Method and apparatus for neutralizing reactive material such as batteries

• US 4,637,928 A
• Filed: 08/06/1982
• Issued: 01/20/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clean Harbors Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Greatbatch Enterprises, Inc.
• Inventors: Zajac, William V. Jr., Kautz, Henry G., Bossert, Arthur J., Kautz, David J., Cohen, Sidney
• Primary Examiner(s): Straub, Gary P.
• Application Number:
  US06/406,033
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 423/89, 423/92, 423/98, 423/179.5, 423/657, 429/49, 241/27, 241/46.08
• US Class Current: 423/659
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/52 Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste cells or batteries , e.g. recycling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/84 Recycling of batteries or fuel cells

Abstract

A method and apparatus for treating articles such as batteries in a manner permitting safe disposal thereof, each of the articles comprising a casing having reactive material therein, wherein the article casing is opened to allow access to the interior thereof, fluid is introduced to the interior of the opened casing, and any evolved gas is removed. The steps of opening the casing, introducing fluid and removing gas are performed simultaneously in a reaction vessel which is supplied with the fluid and which is in communication with gas collecting and scrubbing means. The reaction vessel preferably comprises a deluged hammermill and a tank. The hammermill is supplied with articles by a remotely fed conveyor and which discharges into a tank, fluid is supplied to the hammermill and to the tank, and the gas collecting and scrubbing means is in communication with both the hammermill and tank. The fluid preferably is water or an alkaline neutralizing solution. The gas scrubbing means can include a first stage for removing acid gases and a second stage serving as a demister. Liquid is withdrawn from the tank, filtered to remove solids and then returned. A portion of the returned liquid is supplied to the hammermill, an another portion is passed through a heat exchanger for cooling and then returned to the tank.

Claims

1. A method for treating high energy density lithium batteries in a manner permitting safe disposal thereof, each of said batteries comprising a casing having reactive material therein, comprising:

(a) introducing said batteries to a hammermill to open the battery casings to allow access to the interiors thereof;

(b) simultaneously deluging said hammermill with an alkaline neutralizing liquid to introduce said liquid to the interiors of said opened casings to neutralize the reactive material in said casings, the blades of said hammermill increasing the velocity of said liquid flowing therethrough;

(c) collecting said liquid and opened casings exiting from said hammermill in a container holding a static quantity of said liquid;

(d) removing gas evolved during opening of said casings and neutralizing of said reactive material and cleaning the gas by scrubbing to remove any particulate contaminants therein;

(e) cooling the liquid in said container; and

(f) filtering the liquid in the container to remove particulate matter larger than a predetermined size.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of cooling the liquid is performed by passing the liquid in heat exchange relationship with well water.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the gas is cleaned by scrubbing in a first stage to remove acid gases and then scrubbing in the second stage for demisting.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein a portion of the filtered liquid from said container is returned to said hammermill.