The plates of automotive type batteries are manufactured with high porosity (much like a piece of Swiss cheese), to maximize the surface area to allow maximum amperage discharge for a short period of time. This is required for functions such as starting a vehicle's engine.

Porous plates allow construction of a compact battery with short term, high amperage capability, however, sulfation poses a major problem for this type of battery construction. The sulfate enters the pores on the plates, and as it advances toward a crystalline state, it greatly expands. The crystal growth causes plate material to break off in much the same way as the formation of ice in a crack in a rock will cause the rock to fracture and pieces break off.

Often, by the time an automotive battery fails a load test due to sulfation, the battery plates are heavily eroded, plate material having fallen to the bottom of the battery.

It is often not just the sulfation, but the occurring mechanical damage, which causes premature battery failure. In the case of automotive batteries, plate erosion, post expansion, and cell freezing are some examples of mechanical damage caused by sulfation.