Zinc-carbon Batteries Research Articles

Waste Zinc–Carbon Battery Recycling: Focus on Total Material Recovery

Currently, less attention is paid to zinc–carbon batteries, although they are still widely used and are among the major types of batteries collected and recycled. The recycling technologies currently in use do not allow the complete recovery of resources, are not self-sufficient and require additional financing. Therefore, this paper aims to study the possibility of complete recycling of waste zinc–carbon batteries and to suggest the practical use of the final products generated in the recycling process. The possibility of complex processing of spent zinc–carbon batteries using mechanical separation and processing of the battery’s components (steel case, zinc electrode, graphite electrode, polypropylene and paper insulators) is justified. The separation of spent electrolytes from other components of batteries with hydrochloric acid was studied. It was shown that the extraction of Zn2+ and NH4+ cations takes place following the addition of an equivalent amount of Na3PO4 solution and water-insoluble NH4ZnPO4 salt sedimentation. Waste agglomerate (mixture of MnO2, MnO(OH), and graphite) was regenerated to its initial composition (MnO2, graphite) at a temperature of 300–325 °C; manganese (III) hydroxide was oxidized to manganese (IV) dioxide. Thermal destruction of polypropylene and paper insulators with additional introduction of polyethylene into the primary mixture produced pyrolysis liquid, pyrocarbon and pyrolysis gas as products. The practical use of the products obtained and compliance with the environmental requirements of the suggested method of waste batteries recycling were shown.

Application of ANN and RSM for Rhodamine B and Safranine-O Decolorization on Zinc-Carbon Battery Waste Derived Ag/CoFe-LDH/rGO Catalyst.

The present work is first aimed at recovering graphite from carbon rods of waste zinc-carbon (Zn-C) batteries for applications such as wastewater treatment, in order to contribute to the development of a sustainable environment. Then, a composite material, cobalt-iron layered double hydroxide combination with reduced graphene oxide, and with subsequent Ag nanoparticles deposition via NaBH4 reduction method (Ag/CoFe-LDH/rGO) was prepared for the catalytic activity of Rhodamine B (RhB) and Safranine-O (SO) as model contaminants from aquatic media. The catalytic activity of RhB and SO by Ag/CoFe-LDH/rGO in the presence of NaBH4 was studied to model and optimize the process parameters (NaBH4 amount, reaction time, initial dye concentration (Co), and catalyst dosage) via central composite design (CCD)-response surface methodology (RSM). Also, an artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed to estimate the catalytic activity of each dye using an RSM data set. The catalytic activities of 99.54% and 99.96% were obtained for RhB and SO dyes, respectively, under the optimal conditions: NaBH4 amount 12.32 mM, reaction time 3.19 min, Co 33.46 mg/L, and catalyst dosage 1.24 mg/mL for RhB dye; NaBH4 amount 16.76 mM, reaction time 3.06 min, Co 15.10 mg/L, and catalyst dosage 1.46 mg/mL for SO dye. The optimum conditions of process parameters by ANN with gray wolf optimizer (GWO) were in good agreement with the points determined the RSM-CCD. These results demonstrate that RSM and ANN approaches can be applied practically and efficiently to maximize the catalytic activity of RhB and SO by Ag/CoFe-LDH/rGO in the existence of NaBH4. On the other hand, from the kinetic and thermodynamic studies, the positive activation enthalpy, ΔH# and the negative activation entropy, ΔS# values for each dye demonstrated that the catalytic performance was endothermic and less random at the solid/liquid interface.

Decoration of recycled battery graphite functionalized with gold nanoparticles/poly(nicotinic acid) for detection of bifenazate pesticide in tea and food samples

Bifenazate (BF), is a type of carbamate acaricide effective at controlling mite parasites on crops and ornamental plants. In this work, a recycled dry zinc-carbon battery graphite electrode decorated with gold nano particles/poly nicotinic acid, AuNPs/poly(NA)-BGE, was applied as the working electrode for the electrochemical measurement of bifenazate (BF). The working electrode (BGE) was functionalized by 10 electropolymerization voltammetric cycles of poly nicotinic acid poly (NA) following by 30 s of amperometric deposition of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to produce the final AuNPs/poly(NA)-BGE electrode in a two-step procedure. “Electrochemical and morphological characterization of the sensor at its different production steps was performed using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) techniques and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM).” The highest peak current response was attained using pH 6.0 in 0.1 M phosphate buffer. The sensor exhibited a linearity range from (1 × 10−4–1 × 10−8 M) that is equivalent to 30.035–3.00 × 10−3 µg/mL with limits of detection LOD and quantification 3.3 × 10−11 M (9.91 × 10−6 µg/mL) and 1.00 × 10−10 M (3.00 × 10−5 µg/mL), respectively. Finally, with a recovery range of (96.3 %–102.6 %) and an RSD of (0.17 %–0.64 %), BF in Kenyan green and black tea, strawberry, tomato, cucumber and its commercial formulation Duramite® 24 %SC was successfully quantified which indicates the promising applicability of the presented sensor in different matrixes.

Friendly Environmental Strategies to Recycle Zinc-Carbon Batteries for Excellent Gel Polymer Electrolyte (PVA-ZnSO4-H2SO4) and Carbon Materials for Symmetrical Solid-State Supercapacitors.

In this report, we introduce a novel idea to prepare a redox additive in a gel polymer electrolyte system of PVA-ZnSO4-H2SO4 based on zinc-carbon battery recycling. Here, zinc cans from spent zinc-carbon batteries are dissolved completely in 1 M H2SO4 to obtain a redox additive in an aqueous electrolyte of ZnSO4-H2SO4. Moreover, carbon nanoparticles and graphene nanosheets were synthesized from carbon rod and carbon powder from spent zinc-carbon batteries by only one step of washing and electrochemical exfoliation, respectively, which have good electrochemical capability. The three-electrode system using a ZnSO4-H2SO4 electrolyte with carbon nanoparticles and graphene nanosheets as working electrodes shows high electrochemical adaptability, which points out its promising application in supercapacitor devices. Thus, the symmetrical solid-state supercapacitor devices based on the sandwich structure of graphene nanosheets/PVA-ZnSO4-H2SO4/graphene nanosheets illustrated the highest energy density of 39.17 W h kg-1 at a power density of 1700 W kg-1. While symmetrical devices based on carbon nanoparticles/PVA-ZnSO4-H2SO4/carbon nanoparticles exhibited a maximum energy density of 35.65 W h kg-1 at a power density of 1700 W kg-1. Moreover, these devices illustrate strong durability after 5000 cycles, with approximately 90.2% and 73.1% remaining, respectively. These results provide a promising strategy for almost completely recycling zinc-carbon batteries, one of the most popular dry batteries.

Management of toxic waste released by incorrectly discarded batteries in Brazil

Abstract The main difference between a dry cell battery and an alkaline one is the composition of the electrolyte. In zinc–carbon batteries, dry cell, the electrolyte is a paste formed by mixing ammonium chloride and zinc chloride, whereas in alkaline batteries, the electrolyte is a concentrated aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide containing a certain amount of zinc oxide, hence the name alkaline for this battery. Therefore, the improper disposal of these materials has numerous consequences for the environment, since the potentially toxic metals present in them can be leached, infiltrating, and contaminating the soil layers, the groundwater, as well as the fauna and flora of the regions nearby. Thus, the objective is to perform studies that aim to simulate and analyze the release of potentially toxic metals present in batteries found in normal environmental conditions, through leaching tests from regular batteries (Zn–C) on fertilized soil, simulating a landfill, in addition to tests on sandy soil in order to aid the identification of possible waste release.

Zinc-Carbon Battery Recycling for Investigating Carbon Materials for Supercapacitor Applications.

In this paper, carbon materials, including graphene nanosheets and carbon nanoparticles, were prepared from spent zinc-carbon batteries by the following two simple methods: electrochemical exfoliation and ultrasonication. Here, graphene nanosheets were synthesized by electrochemical exfoliation in 0.5 M H2SO4 by using a direct current power supply with two carbon rods from spent zinc-carbon batteries. Carbon nanoparticles were prepared by fast ultrasonication in a low-cost, green solution of DI water and ethanol. Graphene nanosheets in this study have high quality, large scale, and good electrochemical ability, while carbon nanoparticles have a unique nanosize and a good specific surface area. These carbon materials were applied for electrochemical measurements for supercapacitor studies and showed excellent stability at different temperatures. Moreover, electric double-layer capacitor devices based on graphene nanosheets and carbon nanoparticles were also used in electrochemical studies with strong stability and good electrochemical capability.

Utilization of battery waste derived ZnO in the removal of dye from aqueous solution: A waste to wealth approach

Every year a huge amount of zinc carbon batteries is discarded as waste and the management of such waste has become a growing concern all over the world. However, from these waste carbon batteries different kinds of valuable materials could be recovered. On the other hand, different industries discharged large volumes of dye wastewater into the environment which has a profound impact on environment and as well as human health. In this study, ZnO was recovered from the waste carbon batteries through pyrometallurgy process and utilized it for the treatment of methylene blue and methyl orange dye water. The batch adsorption process was carried out to observe the effect of adsorbent dosage, pH, contact time, stirring speed and temperature. Under the obtained optimal conditions adsorption kinetics (Pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order) and adsorption isotherms (Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin) were analyzed. The results disclosed that 0.5 g and 0.6 g of ZnO showed maximum removal efficiency for MB and MO dye solution (50 ppm) whereas pH 13 and 6 were the optimal for MB and MO respectively. Kinetic studies indicate that both the adsorption processes were pseudo-second order. It was also revealed that based on regression coefficient R2 value the adsorption of MB and MO on ZnO is followed Langmuir model. Furthermore, the findings revealed that the MO adsorption on ZnO is a chemical adsorption process and MB adsorption is a physical adsorption process.

Coral-Shaped NiO@Graphene Composite Derived from Spent Zinc–Carbon Batteries: Geometric Structure and Electrochemical Studies of Supercapacitors

Coral-Shaped NiO@Graphene Composite Derived from Spent Zinc–Carbon Batteries: Geometric Structure and Electrochemical Studies of Supercapacitors

Evaluation of Supercapacitive Properties of a PPY/PANI Bilayer Electrodeposited onto Carbon-Graphite Electrodes Obtained from Spent Batteries

Recently, many efforts have been made to reuse spent batteries in response to the growing demand for sustainable materials production. In parallel, supercapacitors have attracted significant attention for their use in addressing some of the limitations of conventional capacitors and batteries. In this context, this paper describes the preparation, characterization, and supercapacitive performance evaluation of carbon-graphite (CG) electrodes obtained from spent zinc–carbon batteries and modified with polypyrrole (PPY) and polyaniline (PANI). The parameters of PPY and PANI electropolymerization were optimized. CG/PPY, CG/PANI, and CG/PPY/PANI electrodes were obtained to compare their electrochemical responses. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge–discharge curves (GCDC), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to evaluate the pseudocapacitive properties of the CG/PPY/PANI-modified electrode. The CG/PPY/PANI electrode showed a specific capacitance of 3416 mF cm−2 in a current density of 2 mA cm−2 and a retention capacity of 76% after 850 GCDC cycles. Thus, CG/PPY/PANI electrodes are shown to be good candidates for use in the development of energy storage devices. In addition, reused CG electrodes from spent batteries have other advantages like low cost, facile construction, and environmental friendliness.

The Influence of Spent Portable Battery Waste on the Aquatic Environment

Spent portable batteries belong to the category of hazardous waste, sometimes dumped together with non-hazardous municipal waste in landfills, resulting in various aquatic environments. Their presence in the aquatic environment leads to changes in its quality and its contamination with heavy metals or other toxic elements. This paper highlights the portable battery waste’s influence on the aquatic environment in stagnant conditions. Therefore, three types of batteries and three solutions with different pH values were used to represent the possible media existing in nature: acid (pH = 4.00), rainwater (pH = 5.63), and alkaline (pH = 8.00). After 180 days, the results showed changes in the chromatics and composition of the initial solutions. The analyses showed decreased pH, increased conductivity, and the transfer of several heavy metals into solutions (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, and Fe). Thus, there were slight exceedances of the maximum allowed values for water quality class I (Order no. 161/2006) in the case of Cu and Pb and higher exceedances in the case of Zn, Ni, and Fe. Zinc–carbon batteries stand out because of the release of Pb and Fe ions. The same applies to lithium manganese dioxide batteries because of Ni ions as well as zinc–manganese alloy batteries because of Cu and Zn ions. Altogether, the negative influence of spent batteries on the aquatic environment is noticed, and the measures for the implementation of safe disposal and processing are necessary.

Conductive Filament Composites from Waste Battery Rod-Derived Exfoliated Graphite for Fused Deposition Modeling 3D Printing: A Two-Level Factorial Design Optimization Study

This study used carbon rods from spent zinc-carbon batteries as a source of exfoliated graphite (EG) to produce conductive filament composites for fused deposition modeling 3D printing. The EG filler was prepared through microwave irradiation, while the resulting 3D printable electroconductive EG composites were prepared using polylactic acid (PLA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as the polymer matrix and compatibilizer, respectively, via a sonication-assisted solution blending and melt extrusion process. A two-level full factorial design was employed to fully investigate the influence of filament production parameters such as EG loading, PEG:PLA ratio, and sonication time on the resistivity (i.e., conductivity-1) of the prepared composites. Analysis of variance showed that both EG loading and sonication time had significant effects on the resistivity of the composites. The optimum electrical resistivity of the new EG filament composites was found to be 916.418 Ω-cm (maximum conductivity = 1.091 x10-3 S/cm) at EG loading = 45 % w/w, PEG:PLA ratio = 1:10, and sonication time = 2 hours. The conductivity of the 3D printed composites was also correlated with EG amount by the power law model of percolation theory, resulting in an electrical percolation threshold at around 35 % w/w of EG. Our filament composites enable the fabrication of high-value conductive materials from waste resources for sustainable additive manufacturing in the electronics industry.

Tuning the Mn2+/Mn3+ ratio of ZnMn2O4 from spent zinc-carbon battery powder to enhance the electrochemical performance

Recycling metal resources from spent battery powder to prepare electrode materials is an eco-friendly and sustainable strategy. However, direct utilization of spent battery powder is mostly ignored, and the prepared electrode materials by this approach exhibit limited electrochemical performance. Herein, we employ unpurified spent zinc-carbon battery powder (SP) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as raw materials to fabricate SP/CNTs via the ball milling method, and then use a novel electrochemical activation strategy to obtain oxygen vacancy-rich SP@CNTs (Ov-SP@CNTs) materials. Under the combined action of CNTs doping and oxygen vacancies caused by the tuning of Mn2+/Mn3+ ratio via the electrochemical activation strategy, the optimum electrode (Ov-SP@CNTs-10) for supercapacitor shows the specific capacitance of 443.9 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, which is nearly six and three times higher than that of SP and SP/CNTs electrodes, respectively. Additionally, the packaged asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device with Ov-SP@CNTs-10 as the cathode and commercial active carbon (AC) as the anode manifests a large energy density of 25.51 Wh·kg−1 at the power density of 399.98 W kg−1, and the capacity retention of 88.58% after 10,000 cycles at 4 A g−1. This work opens up a new way for the direct utilization of SP to prepare high-performance supercapacitor electrode materials.

Minireview on Cathodic and Anodic Exfoliation for Recycling Spent Zinc–Carbon Batteries To Prepare Graphene Material: Advances and Outlook of Interesting Strategies

The recycling of spent batteries has always been a daunting and difficult task throughout the long history of battery development. Zinc–carbon batteries, one of history’s most popular batteries, still widely used today, have become a serious environmental problem. Although zinc–carbon batteries are the first primary batteries that belong to non-rechargeable cells, they are still widely used as a result of their low cost and ease of product. Currently, thousands of tons of zinc–carbon batteries are released into the environment each year, requiring advanced recycling methods. Among various strategies that have been developed, electrochemistry is one of the interesting methods, with the advantages of being cheap and fast and able to synthesize a new material, graphene, a material that changes the technology game. Graphene derived from carbon rods in spent zinc–carbon batteries has been successfully synthesized by a short-time, simple instrumentation of electrochemical exfoliation under direct current supply, which demonstrates a low-cost and environmental strategy for mass production of graphene material from electronic device waste. This review provides a great overview aiming to introduce the electrochemical exfoliation method to recycle spent zinc–carbon batteries to synthesize graphene materials, which contributes to battery recycling technology as an alternative strategy.

Kinetic study of Mn and Zn dissolution from waste Zn-C batteries by shrinking core model

ABSTRACT The recovery of valuable metals from waste batteries gains more importance over time due to the decrease in natural resources and the possible harms of these to the environment. Economic benefits can also be obtained by recycling waste batteries. The recovery of valuable metals such as manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) in waste zinc-carbon (Zn-C) batteries has attracted the attention of many researchers. Hydrometallurgical methods are used as an effective method for the recovery of metals from waste Zn-C batteries. In this paper, kinetics of Mn and Zn dissolution from waste Zn-C batteries in sulfuric acid (H2SO4) solution was studied. The maximum Mn and Zn dissolution recoveries in 60 min leaching time were achieved using 400 rpm stirring speed, 0.25 M H2SO4 concentration, 70°C temperature and −53 µm particle size. In these conditions, Mn and Zn dissolution recoveries were obtained as 62.56% and 100%, respectively. To determine the dissolution kinetics of Mn and Zn, a new equation of shrinking core model was used and determined that Mn and Zn were dissolved in H2SO4 solution by interfacial mass transfer and diffusion across the product layer.

Boosting the Bifunctional Oxygen Electrode Activity of Nitrogen-decorated Carbon Networks via Ni/NiO Addition for Li-Air and Zn-Air Batteries

Designing efficient and cost-effective oxygen electrode catalysts for metal-air batteries is the most intrinsic requisite for next-generation energy storage devices. In this work, bifunctional air-breathing electrode catalysts made of nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) and nickel/nickel oxide/nitrogen-doped carbon (NNONC) nanocomposites are explored for rechargeable Li-Air and Zn-Air batteries. The integration of Ni/NiO nanoparticles on the NC enhances the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activities of the NC. Ni, nickel oxide, and NC acted synergistically to create additional reaction sites, high conductivity, and rapid diffusion pathways, resulting in increased catalytic activity. The CR-2032 coin-type and split cell Li-Air batteries were made with NNONC composite as cathode and Lithium metal as anode. The split cell had a high discharge capacity of 3330 mA h g−1 at a current density of 100 mA g−1. Moreover, the NNONC used as bifunctional cathode catalyst in the rechargeable Zn-Air battery. Where Anode is made of zinc-can from a used zinc carbon battery. The Zn-Air battery has good electrochemical activity, such as good cycle life and low overpotentials of 0.31 and 0.19 V for charging and discharging, respectively. Thus, NNONC can be a promising bifunctional catalyst for both the non–aqueous and aqueous rechargeable metal–air batteries.

Zirconium oxide with graphene oxide anchoring for improved heavy metal ions adsorption: Isotherm and kinetic study

Heavy metal contamination is a major environmental issue worldwide and a significant public health risk. However, developing environmentally sustainable and technically viable solutions or adsorbents for treating water contamination caused by heavy metals is urgently needed. In this work, an eco-friendly approach of obtaining a new composite material called ZrO2/GO that was prepared from the synthesized nano zirconium oxide (ZrO2) and graphene oxide (GO) prepared from spent carbon rods in zinc carbon batteries. ZrO2/GO was analyzed by XRD, SEM, BET, EDX, and FTIR to learn more about its composition and structure. The batch approach determined the optimal sorption conditions, including pH4, 50 mg ZrO2/GO, 150 mg/L U(VI), and 50 min of sorption time. ZrO2/GO was found to have a 128 mg/g sorption capacity. The Langmuir and 2nd-order kinetic equations can be exploited to elucidate the adsorption approach with reasonable accuracy. Since sorption is exothermic when it occurs naturally, thermodynamic restrictions were also envisioned. ZrO2/GO retains over 92% heavy metal ions (VI) removal efficiency even after 7 cycles. ZrO2/GO shows assurance as a potent sorbent material to extract hexavalent heavy metal ions and adsorption capacity from massive solution volumes.

Facile Preparations of Electrochemically Exfoliated N-Doped Graphene Nanosheets from Spent Zn-Carbon Primary Batteries Recycled for Supercapacitors Using Natural Sea Water Electrolytes

A single production of nitrogen-doped graphene nanosheets was developed in this present work from a spent Zn-C primary battery. The electrochemically exfoliated nitrogen-doped graphene nanosheets (EC-N-GNS) was applied in supercapacitor symmetric devices. As-prepared EC-N-GNS was utilized for a symmetric supercapacitor with natural seawater multivalent ion electrolyte. The recycling of graphite into nitrogen-doped graphene was characterized by X-ray diffraction and RAMAN spectroscopy. The few-layered morphological structures of EC-N-GNS were analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscope and field emission transmission electron microscope. The electrochemical analysis of the cyclic voltammetry curves observed an electrochemical double-layer capacitor (EDLC) behavior with a potential window of −0.8 V to +0.5 V. The electrochemical galvanostatic charge—discharge study was obtained to be maximum specific capacitance (Csp)—67.69 F/g and 43.07 F/g at a current density of 1 A/g. We promising the facile single-step electrochemically exfoliated EC-N-GNS was obtained from a waste zinc-carbon primary battery to recycle the graphite electrodes. The superior electrochemical performance comparatively bulk graphite and EC-N-GNS for potential energy storage supercapacitor applications.

ZnMn2O4/Carbon Composite Recycled from Spent Zinc-Carbon Batteries for Zn-Air Battery Applications

ZnMn2O4, a non-precious metal catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), was recycled from the spent primary Zn–C battery and utilized in the zinc-air battery. Catalysts exhibiting facile ORR kinetics is a requirement for building efficient Zinc-air battery. ZnMn2O4 demonstrated an excellent catalytic activity towards ORR in an aqueous alkaline medium, with an onset potential of 0. 90 V vs RHE. The recycled ZnMn2O4 manifested a similar performance (at ∼1.0 V) as the chemically synthesized one with a specific capacity of 210 mAh gzn −1 at a constant current discharge of 15 mA cm−2. A single electrode potential study was done to comprehend the losses at the electrodes and to identify the limiting electrode. Interestingly, the cathode was improving during discharge, which is in contrast to the expectation due to the accumulation of peroxide around the catalytic layer. Although the anode has exhibited minimal polarization, beyond a capacity of 210 mAh g−1, the supersaturation of electrolyte occurs with zincate ion causing precipitation of ZnO on the cell components, thereby leading to sudden polarization of the cell and hence zinc electrode act as a limiting electrode in this system.

Synthesis of nZnO from waste batteries by hydrometallurgical method for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants under visible light irradiation.

Waste zinc carbon (Zn-C) batteries are generated worldwide in a large amount. They are non-rechargeable and costly to recycle. Therefore, they end up in the landfills where they create hazards for humans and for environment as well. Zn-C batteries are rich in concentration of different heavy metals so they can be subjected for the recovery of metals for the development of valuable new materials. In this study authors have proposed an easy hydrometallurgical method for the recovery of zinc from waste Zn-C batteries to synthesize nano zinc oxide (nZnO) photocatalyst. The prepared nZnO particles were irregular in shape, highly crystalline in nature with crystallite size 23.94nm. The band gap of the photocatalyst was 3.1eV. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesised nZnO was tested for the degradation of three organic pollutants namely; phenol, p-nitrophenol (PNP) and crystal violet dye (CV) in an aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. nZnO showed a good catalytic efficiency for the degradation of all the three pollutants, however, the crystal violet (CV) removal was best in comparison with the other pollutants, it was minimally effected by the increase in CV concentration. The maximum degradation of phenol, PNP and CV was found to be 95.03±0.2%, 88.63±0.1% and 97.87±0.4%, respectively. The degradation data was fitted best with pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The photocatalyst was recyclable and its regeneration ability was higher for initial three cycles. The intermediate compounds formed in the process of degradation were determined by liquid chromatography and mass spectroscopy (LC-MS) analysis.

Recycling of Zinc-Carbon Batteries into MnO/ZnO/C to Fabricate Sustainable Cathodes for Rechargeable Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Acidic zinc-carbon dry batteries have been widely used in life because of their low cost. However, a great quantity of used batteries is discarded as refuse, which not only wastes resources but also leads to environmental contamination. To reuse spent batteries on a large scale, this study concerns a simple, effective, and sustainable strategy to turn them into MnO/ZnO/C composites. After a conventional leaching treatment followed by pyrolysis, the rust cathode materials can be reduced to MnO/ZnO/C. When serving as a rechargeable zinc-ion battery cathode, this electrode provides a maximum reversible capacity of around 362 mAh g-1 MnO ) and a rate capability of 191 mAh g-1 MnO at a high current rate of 1.20 A g-1 . Furthermore, ZnO gradually dissolves in the electrolyte with the increase of discharge cycles, replenishing the Zn2+ content in the electrolyte and further enhancing cycling stability (98.02 % after 500 cycles). The device also exhibits a remarkable energy density of 336.37 Wh kg-1 , low self-discharge rate, and can efficiently power a LED panel. This strategy offers an economical and facile route to convert zinc-carbon battery waste into useful materials for aqueous rechargeable zinc ion batteries.