Abstract
An innovative, efficient, and economically viable process for the recycling of spent alkaline batteries is presented herein. The developed process allows for the selective recovery of Zn and Mn metals present in alkaline batteries. The hydrometallurgical process consists of a physical pre-treatment step for separating out the metal powder containing Zn and Mn, followed by a chemical treatment step for the recovery of these metals. Sulfuric acid was used for the first leaching process to dissolve Zn(II) and Mn(II) into the leachate. After purification, Mn was recovered in the form of MnO2, and Zn in its metal form. Furthermore, during the second sulfuric acid leaching, Na2S2O5 was added for the conversion of Mn(IV) to Mn(II) (soluble in the leachate), allowing Mn to be recovered as MnCO3. Masses of 162 kg of Zn metal and 215 kg of Mn (both in the form of MnO2 and MnCO3) were recovered from one ton of spent alkaline batteries. The direct operating costs (chemicals, labor operation, utilities, energy) and indirect costs (amortization, interest payment) required for a plant treating 8 tons of spent batteries per day was calculated to be $CAD 726 and $CAD 534 per ton, respectively, while the total revenue from the sale of the metals was calculated at $CAD 1359.6 per ton of spent batteries. The development of this type of cost-effective industrial process is necessary for a circular economy, as it contributes to addressing environment- and energy-related issues, and creates opportunities for the economic utilization of metals.
Highlights
The use of electronic compact devices with batteries such as remote controls, watches, electric toys, and pocket lamps has become an integral part of our society
We developed and described a complete hydrometallurgical process including the recovery of Zn by electrowinning and Mn by precipitation from alkaline battery powder
The economic simulation for a battery recycling plant required a large number of parameters in order to estimate the economic performance of the process
Summary
The use of electronic compact devices with batteries such as remote controls, watches, electric toys, and pocket lamps has become an integral part of our society. These batteries have a certain lifetime, and the increase in volume of spent batteries over the last few years requires an innovative recycling process. In Canada, Call2recycle collected more than 2.5 kt of batteries for recycling in 2017 and 2.7 kt in 2018, of which 78% consisted of alkaline and Zn–C batteries [9]. Alkaline and carbon zinc batteries are sent to Retriev (Trail, BC, Canada), Inmetco (Elwood City, PA, USA), Raw Materials Company
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
