An all-wet process for reclaiming the lead content of impure
electrode paste or slime from discarded lead batteries and / or lead minerals, in form of high purity
lead compound, comprises a) suspending the impure lead containing material in a lead sulphate dissolving
aqueous solution of a salt belonging to the group composed of the acetates of
sodium,
potassium and
ammonium; b) adding to the suspension sulphuric acid in an amount sufficient to convert all lead oxides to lead sulphate soluble in the
acetate salt solution and slowly adding to the suspension either
hydrogen peroxide or a sulphite or bubbling sulphurous anhydride through it, in a measure adapted to reduce any
lead dioxide to
lead oxide converted eventually to soluble lead sulphate by the sulphuric acid; c) separating a limpid
acetate salt solution containing dissolved lead sulphate from a
solid phase residue including all undissolved compounds and impurities; d) adding to the separated solution of lead sulphate either
carbonate or
hydroxide of the same cation of the
acetate salt of the lead sulphate dissolving solution for precipitating highly pure
lead carbonate / oxycarbonate or
lead oxide or
hydroxide, respectively, while forming sulphate of the cation, soluble in the acetate
salt solution; and e) separating the precipitated high purity
lead compound from the acetate
salt solution now containing also sulphate of the same cation of the acetate salt. The acetate
salt solution containing also sulphate of the same cation of the acetate salt separated from the precipitated compound of lead is re-cycled to step a) and the content of sulphate of the same cation in the solution is maintained below saturation limit by continuously or periodically cooling at least a portion of the solution separated from the precipitated
lead compound to cause selective
crystallization of
sulphate salt of the same cation of the acetate salt and removing it as a by-product. Optionally, the separated
solid phase comprising insoluble
compounds of lead and / or undissolved concretions of lead compounds is treated in hot concentrated
hydroxide of the same cation of the selected acetate salt and converting these
compounds of lead and / or undissolved concretions of lead compounds to soluble plumbites, and the separated lead containing alkaline liquor may be added to the limpid acetate solution for precipitating all reclaimable lead in form of high purity
lead oxide or hydroxide.