Study Of Battery Recycling methods
Name : Chaitanya Umesh Patil
Roll no : 20EL038
Currently, consumer electronics and EVs add to the bulk of used lithium-ion
batteries and are driving manufacturers to produce new ones frequently. Industry
analysts have estimated that over 10 million metric tons of LIBs will be used by
2030. Due to various reasons, only 5% or fewer of used lithium-ion batteries are
recycled today, meaning most end up in landfills.
Disposal leads to electronic waste (E-waste) which is composed of toxic
substances. This waste is known to have negative environmental problems after
disposal such as polluting water, negatively impacting wildlife, and more.
Many people still throw their batteries and are unaware of the benefits of recycling.
This post analyzes the benefits of lithium-ion battery recycling, the dos, and don’ts,
and offers the safest option to store and send batteries for recycling at the end of
their service life.
Step by step process through which you can recycle lead batteries
Collection
This process involves gathering lead batteries from disposal points. A recycling
company collects these batteries at this stage.
Crushing
The next step involved in recycling lead batteries is breaking them apart. At the
recycling facility, recyclers use hammer mills to crush the battery into fragments.
Sorting
This process involves separating the parts of a lead-acid battery. Recyclers sort the
plastic and paper components of a battery from the lead and metal components.
The lead and heavy metals in the battery undergo further processing afterward.
Sieving
During this process, recyclers remove thermoplastics in the battery. Then, they
sieve out the liquid in the battery and leave the dry lead components. The lead and
heavy metals move ahead for the final step of the recycling.
On the other hand, the plastic materials removed from the battery undergo
washing. The recyclers then send the thermoplastic to plastic recyclers who
reprocess them. The thermoplastics are suitable materials for making casings for
new batteries. Plastic manufacturers also make new plastic products from these
thermoplastics.
Extraction Processes
The final step of lead-acid battery recycling involves the extraction of the lead and
heavy metal components from the remains of the battery.
There are two processes involved in this step. The first process consists in
using liquid solutions to recover metal from materials that contain them. On the
other hand, the second process involves using high temperature to take out and
refine metals.
Combining these processes, the lead and heavy metal in the battery undergoes four
procedures. These procedures are calcinations (heating), roasting, smelting, and
refining. The end product is molten lead. Recyclers mold the molten lead and
transfer it to manufacturers to make new batteries.
2. Recycling Alkaline Zinc Air /Zinc Carbon Batteries
Alkaline batteries go through a recycling process that involves dismantling the
battery parts through a mechanical process. Like lead batteries and all other
batteries, the first step is collecting used alkaline batteries. Then, the batteries get
sorted after dismantling.
After disassembling the batteries, recyclers retrieve three parts for further
processing. The pieces are steel components, plastic and paper components, and
zinc and manganese components.
Then, these materials undergo processing at recycling facilities where
manufacturers retrieve them to produce new products
3. Recycling Lithium Ion, Nickel Metal Hydride, Nickel-Cadmium Batteries
Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are rechargeable batteries used in cars and
electronics. Nickel-based batteries are also rechargeable and used in vehicles
and portable devices like cameras.
These batteries share similarities in the recycling process. They also share some
similarities with lead-acid batteries in the final process of recycling. Here is a
detailed step by step process for recycling lithium and nickel batteries.
Collection
This is the process where recyclers collect used lithium and nickel batteries from
collection points or other locations.
Sorting
In this step, recyclers separate plastic materials in a battery from metal
components. Both materials are perfect for making new products.
Smelting
The components of lithium-ion and the nickel-based batteries undergo what is
known as High-Temperature Metal Reclamation here. Metals in the batteries also
undergo extraction processes. Metals like nickel, manganese, chromium, and iron
are obtained in this process and are used to make new products.
4. Recycling Mercury Batteries
After collection, mercury batteries undergo recycling through liquid and heat
extraction methods. Mercury batteries contain highly toxic heavy metals. Due to
the presence of these toxic metals, recyclers process them in controlled extraction
environments.
The mercury retrieved from the extraction procedures is useful to manufacture new
mercury batteries, measuring instruments, and parts of fluorescent lights.
Manufacturers may use plastic and other materials they get from the batteries to
make new products.
World’s Leading Companies in Battery Recycling Industry: Top 10 by
Revenue
● Doe Run Company
● RSR Corporation
● Gopher Resource LLC
● Battery Solutions
● East Penn Manufacturing Company Inc.
● G & P Service
● Retrieve Technologies
● LI-CYCLE CORP.
● ACCUREC Recycling GMBH
● Ecobat Logistics
