A New Thermal Process for the Recovery of Metals From Zinc-Carbon and Alkaline Spent Batteries

Abstract

The aim of this study is the thermal recovery of manganese and zinc from a mixture of zinc-carbon and alkaline spent batteries containing 40.9% of Mn and 30.1% of Zn after a preliminary physical treatment. Separation of the metals is carried out on the basis of their different phase change temperatures, the boiling point of zinc being 906°C and 1564°C that of Mn 3 O 4 , the main Mn-bearing phase in the mixture. After wet comminution and sieving to remove the anodic collectors and most of the chlorides contained in the mixture, chemical and X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD) analyses were performed. The mixture was heated in CO 2 atmosphere and the temperature raised, thus permitting the zinc oxide to be reduced to metallic zinc by the carbon present in the original mixture. Other tests were carried out by addition to the mixture of activated charcoal (95% C) or of the automotive shredder residue (fluff) containing 45% C.A zinc product was obtained suitable, after refining, for the production of new batteries. The treatment residue consisted of manganese and iron oxides that could be used to produce manganese-iron alloys. From these results, an integrated process for the recovery of the two metals was proposed.

Zinc–Carbon Battery Recycling for Investigating Carbon Materials for Supercapacitor Applications

“…Among various battery types, zinc–carbon batteries are the first commercial dry batteries and are widely used because they provide high energy density and good durability and are very low-cost. Thus, they are common in every home, leading to an extremely large amount of batteries being released into the environment. − The construction of a zinc–carbon battery consists of a graphite rod surrounded by carbon powder and encased by a zinc casing with an electrolyte of ammonium chloride . The components in zinc–carbon batteries are not environmentally friendly and have large emissions, so they need to be collected and recycled properly to avoid polluting the environment. , Here, we refer to the recycling of zinc–carbon batteries by electrochemical exfoliation and ultrasonication methods to avoid wasting fuel resources and not polluting the environment.…”