Process for recovery of the constituent materials from lead acid batteries

• US 5,707,015 A
• Filed: 02/09/1994
• Issued: 01/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rhett Bob Guthrie
• Original Assignee: Rhett Bob Guthrie
• Inventors: Guthrie, Rhett Bob
• Primary Examiner(s): HUSAR, JOHN
• Application Number:
  US08/195,618
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: 241/20, 241/24, 241/79.1, 241/DIG. 38, 241/24.11, 241/24.12
• US Class Current: 241/20
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/54 Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/84 Recycling of batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 241/38 Solid waste disposal

Abstract

A process and apparatus for recovery of constituent materials from lead acid batteries is shown in which the battery is dismantled in a stepwise procedure under which the materials are separated, not mixed and in particular in which the grid groups are removed from the battery case and processed in a liquid, preferably water, by hydrodynamic and mechanical agitation to cause the paste material to be freed from the grids and enter the water as a mixture of fine particles while the lead grid pieces drop to the bottom. The process does not require burning or chemical reaction and can selectively recover all constituent materials including, without limitation, high quality marketable lead dioxide from the paste material.

Claims

1. A method of recovering the paste material in grid groups from lead acid batteries comprising:

removing and separating the grid groups and any paste material attached thereto from the battery case and any mud, containing various sulphated compounds of lead contained therein;

causing the release of paste material from the grid groups in particulate form into a liquid mixture by agitating the grid groups in a liquid;

separating the particulate paste material from the liquid.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the agitation is cause by hydrodynamic action.

3. The method of claim 2 in which the agitation is further caused by mechanical action.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the liquid is water.

5. The method of claim 4 in which the water is selected from the groups consisting ofdeionized waterdistilled watera mixture of deionized and distilled watera mixture of 1), 2) or 3) above and an additive selected from the group consisting of:

a densifier, a detergent, and a surfactant.

6. The method of claim 3 in which the release of paste material in particulate form is caused by placing the grid groups in a mechanical mixing chamber containing water.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising placing the liquid and particulate paste material mixture into at least one settling chamber to settle out by gravity the particles of paste material.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising before removing the grid groups from the battery case;

cutting the battery case and grid groups therein into smaller pieces.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the cutting step further comprises;

cutting the battery case lengthwise into approximately equal size case halves; and

cutting the case halves lengthwise into approximately equal size case quarters.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising filtering out larger materials in the liquid mixture while allowing the particulate paste material to remain in the mixture with the liquid.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising;

allowing material of the grid groups which is heavier than the particulate paste material to settle out of the liquid prior to separating the particulate paste material from the liquid.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising removing said heavier materials from the mixing chamber and separating the particulate paste material from the liquid by settling.

13. A method of recovering constituent materials from lead-acid type batteries;

draining the battery;

cutting the cover off the battery;

removing the grid groups from the battery case;

causing the paste material in the grid groups to become mixed in particulate form in a liquid mixture by agitating the grid groups in a liquid.

14. The method of claim 13 in which the agitation is caused by hydrodynamic action.

15. The method of claim 14 in which the agitation is further caused by mechanical action.

16. The method of claim 15 in which the liquid is primarily water.

17. The method of claim 16 in which the paste material is separated from the liquid by settling.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising allowing particulate paste material to settle out of the liquid mixture.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising dewatering the particulate material to a pre-selected wetness level.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising cutting the grid groups into smaller pieces before agitating them in a liquid.

21. The method of claim 13 further comprising filtering battery separator material out of the liquid and particulate paste material mixture after agitating.

22. The method of claim 13 further comprising allowing materials which are heavier than the particulate paste material to settle out of the liquid during agitation in the liquid.

23. The method of claim 13 further comprising, before removing the grids from the battery case;

cutting the battery case and grid groups therein into smaller pieces.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the cutting step further comprises;

cutting the battery case and grid groups therein lengthwise a preselected number of times.

25. The method of claim 13 further comprising separating non-paste material from the mixture of liquid and paste material.

26. The method of recovering constituent materials from lead-acid batteries comprising;

draining the battery;

cutting the cover off the battery;

separating the grid groups from the battery case;

providing a separator comprising a mixing area;

delivering the grid groups into the separator mixing area;

delivering an aqueous liquid into the separator mixing area;

agitating the grid groups in the aqueous liquid to cause paste materials in the grid groups to be mixed with the aqueous liquid;

removing liquid mixture from the mixing area;

delivering the mixture of paste materials and aqueous liquid to a settling area; and

allowing the paste materials to settle out of mixture with the aqueous liquid.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the separator mixing area comprises a rotatable mixing chamber.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the separator mixing area comprises a means for one of 1) continuously introducing grid groups to the area and 2) periodically introducing a batch of grid groups to the area and a means for one of 1) continuously removing the mixture of paste materials and aqueous liquid from the mixing area and 2) periodically removing the mixture of paste materials and aqueous liquid from the mixing area.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising allowing the paste materials in mixture with aqueous liquid to settle after being removed from the mixing area.