Today’s average Lead Acid battery is required to do a lot more than its vehicle battery predecessors. The electrical demands on vehicles — from personal cars equipped with start-stop technology to heavy duty fleets running advanced electronics — continue to rise. As these demands increase, batteries are pushed to their limits, requiring greater durability, longevity and performance to keep up.
One of the most common causes of battery failure is acid stratification. This occurs when the electrolyte inside a flooded Lead Acid battery begins to separate. The heavier acid sinks to the bottom, creating an imbalance that reduces the battery’s effectiveness and builds up along the lower cells.
The increased electrical loads from today’s vehicles, coupled with partial state of charge (PSOC) operation, have accelerated acid stratification. In fact, it is now the leading cause of declining battery life expectancy.
Acid stratification leads to reduced efficiency, decreased capacity, performance issues, and a significantly shortened lifespan. Simply put, it’s a problem you don’t want.
In this blog post, we’ll introduce you to MIXTECH, a patented technology that has been revolutionizing battery performance since 2008.
“MIXTECH is the only proven technology that addresses the problem of acid stratification,” says Frank Tricarico, Discover Battery Sales Director-North America.
Now integrated into our signature line of Continental Batteries, MIXTECH uses the natural motion of your vehicle to continuously circulate the electrolyte, preventing stratification and ensuring optimal performance.
Keep reading to discover how MIXTECH enhances battery performance, delivers reliable power in extreme conditions, and significantly reduces maintenance needs — all while extending the life of your battery.
A Closer Look at Stratification
Acid stratification happens when the sulfuric acid in a flooded lead acid battery separates from the water, creating an imbalance. Over time, the concentrated acid at the bottom damages the lead plates and reduces the battery’s capacity by up to 40% within the first eight months.
How MIXTECH Solves It:
MIXTECH’s patented technology ensures continuous electrolyte circulation using the vehicle’s natural motion. By preventing acid stratification, MIXTECH batteries deliver:
- Improved Performance
- Longer Lifespan (up to 4x)
- Reliable Power in Demanding Conditions
What Is MIXTECH?
MIXTECH is a patented battery technology designed to combat one of the leading causes of battery failure: acid stratification. Discover first introduced enhanced flooded batteries (EFB) with MIXTECH in 2008. The mixing technology is proprietary and has been used in Discover products for over a decade. It’s now available in Continental Batteries’ commercial and severe duty automotive lines.
How Does MIXTECH Work?
The patented, built-in technology uses the natural movement of a vehicle to keep the acid inside the battery in constant circulation. As your vehicle drives, the internal mixing element creates a hydrostatic pressure difference — or a siphon — that circulates the sulphuric acid inside, keeping a positive charge acceptance from the bottom to the top of the cell.
What Are the Benefits of MIXTECH?
MIXTECH represents one of the most significant improvements in battery technology in the past 50 years. Benefits include:
Improved performance. Today’s vehicles have much higher electrical demands than cars and trucks of the past. Batteries not only start the engine, but they power everything from start/stop technology to lane assist to backup cameras and more. MIXTECH optimizes the use of the battery’s internal materials, ensuring consistent performance.
Rugged durability. Many MIXTECH batteries are designed with enhanced vibration resistance and the ability to withstand extreme hot or cold temperatures, ensuring dependable operation even in the harshest environments.
Reduced acid stratification. One of the standout benefits of MIXTECH is its ability to cut down stratification while also avoiding dry-out and thermal runaway risks that can affect AGM batteries.
Extended lifespan. Mixtech extends the capacity to support modern vehicles' electronics and accessories, extending battery life and reducing road calls and vehicle downtimes. MIXTECH also delivers longer battery life in extreme temperatures due to the 100% acid circulation of the electrolyte, something that AGM will not be able to accomplish.
Lower overall cost. Because MIXTECH extends the battery’s lifespan, the cost over time is lower than that of traditional batteries. You’ll also experience better performance throughout the battery's lifespan, improving fuel economy and reducing wear and tear on your car’s engine and alternator.
See the full line of Discover and Continental Batteries with MIXTECH in our 2024 product catalog.
The Future of Batteries Is MIXTECH
Modern vehicles — from Heavy Duty trucks to commuter cars — need batteries that can support heavy electronic loads. Mixtech batteries have increased capacity for deeper discharges and are designed to enhance energy distribution and minimize acid stratification, ensuring consistent power output.
MIXTECH has been proven to exceed traditional battery technology that was not designed to support the demands of today’s vehicle requirements and extend lifespan.
“With the MIXTECH line, you can double the life of what you are presently experiencing.” —Frank Tricarico, Discover Battery Sales Director-North America
As Continental continues to expand its MIXTECH offerings, customers can expect advancements in battery performance, durability, and reliability — setting a new standard for powering the vehicles of today and tomorrow.
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