Battery Recycling

8eIieve iI or noI iI is possibIe Io reuse aII maIeriaIs recovered Irom an oId

compIeIeIy dead Iead acid baIIery.
Lead can be meIIed down Io produce new pIaIes.
AcIive maIeriaIs (Iead oxides) can be recovered, reIined and reused Ior making
new acIive maIeriaIs Ior new pIaIes.
NegaIive pIaIes can be recovered and used Io make new baIIeries.
There reaIIy isn'I much wasIe aI aII - iI can aII be reused.
Recovering Lead Oxide:
!I you cuI Ihe Iop oII an oId dead baIIery and remove Ihe pIaIes you wiII Iind IhaI
Ihe posiIive pIaIe acIive maIeriaI is sIiII Ihere buI probabIy choked wiIh suIIaIe
and Ihe Iead pIaIe grid wiII mosI IikeIy be compIeIeIy corroded away. AIIhough iI
Iooks Iike a compIeIe mass oI corroded shiI' whaI's IeII oI Ihe posiIive pIaIes can
be used as acIive maIeriaI Ior making new pIaIes. The corroded grid maIeriaI has
oI course been compIeIeIy converIed inIo Iead oxide (acIive pIaIe maIeriaI). So
basicaIIy Ihe enIire posiIive pIaIe is |usI a briIIIe mass oI Iead oxide and suIIaIe
crysIaIs. This mass oI shiI can be crushed up back inIo powder, reIined and
reused Io make acIive maIeriaI Ior pasIing on Io new pIaIes.
To recover Ihe oxide - IirsI remove aII Ihe posiIive pIaIes (or whaI's IeII oI Ihem)
and pIace Ihem inIo a conIainer preIerabIe a meIaI conIainer. Using someIhing
hard and heavy (! use a 2Smm Ihick sIeeI rod) begin crushing Ihe maIeriaI up.
SIarI sIowIy' Ihere wiII sIiII be smaII pieces oI Ihe grid IeII. AIIer crushing you
shouId be IeII a Iine bIack/grey powder. There wiII sIiII be smaII pieces oI grid and
Iead IeII in Ihe powder so siIII unIiI aII IhaI remains is very Iine bIack/grey
powder.
Making PasIe:
Lead oxide powder is mixed wiIh suIIuric acid and waIer Io make a pasIe wiIh Ihe
consisIency someIhing Iike Iirm mud.
This pasIe is Ihen pressed inIo Ihe grid sIrucIure oI a pIaIe and cured. The curing
oI Ihe pasIe is very imporIanI. The pasIe musI noI crack or break away Irom Ihe
grid surIace. Mixing in smaII amounIs oI various Iibers such as IibergIass and Ihe
gIass Iibers Irom recovered separaIors can heIp Io sIrengIhen Ihe pasIe and
prevenI cracking and pasIe separaIion.
8aIIery manuIacIures add aII sorIs oI Ihings Io Ihe pasIe in an aIIempI Io improve
adhesion Io Ihe grid and Io exIend baIIery IiIe.
! do noI recommend making pasIed posiIive pIaIes. As posiIive pIaIes wiII suIIer
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Irom anodic corrosion and wiII noI IasI very Iong as apposed Io soIid pIaIes.
MosI pasIed posiIive pIaIe baIIeries have a maximum IiIe oI around S - 10 years
provided perIecI condiIion and mainIenance.
! wouId recommend onIy making negaIive pasIed pIaIes. They do noI suIIer Irom
Ihe eIIecIs oI anodic corrosion and shouId aImosI IasI Iorever - 2S years.
PIaIe Curing:
AIIer pasIing pIaIes musI be cured. This hardenns Ihe pasIed and bonds iI Io Ihe
pIaIe.
PIaIes are usuaIy curred aI around 30c in high humidiIy (90%) Ior abouI 48 hours.
This can be done in a convenIionaI oven aI home. ]usI sIick em in Ihe oven wiIh a
poI IuII oI waIer. You wiII have Io keep an eye on Ihe waIer. AIIer curring pIaIe
are IeII Io dry Ior abouI 3 - 4 days.
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