How to Recycle Lead Acid Batteries
Lead acid batteries are a rechargeable power source. They are mostly used as backup power supplies and to power things like:
- Automobiles
- Electric scooters
- Electric wheelchairs
These are just some items that use lead acid batteries as a power source. The acid provides the electrochemical effect that powers these machines.
After some time, lead acid batteries become inefficient commonly due to loss of water, overcharging and sulfation. This is where recycling services come in to recycle lead acid batteries.
The Process of Recycling Lead Acid Batteries
Safety and the environment are always the top priority to recyclers when performing this procedure. This is why this recycling process mainly takes place in a controlled environment far from residential areas. The recycling of lead acid batteries consists of:
- First, collecting used or dead lead acid batteries.
- Then, recycling companies neutralize the acids.
- Subsequently, a hammer mill breaks the battery apart through the hammering process.
- Afterwards, the recyclers place the broken pieces in a vat so that the lead plates and other heavy materials will sink to the bottom while the plastic floats.
- Next, professional recyclers transport the polypropylene plastics into a plastic recycler to melt and refine them.
- Furthermore, they clean the lead plates and melt them in furnaces. Then, the recyclers refine them.
- Lastly, they re-melt the pure ingot casts to use them in new batteries.
Recycling of lead acid batteries is very crucial because these batteries contain very toxic materials. Indiscriminate dumping of these materials could have a substantial negative impact on the environment. For instance, many countries have banned incinerating or dumping lead acid batteries. Recycling lead acid batteries also protects natural resources, reuses valuable materials, reduces pollution and more. Services like Interco even purchase used lead acid batteries to recycle them properly.
Now that the recycling process has been examined, one must learn more about why it is so important to recycle lead acid batteries.
Why Recycle Lead Acid Batteries?
Recycling lead acid batteries provides numerous environmental benefits. Some of these include:
- Prevents toxic acids from being released into the environment
- Protects natural resources
- Reuses valuable materials
- Reduces landfill population
- Reduces pollution
By recycling these lead acid batteries, toxic acids (i.e. sulfuric acid) are safely discarded rather than being released into the environment. Doing this also protects natural resources.
Also, there are several reusable materials within lead acid batteries. A few of these materials include polypropylene plastic, sulfuric acid and lead. This can lead to a reduction in landfills and less overall pollution.
Conclusion
In summary, people use lead acid batteries to power automobiles, electric scooters, electric wheelchairs and more. Recycling lead acid batteries prevents toxic gasses from polluting the environment, reuses valuable materials, reduces pollution and lots more. Services like Interco even buy lead acid batteries to recycle lead acid batteries appropriately.
To learn more about the recycling of lead acid batteries, click here to get in touch with Interco.