Battery Recycling

Recycling Batteries - The Solution

Recycling lead-acid batteries is a huge success story in the industry, with 96% recycled on average across the G7 nations. This has been driven largely by the value present in the recovered lead and plastics.

Though lead-acid batteries contain valuable commodities, with over 90% of the materials found in batteries being potentially harmful, it is imperative that the machinery used is appropriate to reduce the hazards present.

After being pulverised into pieces in a hammer mill, the resulting mix is processed through a sink-float-tank-type process to separate the lead and lead paste from the remaining materials, for further treatment.

The remaining material consists of PP, PVC, ABS, rubber and battery separators as well as residual trace amounts of lead and lead paste. This material is then ready to be processed in the Rotajet lead-acid separation and washing system. A breakdown of each stage can be seen below.

The Process of Recycling Lead-Acid Batteries

Pre Washer

Separation

sink float tank to separate plastics during recycling

Size Reduction

wet granulator for reducing particle size of polymers

Drying

Bagging off

Double bagging station with zigzag separator

RJ-PW/75sa – This specially designed rotary washer performs two simple tasks in one operation. Firstly, the sulphuric acid is neutralised by the caustic wash liquor used: the volume of caustic used is varied according to the pH present in the recirculation tank. Secondly, any remaining lead paste is removed by the washer to increase the purity of your resulting product.

RJ-HKS-50 – A sink float tank is then used to remove contamination from PVC, ABS, rubber and battery separators which sink. The floating fraction remaining represents a high purity polypropylene stream which is moved via a screw auger to the next stage in the process.

RJ-GR – This powerful granulator then acts as a final size-reduction stage, providing you with a uniform particle size suitable for reuse.

RJ-MD-55 –The wet plastics are fed into the Rotajet mechanical dryer where the plastic particles or flakes are impacted by the rotating rotor. The impact from the rotor paddles creates centrifugal force to drive the plastic particles to the outside of the dryer. The moisture is removed from the surface of the plastic particles and is driven through the dewatering fixed screens. The impact of the high-speed paddle also forces the dried material through the machine to the output mouth.

RJ-DB-ZZ – Finally, a zig-zag separator is used to remove any remaining fines, ensuring a product quality suitable for extrusion.

To learn more about our lead-acid battery recycling lines, please get in touch with our technical advisors on the link below.

Why Recycle Lead-Acid Batteries

Lead acid batteries are currently recycled at a rate of between 90-100%, and are therefore one of the most widely recycled items in the world. However, due to the range of chemical compounds that can be found in batteries, their recycling and/or disposal is heavily regulated in comparison to the recycling of other materials like plastics

Like other types of battery, the lead acid battery has been specially designed for a range of specific uses.

Some examples of the uses of lead acid batteries include:

● Car/motorcycle batteries

● UPS batteries

● Golf cart batteries

● Various commercial batteries

Lead acid batteries are widely recycled due to the desirable materials that can be extracted from them, including: PP, PVC, ABS, and rubber. However, in order to separate these from the other, potentially harmful, materials present, such as lead acid and paste, the batteries must be processed through several stages.

The chemical composition of lead acid batteries makes the recycling process potentially hazardous if not managed properly. Recycling must therefore be handled safely and accurately to ensure that any potential risks are mitigated.

Rotajet’s series of recycling solutions are fully equipped to manage the complexities of lead acid batteries, from washing to separation, right through to size reduction, drying and bagging off as a lucrative commodity ready for resale into the market. When it comes to health and safety, we take every extra measure and precaution to ensure that any machine that leaves our facility is safe for use. With each Rotajet recycling machine being fully tested and trialled, you can be assured that your machine will be ideal for your application, and will manage throughput in a safe, controlled, and fully optimised way

Contact Rotajet

We aim to get back to any enquiry within 12 hours, so please do contact us if you are interested in a specific machine or would like to discuss a cleaning requirement. Our friendly team are happy to help with email info@rotajet.co.uk or call +44 (0) 1924 271446.