How To Recycle Lead Batteries
Batteries contain a range of metals which can be reused as a secondary raw material. There are well-established methods for the recycling of most batteries containing Lead, nickel-cadmium, nickel hydride and mercury. For some, such as newer nickel-hydride and lithium systems, recycling is still in the early stages. Battery Recycling Plant requires that the batteries be sorted according to chemistries. Some sorting must be done prior to the battery arriving at the recycling Plant. Nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal-hydride, lithium-ion and Lead acid are placed in designated boxes at the collection point. Battery recyclers claim that if a steady stream of batteries, sorted by chemistry, were available at no charge, recycling would be profitable.
Lead-acid batteries continue to service designated market niche and these batteries need to be disposed of in a proper manner. The Lead-acid battery has led the way in recycling. The automotive industry should be given credit in organizing ways to dispose of spent car batteries. In the USA, 98% of all Lead acid batteries are recycled.
The Lead Acid Battery recycling process starts by removing the combustible material, such as plastics and insulation. The best way for the bigger sets of plants is to crush down these batteries and undergo separation using Hydro-separation concept. It is commonly known as Battery Shredders and Hydro-separation systems. Once these Batteries are crushed, 4 typical segments are generated viz. Lead Grids, Lead paste, Separators, PP. The Lead Grids are melted down in the gig kettles to produce Lead directly with further refinement.
The Lead paste is a complex Lead compound which is smelted in high heated Smelting Furnaces for production of Lead. Lead can be recovered by either separating the different materials that make up the battery (Lead, plastics, acid, etc.) prior to metallurgical processing. Alternatively, batteries can be processed as a whole through heat treatment in a particular type of furnace with metals being recovered at the end of his process.