Battery performance, depending on the application, is normally defined by power delivery, electrical capacity, cycling regime and life in service. In order to meet the various performance goals, the Battery Design Engineer can vary things such as grid alloys, paste formulations, number of plates and methods of construction. Another design option available to optimize the battery performance is the separator profile. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate how separator profile selection can be utilized to optimize battery performance and manufacturing efficiencies. Also time will be given to explore novel separator profiles which may bring even greater benefits in the future. All major lead-acid application will be considered including automotive, motive power and stationary. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.