THE PODOLSK STARTER-BATTERY FACTORY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600030162-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 26, 2011
• Sequence Number: 162
• Publication Date: October 31, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

CLA.JSIFICATION
DATE DISTR. 31 Oct 1952
NO n r ner_cc
NO. OF
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMAT ON
l? Since development of uy and civil automobile manufacture called for starter
batteries s which could not not b be obtained from abroad in sufficient quantities,
etartarnortheaststorageMoscow
of -ce11 factory was built in the tovn of POdolsk, 45 kilometers
, ca 1935 to satisfy this need. Although official yearly
production in 1941 was set at 100 thousand unite, actual production near exceed-
ed 300 thousand functional batteries dtxe to shortage of raw materials and elec-
vascadded supply* The factory was a single-story builds
floor
and test a part of the gain plant, to isolate and ou, house but la second
o ic
rOoms Also, an additional lean-to t Zor ho electrical
which housed the transformers and rectifiers. ~'+u+sfo'rasrs wra
chambers with cellars of concrete beneath; in case of vhich
H O~Oalon, the transformers fell automatic
overIed by large cement slabs. There were four such ttransf~r's; one
bank of tbrsa, o Of e units for feeding mercury rectifiers, _rova
currant f0 r cur light r t e A94 e~ s call production, and one three-phara trannsformelr and s for
tapsp{ tour power was obtained from the Moscow gout
scats DC Mates
mercer rectifiers, with minus six anodes, 50 cycles, 230
, and 500
to the substation paiesef vere h p~~ Ichannen l under th WI o cs o the ca-
tea- to protect the substation from u~ar the floors of the fae
poir~,n tufts.
2. Ventilation was a serious problem, as the tire rectory, except for the labarattaries,sand caused severe hem tsd the sa-
Actual lead poisatj.ng cases in the factory itself were few at alth ?~-'muds. readUy
way. Niece,
thav V46 eeog i a cee t ~~ of sae and sent the ' the doctors
r
sage GPM person
asnt was ft" sonths. M11k, as ante the average span of a worker's 8aaea,
er
the s, but ' as it Vsmtilation wound up, only goTeramsat Officials aL TIMItift the factory y
s fiaa1lyr battered by keeping all of the gpen
414 ring the workers wear heavier *lathes.
CENih/L IN!LLLIGENCL AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY USSR
SUBJECT The Fed.lek Starter-Battery Factory
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRED BY S UR E
DATE OF INFORMATION
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 ~c c j 2-r / SA ~ a L L. uI0 nTloN
3? As far es materials were concerned, very pi-re lead of good quality from the TJK
was used (99.996% Pb), as well as Siberian ant Fergana-wined lead. Specifica-
tions for lead to be used in surface plates; Tudor plates and Plante types
were:
Pb not Less than 99.98 %
Fe 11 11 11 0.002 %
Zn 0.001 %
Cu ? 0.001 %
Sb 0.005 %
Bi ? ,. 0.005 %
Ag " " 0.0005%
Unfortunately, the better UK and Soviet lead. generally vent to the Len Iskra fac-
tory in Leniigrad. For second-rate production of plates, government specifica-
tions allowed lead of mark Cl, 0CT/BKC 8032, with specifications as follows:
Pb not less Lchan 99.93 %
Ag " " " 0.0015 %
Sb & Sn 0.0095 %
Bi 0.05 %
Fe 0.002 " " `0%
As 0.0015 %
zn " " " 0.0015 %
No attention was paid to the quantity of Cu; which was less desirable then 7_.
Nothing wet: aid about Mn, quantities of which in So"let lead were so large that
stand-by and floating batteries for electric stationa as a rule became dark red
When fly charged, due to permanganates formed in the electrolyto.
49 The Podolsk factory often got lead of even poorer quality, but fearing to clode
the factory because of criticism levied against such inferior msteriaL, kept
going in the hone conditions would improve in succeeding shipments. The labora-
tory was o''erloa4ed with e;perlaents upon th- "anelio-ratio" of
that often analyses of materials were not performed until after production, so
the materials
tlael es had been used. up.
5. ~Sbl was snetly received fray abroad, although officially it was supposed
$ c tron'Stbaria. 8ecifications rare:
Sb not less then 99.00 %
Is, Ni, Ci . ^ " " 0.05 .%
Cu 0.03 %
Pb hat more than 0.50 %
As N " " 0.05 %
Oriels of Sn, Bt, Cd, AS, Mn, Sn together, not more than 0.03 %. Neither gold
hoc' Pti could be pr usnt la any paterial even as traces. Laboratory telts'showed
that ?ms of the chief amass of earl, failure of storage cells was due to dntlacap ,
to i 0 or 50 ey~las dnriz3 which GEimogv apreared to be a very useful addition
CMds of the plates, it began to gather on the minus plates and come a
sarlos self-discharge, which lea to incessant over-charge of the positive
pi*t..s and ita dertrcgotion.
6? For this r.sson, the Pbdelsk factory started a line of laboratory experi ant, to
detuelas the op!tiaal ainiarsn of aeon.,,; From 1$ of *timoy they came down to
7% sad tbsa to 9.9%, but then the good aeohanieal properties fell too such, and
p" bettor fe~ storage cells remained. sew additicas of 1swpri to O.%,
1 1MV r a costly natal which cad to be obtained fray
i**A-des to leak of Soviet tin aims, of an a Doe eras abaodooed,
het; .a er'ssaate with other aua~s ca] oictia allay (04%
of eeloiaa) with far better a,oQaaiosa sea eyectroohenicai efteots. Orders were
A IRIT!r INrC8NdrIoN
 given to the Solikamsk Chemical Factory near the Urals to prepare 0 lead rich with
calcium. This concentrated alloy is added to the lead for grids, and losses of
calcium are minimized.
7. Active Massa
The Podolak factory used lean oxides for p'eting plates; although the Central
Accumulator laboratory (ZAL) natde extensive tests in the interest of using lead
oxides which produced better cells, only by late 1939 Podolsk began intensify-
ing its experiments in introducing lead powder. Lead oxides were obtained from
the Jaroslav Chemical Factory; specifications for both oxides were the same.
Official Specifications
Usual Deliveries
0.025 %
0.050
---------------- 0.0400 %
0.0500
----------------- 0.0040
0.020
---------------- 0.0010
traces
---------------- 0.0010 %
0.010
Bi ---------------- 0.0050 %
0.050
Ag ---------------- 0.0005 %
0.001
Sb --------------??- 0.0050
Au f Pt -------------- none
Ni, Co, )4n Si, Cd, As - 0.05 %
For soma reason, it , felt. that those elam&nts lietei -a-r question mark iii the
second.coluan were never' present, or that their preserce was so unimportant as
to eliminate analyses thereon. Oxides were scarce, and frequently materials were
accepted without laboratory control.
8. Alloys of w y metals were tested., and Ca-Pb was found to be the most suitable.
The action of oxide preparation was tested: the subjecs of the more speeisliszed
tests we the aonaection between temperature of preparation, humidity content,
sscoltng erd real specific density and real specific density, size of particles
and longevity of pates. It was t and that only greeniab or yslr.ov liuhdrge gave
longevity toplates, *,hat so-called "dot.ble ' w'nt" lead oxide gave pw:er results,
aid emide With a ssssll content of Pb me ?a:l (1.0 - 1.5%) gave a longer life, since
its adLttioa for positiY-.plate jaste me& the plates stronger in handling and
negative plates showed a longer life as indicated in the following table:
T~rPe of Le..
P9 XGg1
Absasb
'1'1t_e
Aard,saina
ife
C~c1~s
PbO, first burning
(gases-yes'.+.w
191~
5.9
%
V_
44
5.5
204 .64
35
115
)
(i Wh-brovn
0?
3E
4.17
t.55
1s
45
ZMAL
Oates' pras.ated a serious paoblrea, far in the Podolsk area it mss hi00y polluted
a-- souid sat be Hoed. Praparatioa of 3su;ge quantities Of distilled water vas
dtti r.4t dns. to a serious shortage of fa-Ie A Project was Maxrtakft to .ai3 '
Wi Ea .' iesl slats Purifiatf sou s; stew, but was absadomed dry to the
tY to M P4 w"ieiegt electriOsl poarm to the factory. Rain and
NOW Mater. in POWA~ y =rA d br factory* asake froa Moses.. According to
*Meitl st werisi the foliowingt vers the water regaiseants, for storage cell pro-
'MM /3!GURITT IMUMtTION
 Water for Flectro e OST/ cS 2355)
Color -------------------
Colorless
Suspension -----------------
T
Pt
--------------------------
races
none
Sb & As
------------- ------
none
Mn
-----------------------
0.004 %
Fe
-------------------------
0.00005
Ag
-----------------------
none
N in any form ------ ---
-
none
0008 %
0
Cl --------------------------
,
0
001 %
Organic Substanc.e5 ---
.
0.0001 %
N12hvr1e lu91d 22 3 5355
SpeciP.te density (15.5C) -------- 1.835
%
color H2SO4 ---------------------?- 53.19
--------------------
3uapended 'N'atter---------- ------ Co lon
& Sb --------
MA
As MA -------------------------
8a -------------------------
traces
0.005 %
Organic Substance----
--
0.001 %
Nitrate
& A
----------
n
one
~e
s
itritea
-----------
none
(b) Best 8 1e?f 9u_huMc Acid 01talaed:
Sp
ecific density --- 1.80 to 1.84
%
oloz04- ----------------- -- 92 to 93.2
Oft4m yellow or bxx n due to packing
4 zr ""
Suspended Matter ------------ Prevent Traces
----------------------
am,
As &
sb -
%
Cl.
` 04002 %
mosaic Subeteaaes ---- Serious traces at tiara
--- --------------- - -- ----- 045
Nitrates & x1trites ----------- ----.- maces
Sometimes it was possible to obtain ca.*ldensaie from the nearby electrical sta-
tion, a turbine condensate which contained some lubricating oil which was not
b4rJfu .. The factory laboratory prepared its own distilled water for test uses
on a kerosene stove. Tests showed that some impurities were not dangerous for
starter cells; Cl is evolved from the cell during its boiling, so that after
three to four charges, 0.01% of Cl added to the electrolyte disappeared complete-
ly. Damage to the cell was not as much as expected. Mn nmv..d 1es ,~ _~iz
'"'= "'_, for during the charge, an dies
to the bottom together from the sphere of action, f
ogether with the shed.~ing material as bL~02. sa'ti'ng
10. S hurie -Acid:
8ulint:ric acid vas obtained from Soviet 'heroical factories, and varied greatly
in geality. Hare are two examples of (a) acid by official s,andards and 46)
acid that was used as a good one but which actually was not:
(a)
8M@ /81=I'? 7.AFOR*TION
 Experiments showed that Cl, N and As iiaappeared after a few charges with a good
boiling of cells. The Len Iskra plant, due to war contracts, was far more care-
ful on the question of impurities.
lit Grids:
For the most part the Podolsk plant copied US types of starter cells, with some
changes introduced later. Grids were cast in hand lorms; to prevent sticking
of grids to forns, the latter were smoked by acetylene-torch flame.
periments were e BY 1939, woe
ex-
ex-
cut away, Which underway to the plates part of the horizontal threads
of eoBiti'M ?,I.+-- -, . ,plate es and raised ised their catacity_
eared by coal.
ii. P~stina sad Paste:
PYtiQ5 was done both by hand and by naehine, Pasting by hand was e but
better tr. Machines resembl . G
~~~
12. As the life of starter batteries was 80 to 90 ^ycles, the thickness of plates was
increased in 1910 from 2 mm to 2.5 ma, and in 1.941, plates of 3.5 mm thickness
werettri?,d, which actually increased the capacity to 120 cycles, but not
re~'tet? The percent of stibiw. (antimony) 200 cycles
e
and orders were given to use Ca alloys; however, World9WardIIeinterfered
, and- t i kiiass of
Sb alloys was con tinued.
133? The Leningrad Metallurgic Factory built an automatic nachin. for
which brnke ko -eve t4 iai run and was net used `ttd
sent to storage where they remained for a month in ~~~ that all st grids ght
diuppearr. Lead alloy was prepared in large kettle tr all stains amen metal cot
kettles; temperature of metal could
not be over 5000 centigrade, and f rnacee were 11
0)Z Foe sinus plates, Pb0 -100 an H2O - 10'% with a 1
the same manner , described in the plus -mtnus operation s was used, in
15. Aft. strong Advise to turn to lead powder instead of oxides, the POdo1yk factory
able: to reconstruct its operations. No types of mills for powder were avail-
A d~ mu1 t bronze oyltnders inside a steel one, with a sralllr one
W-losing 2D to 30 kg per hour, and a :iazgerr one producing 60 to 80
per hour, ~'~ c a 7o to 90, powder oxidation ^ 50 to 60% of Pbo.
(b) A US ailtj cylinders were longer, with air and Pb balls fed thrw the
hal1~- aids, and ready POWder taken tram the holes at the and o the outer
4YUMM- C xidation a 60 ;,o 70%, working c = 135, producing two to three
kg per hoar.
lea wen the oharaetaristles of powuers uged3
(a) 0Mtrlo Coasts
of 300 ,sash. tOMW - no gr%JM, aua A* =at pees through the sieve
erman
MICnInes,
factory trademarks were replacer with
Soviet
,mss made as followr: rate poste,
For plus-minus plate, Pb02 - 50% and 700 - 50% raze placed in a German-
type mixer of 360 ,Liters capacity. After e
first water dqual to 2.5% is added, mixed energetic-yute mixing, the
17 0 (d u 1.05) is added and mixed for 15 minutes; th a the seconds at
s{lual to 2.5 is added and after five minutes of ratamixing, added by small portions until the nee water is care-
obtaiaed. essary, ppasting thickness is
S8CR5Zd==TY INFOH)tfoN
 Volume weight - 39 gran /inch
Oxidation degree - 50 to 75 %. Powders with the oxidation degree below 50%
could be added to the peabe of minus plates in quantity equal to 10%. Best
oxidation was 50 to 60%. "Burnt" powder could not be used in a pure state,
but could be used as a five to 7.0 % addition to the plus plates:
(d)
Seeming Specific Weight
Plate Capacity
Pl
t
Li
a
e
fe
1.60
- 1.85
Good
Short
1.85
2.15
Good
Long (80 to
3.00 cycles)
16. Then the newest. paste, 1r5, was a tiered for starter cells, negative plates, epn-,
misting oft
(a)
Loi
Pb powder - 100 kgs.
gmaa+4 - (a - 1.4o)
180 liters .
(c)
(d)
Expander - 35.4 kgs
Water (in 18 portions)
- 69.9 kgs
The above was mixed for two hours and 20 minutes, at a temperature of TO?to 80?
ofntigrede. Paste Sr 5 WO especially intended for negative starter putte; lead
powder for this pants had to answer the following specifications: e
(a)
CO)
(a)
Ce)
Oo1 - greyish green
Absorption nsxaber - 13 to 16
lhroueh a Standard (Taylor's) sieve of three hundred mesh. at least 50% bad
to paw, and not more than 25% was allowed to remain on the one hundred mesh
8a3.fation coefficient - 38 to 40
Quantity of PbC - 52 to 65%
Volume by weight - 3e gram /inch
IFsgeti=s plates marls with this pasta gave the follox, trouble; if they were not
p nper3' dr ed, due to the high water contest, they then becsns covered with
bmmbblsa 'a!hiah during further processing cracked, and the active muss started patio
ins oi't',
17? Powder paste for positive plates: to 500 kgs of well-mixed Pb pmd", 18 partioms
of 2.5 kgs of orate; were grade.t ad26ud. AM agitate 1. 2Ct.5 kge of water
IM SIds& and mixed for one ;moor and .30 minutes, followed by the addition of 45.6
kgs of XOk (S s 1.32).
?%me f UDftkg taus the-bent t rarula used:
IM-5 kg of Water was placed in a mixer., and to-it added-362.5 kgs of
I (d : 1.83). To this solution (its to C : 95 to EA degrees oenti-
psa) we added 250 kgs of cotton waste, and mixed wmatil the entire sass
bsosns a ba'ossish, glen-211a liquid, with no threads apparent. 'then 73.2
kgs dr 310% ws.s added and MU mixed. The mixture was co" to. 35 dog""
owftpads, amid 91.9k kgs at aiphthe black added, an oil soot especially
MIM!4 an- 'RITt IIM7kTI0N
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 SEC i%5ECuRITY INLFORP:i,T.TON
(a)
N
ILI
(a)
(b)
(c)
(dp
(e)
(r
(8~
rot
prepared by burning oil with insufficient
for use, With a specific density The expander Wan
of 1.5. then ready
Starter cells without the e
8tc cy was 180 cycles. xpander had a life of 80 cycles; with e rT' life
it did not help great, ~4 was an addition that made the
The beat n t
BaBO4 Wgs alt , and an excess caused swelling and cracking expander cheaper;
?y S Path fx?
exe materials: Pi's from the Bindi mines 24 and BaC12, which WasIIives.
was used. Specifi^ations for
BRS04 - 99.44 %
Cl - Traces.
Fe~4- 0.11 %
St02 - 2.02 %
Volatile Matter
Volume by weight
Specifications for cotton waste,
(a)
8102 _ 0.6 %
- .14 %
`Qi C40 0.4 ?
(e) MgO - 0.4 %
Ash - 2.0 %
Specifications for u2p04 for expand,
20* The Ina Islas p2arst iu
am good wed Fuze storage cell su-1phuric mold
Nhsm the Fodo1 f t *- wadding for its e chemdoal-
I'astad~ spt~s.d to pmir.a sti On a rubber tab..., sheets of blotti
Am"
vine coy.'y" s Paste -b 1t to Pa W and 19 Arse After the pletes hark
MUM. In this WV'r the paste va ' paper an .
pe'asssd out, einn U3 rnsrg a6E ~ii.d to U. VU, M~suaoeseb
in 3arp tanbs tam
ttit-e and nerp.;;ivv 1),64M tnp ,.t th ess vki dove
sAtAn7 at did
t to the lbdoL , the t ~s=a M an do s elsatrc3yta, 8 pd suggested
pasitl, and PUte~+ is -f the bs,,, .~,. ut. roz
so ot) xtavlts , W% to replace naphtha b1& k with Tilburg ifs
loot) tcaa"an the pla 'te.ri.th Vest swellings and washing off of acti `acat.-
t'band'tom after that time s 01 r Could be kept no more a
changes in Bag04 'de it unfiprWess Of t for u.turthar carbaation of cellulose
..
Pas, tip
Pasting ia. done by a
IW04 ate
Color
color'
2.899
24.4 gram /inch
92 to 93 %
(Scott)
Fe ,as
leas than 0.015 %
As and Pt - absent.
-4`4 ca - i.a3) - 4c to 45 lags.
WA - 1,000 kgs
41 J-bcgln - 0.25A/Asc
to 120 kgs
 ~.Ec_E? . /SECUrI i u'vii