for similar atoms, formed inert molecules, and have precipitated out of the electrolyte to form a nice layer in the bottom of the battery case, to "jump" back up onto the plates and grids and take their former positions in the matrix. None of those additives explain how they accomplish that.

Here's an alternative. Recycle the battery, get your $4 scrap value for it. Save the $40 you would have spent on additives, add about ten more dollars and purchase a $55 NEW battery (with a warranty) if you need one. Let the recyclers reclaim and reconstitute the lead, nickel, and cadmium back into a useful form.

Well, rather than buying food grade EDTA from an 'AUTO/Battery supplier' for $50, I thought I'd just source it from a sensible supplier for maybe $2 for 6 teaspoonfuls. Or maybe in bulk I'd get enough to do 20 batteries for $30.

Its all about price here, and a chance to see if in an emergency (winter, 2 a.m., on a farm etc.) a battery could be rejuvinated enough to start a vehicle.