Lead sulfate is the end state of electrolyte (liquid) when a 12v lead acid battery is discharged.
When a battery is being discharged, the sulfuric acid in the electrolyte is being depleted so that the electrolyte look more like water.
This electrolyte has charged ions of sulfate and hydrogen, as the sulfate ions are negatively charged, and the hydrogen ions are positively charged.
The remaining sulfate combines with the active materials on the plate to form lead sulfate. The reaction of the positive ions and the negative ions form the lead sulfate.