Lead Paste Alloy Separation for Pure Lead Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for recycling lead from lead-acid batteries are inefficient and environmentally harmful, particularly due to the formation of impurities and side products during electrolytic processing, which limits the recovery of pure elemental lead and requires high-temperature smelting, resulting in energy-intensive and polluting processes.
Innovation Solution
The development of systems and processes that separate lead paste from lead alloys in recycled lead-acid batteries using rotational hammering, vibrating containers, and supplemental chemicals to facilitate the recovery of pure elemental lead and reusable lead alloys through electrolytic processing without smelting, utilizing a horizontal cathode electrolyzer design to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If traditional smelting is used to recover lead from grid metallics, then lead recovery is achieved, but the process is energy-intensive and produces impure lead with metallic impurities up to 2%
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the grid metallics into two distinct components: lead paste containing oxidized lead and lead alloy grid. By separating these components before processing, the oxidized lead can be processed through electrolytic reduction to produce pure elemental lead, while the lead alloy grid is recovered separately. This segmentation eliminates the need for energy-intensive smelting and prevents contamination of pure lead with alloying materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the thermal/mechanical smelting process with an electrolytic process. Instead of using high-temperature smelting to reduce lead oxides, the patent uses electrolytic reduction where electric current is passed through the oxidized lead to produce pure elemental lead. This substitution dramatically reduces energy consumption and eliminates the formation of metallic impurities that occur during smelting.
2Loss of substance
If smelting is used to recover lead, then lead is obtained, but extensive additional refining and alloying is required to recover pure elemental lead and recreate clean alloy
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the grid metallics into lead paste and lead alloy grid before processing, the invention enables direct recovery of pure elemental lead through electrolytic reduction of the oxidized lead. The lead alloy grid is simultaneously recovered in clean form. This eliminates the need for extensive additional refining and alloying steps that would otherwise be required after smelting, significantly reducing processing time.
3Loss of substance
If electrolytic processes are used to recycle grid metallics, then lead recovery is achieved, but the presence of lead alloy in the battery paste results in impure lead output due to electrolytic inefficiencies and continuing presence of alloying material
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the grid metallics into lead paste containing oxidized lead and lead alloy grid, separating the alloying materials from the oxidized lead before electrolytic processing. This ensures that when electrolytic reduction is applied to the oxidized lead, no alloying materials are present to cause contamination or electrolytic inefficiencies, thereby producing high-purity elemental lead.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the efficient and cost-effective recovery of near-pure elemental lead from recycled lead-acid batteries with minimal environmental impact by separating lead paste from lead alloys and using innovative electrolytic processes, reducing the need for high-temperature smelting and minimizing pollution.
Implementation Method 1
electrolytic processes... transform such oxidized lead into elemental lead
Implementation Method 2
ELECTROLYTIC EXTRACTION OF ELEMENTAL METAL FROM METAL COMPOUNDS
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are solutions directed to the recovery of both elemental lead and lead alloy (e.g., antimonial lead) from the grid metallics of recycled LABs. The solutions may comprise in part one or more of the following: a rotating drum for rotationally hammering a mixture comprising the lead paste, the lead alloy, and a solution, wherein the rotational hammering is performed in a manner sufficient to cause the lead paste to no longer physically adhere to the lead alloy; a vessel for receiving the mixture from the drum and vibrating the mixture sufficient to cause material movement within the mixture to facilitate separation of the lead alloy from the lead paste and the solution; and/or a press for pressing the lead alloy into a pressed form. The lead paste recovered in this manner may be further processed to yield pure elemental lead, while the recovered lead alloy may be immediately reused in new battery grids and so forth.