Doors of Perception
CGN Regular
- Location
- Burlington, Ontario
I just laughed so hard I spilled beer on my keyboard - this should be in the "you laugh you lose thread"
Lead extraction from a battery
- Thread starter KotKotofeich
- Start date
We have no intention of smelting. I have not weighed the actual lead output yet, I'd estimate it at around 60% of the battery weight - yes half the plates are lead oxide (or partly sulfide since this is an old battery) on lead wires, so we can recover the terminals, lead anode plates and the lead wires from the cathode (IIRC) plates. We did not actually have any car batteries - mostly motorcycle and one tractor battery, but they were free so financially it's a win
We are not in this to make a buck, more to practice doing it. Lead availability may change in the future. And this story generated another win - more people now know I have a use for lead so I got a few offers of free lead people had stashed in their attics and garages.
If we did not have access to a lab, the biggest concern would be how to dispose of the lead oxide that is going to be left over. The lab has a specialized waste disposal service, if not for that I have no idea what to do with it.
You will actually only be able to extract about 5 to 10% of the battery weight in lead. Terminals, buss bars, and maybe parts of a negative grid.
The negative plate is ONLY lead when it's fully charged. When it's discharged, both plates are lead sulphate. Modern battery construction is such that they maximize surface area, usually by making plates porous, meaning there will be virtually no elemental lead in a conventional, discharged battery. The best luck you would have in getting pure lead out of plates is to use, deep discharge batteries and nothing that is intended for engine starting applications.
nowarningshot
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Lead, even bought from a recycler or as wheel weights is cheap. Cant see going to this trouble to get a small amount.
Which makes the sulfuric acid pretty much water.
Funny how that works, eh.
The sulphuric acid in a fully charged (new) battery is around 25% with a density of 1.26. A fully dead battery has an electrolyte density approaching 1.00, which is water.
Gee, wonder where all that sulphur went?
Got a good chuckle out of the thread when it was said they could get 60% lead recovery without smelting, only melting (the two processes are vastly different, yet the words are being used interchangeably in this, and other threads). And then the thread digressed into lab apparatus. I guess the lab equipment is appropriate because they must be taking apart brand new, fully charged batteries to get that 60% lead recovery.
Never mind discussion about lab equipment, an introduction to basic chemistry might be in order.
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Lets Be clear about 1 thing, I know this guy, he is a world leading scientist, he knows what he is doing. He is also one of the smartest people I know period . Don't lecture him on anything, he lectures you.
You guys are wusses.
You guys are wusses.
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No comment about the people here or the details discussed, just a comment on your comment about experts. I know quite a few and they can easily mop the floor with anyone on their topic of expertise. That expertise is typically limited because it is so specific. The most intelligent and experienced experts can quickly get into trouble when they get into other topics, even when related and operate at the level of us mere mortals. I've met a few that have occasionally appeared as dumbasses on topics you would think they are THE authority on. Having a Phd in Chem is an impressive badge and lends uber credibility, but is the essence of the logical fallacy known as "appeal to authority".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_authority
The discussion is most valuable and kudos to OP for sharing.
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