Please refer to " Life Expectancy A,B,C,D" before reading this section.
Batteryvitamin is a metasymbiont. Introducing it into a battery enables it to acquire nanoparticle properties which, in turn, benefits the battery. (meta, change in state; symbiosis, benefit to each other)
A functional portion of the Batteryvitamin molecules dissolved in the battery acid electrolyte becomes attached end-on to the negative plate - covering the entire surface of the negative plate with bristles, generally as shown below. (The scale of the illustrations represents a magnification of about ten million times.)
The ends closest to the surface are in adsorption equilibrium, subject to attractive and repulsive electrostatic forces that act between the Batteryvitamin molecules and the surface, meaning there remains a tiny gap, (Reference 1). This allows the battery related chemical reactions to proceed at the surface unimpeded and for the molecules to "ride" over the charging and discharging surface formations.
The barrier remains inactive while the battery is at rest, when it is discharging and is being charged - but not quite fully charged. The spacing between the individual bristles will be wide enough for the battery process ions to move to the negative plate -15 and from the negative plate -16, and for the hydrogen ions to pass freely in both directions -17 , (E). (The mechanism of hydrogen ion migration being proton transfer, from water molecule to water molecule, a different proton being passed on very rapidly each time.)
When the battery is being charged and is nearing full state of charge, there is the usual sharp increase in voltage and onset of gassing at 2.35 volts per cell. This increase also activates the barrier. At about 2.45 volts per cell the free ends of the bristles grow larger and increase in diameter, which results in the pathways between the electrolyte and the underlying negative plate becoming very much narrower, (F).
The barrier remains porous. As charging nears completion, the last few remaining battery process ions emerge -18. The individual pathways achieve their optimum size by "squeezing down" until a minimum sustainable threshold of hydrogen ion migration is reached. It happens across the entire barrier, ensuring the billions upon billions of pathways are all kept exactly uniform in size - large enough to allow hydrogen ions to pass -19 and for nanobubbles of hydrogen gas to emerge -20, but too small for migrating metal ions to reach the negative plate -21. This is what causes the concentration of metal ions in the battery acid electrolyte to rise to saturation and, in turn, helps to preserve the positive plate. (Metal ions do not exist in solution by themselves but are encased by a small cloud of water molecules, making them effectively much larger and easy to stop, (Reference 2.)
The barrier can operate only when the battery is on charge and is near or at full state of charge. It significantly increases the on-charge negative electrode (plate) potential, resulting in less gassing and a reduction in water consumption.
Saturation of the bulk of the battery acid electrolyte with metal ions provides a small reduction in the relative potential of the positive electrode (plate) which can sometimes help reduce charging times.
Electrical testing and teardowns confirmed the essential spongy pore texture of the active mass in the negative plates to be unaffected by the low dosage Batteryvitamin substance.
REFERENCES
PAUNOVIC, M and SCHLESINGER, M. "Fundamentals of Electrochemical Deposition", The Electrochemical Society, Inc., (John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1998), Reference 1, Chapter 10 section 2; Reference 2, Chapter 2 section 8.