- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
This is a sticky over at leverguns, thought you guys might want to read it.
Salvaging lead from batteries can be hazardous to your health. The "maintenance free" batteries are not like the older lead plate batteries. The ones these days have calcium and other alloying elements in them.
The danger comes when alloys containing calcium are melted with those containing antimony and arsenic (such as in wheelweights). Compounds are formed in the melt which becomes mixed with the dross. When the dross is discarded, if it comes in contact with moisture highly toxic gases can be released.
For instance, an alloy containing calcium mixed with wheeweights will have a silvery-looking scum that forms on it fairly quickly. It tends to cling to the ladle and often ends up in the mold. In the melting of these two alloys small crystals are formed and a reaction can occur. Two of the most common reactions are:
2Sb + 3Ca=Sb2Ca3
or
2As + 3Ca=As2Ca3
Neither one of these compounds can be fluxed back into the alloy and will become dross.
The danger lies in what happens to the discarded dross.
If moisture is introduced, the calcium oxidizes for form lime while the hydrogen combines with the antimony or arsenic to produce either stibine gas or arsine gas. Both are actute poisons.
The gases are heavy and will lie in low places, such as the bottom of a garbage can.
As little as 50 parts per million of arsine can impair the function of the blood or cause pulmonary edema. A few breaths of it can be fatal.
Calculations show that 1 pound of the above alloy can produce about 0.1 cubic feet of gas. If trapped in a garbage can, it could prove a fatal dose should one inhale it after taking the lid off. It would only take 0.3 cu. ft. of such gas to contaminate the air in an average basement or garage.
It is best not to mess with melting down batteries.
The above information was gleaned from "CAST BULLETS" by Col. E.H. Harrison, article "Battery Plates: Bad News For Casters" by Dennis Marshall, page 116.
Salvaging lead from batteries can be hazardous to your health. The "maintenance free" batteries are not like the older lead plate batteries. The ones these days have calcium and other alloying elements in them.
The danger comes when alloys containing calcium are melted with those containing antimony and arsenic (such as in wheelweights). Compounds are formed in the melt which becomes mixed with the dross. When the dross is discarded, if it comes in contact with moisture highly toxic gases can be released.
For instance, an alloy containing calcium mixed with wheeweights will have a silvery-looking scum that forms on it fairly quickly. It tends to cling to the ladle and often ends up in the mold. In the melting of these two alloys small crystals are formed and a reaction can occur. Two of the most common reactions are:
2Sb + 3Ca=Sb2Ca3
or
2As + 3Ca=As2Ca3
Neither one of these compounds can be fluxed back into the alloy and will become dross.
The danger lies in what happens to the discarded dross.
If moisture is introduced, the calcium oxidizes for form lime while the hydrogen combines with the antimony or arsenic to produce either stibine gas or arsine gas. Both are actute poisons.
The gases are heavy and will lie in low places, such as the bottom of a garbage can.
As little as 50 parts per million of arsine can impair the function of the blood or cause pulmonary edema. A few breaths of it can be fatal.
Calculations show that 1 pound of the above alloy can produce about 0.1 cubic feet of gas. If trapped in a garbage can, it could prove a fatal dose should one inhale it after taking the lid off. It would only take 0.3 cu. ft. of such gas to contaminate the air in an average basement or garage.
It is best not to mess with melting down batteries.
The above information was gleaned from "CAST BULLETS" by Col. E.H. Harrison, article "Battery Plates: Bad News For Casters" by Dennis Marshall, page 116.
