Recovery of Zinc from Used Alkali-Manganese Dry Cells
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Abstract
A new method that does not require pre-processing or the use of auxiliary materials has been investigated to recover zinc, manganese, and copper from mercury-free used alkaline-manganese dry cells. The anode product, zinc oxide, was reduced by carbon which is added to the positive reactants to improve electrical conductivity, and is also generated through thermal decomposition of separators and resin gaskets. Subsequently, metallic zinc was recovered by vaporization. With respect to the residues, copper could be separated quite easily from the steel container. With the proposed method, after the removal of zinc and copper, there is the possibility for promoting utilization of the remainder of the used dry cells as steel scrap.
Keywords
Alkali-manganese dry cell Zinc recovery Steel scrapIntroduction
Until the early 1990s, mercury was added to zinc-carbon and alkaline-manganese dry cells in order to suppress hydrogen gas evolution, inhibit corrosion, and improve shelf life [1]. The member companies of the Battery Association of Japan made efforts to reduce the usage of mercury in primary dry cells. Consequently, mercury was successfully eliminated in 1991 from zinc-carbon cells and in 1992 from alkaline-manganese cells [2]. At the present time in Japan, mercury-free dry cells are allowed to be disposed of as general waste with noncombustible garbage.
Before the elimination of mercury, the collection and processing of used dry batteries were carried out with the aim of preventing environmental pollution. A number of spent dry cells collected by some municipalities were sorted and recycled by companies such as Nomura Kohsan Co., Ltd. and Toho Zinc Co., Ltd., while others that were not recycled were safely landfilled. In the recycling system for mercury-containing waste, which was constructed in Itomuka by Nomura Kohsan Co., Ltd, various dry cells were sorted according to their shape, size, and weight, and then heated at temperatures between 873 K and 1073 K in a large roasting furnace for recovery of mercury by evaporation [3]. After roasting, the residue was crushed to facilitate recovery of ferrous metals by magnetic separation, while the non-ferrous fraction was utilized as a source for raw zinc material [4]. On the other hand, with respect to the safe disposal of used dry cells in landfills, several studies were carried out in Japan, Europe, and the United States. For example, the corrosion rate and mercury leaching potential of batteries buried under typical landfill conditions were investigated at Fukuoka University in Japan, and the results indicated that mercury leaking into leachate over a 10-year period was no more than 0.1 % of the initial content [5].
Schematic diagram of used alkali-manganese dry cell. A label, B steel container; Fe–Ni alloy, C positive reactant; MnO2 + Mn(OH)2 + MnOOH + carbon mixture, D separator; vinylon, E gelled anode; Zn + ZnO mixture, F current collector; Cu–Zn alloy, G resin gasket
Zinc and manganese are the main metallic components in the roasting residue after mercury removal from used battery scrap. It has been reported that zinc and manganese can be dissolved completely by leaching with sulfuric acid solution. The separation and recovery of zinc from the filtrate of the leaching solution can then be achieved by sulfide precipitation [6]. However, as mentioned above, with the elimination of mercury from primary dry cells, the use of less complex recycling systems might be possible. Based on this consideration, a number of hydrometallurgical or pyrometallurgical studies have been conducted on the recycling of mercury-free dry cells.
Shin et al. investigated the recovery of manganese from spent alkaline-manganese batteries [7]. The procedure consisted of mechanical separation of metal-containing particles followed by a leaching process. It was found that 99 % of zinc and 97 % of manganese were successfully extracted from the spent battery powder by leaching at 333 K for 60 min with 3 kmol/m3 H2SO4 and H2O2. Saotome et al. suggested a vacuum-aided recycling technology, which was based on disassembling, sorting, and recovering a specific material through the use of different evaporation temperatures for each material [8]. He et al. studied the recycling of spent alkaline-manganese dry batteries by means of a dry-wet combination method [9]. Metal shells from the batteries were pre-processed using mechanical means, and valuable substances in the batteries were then extracted by a vacuum technique and hydrometallurgy.
In Europe, extensive trials have been conducted for recycling spent batteries in a steelmaking electric arc furnace [1]. The melting of steel scrap within the electric arc furnace is an example of one of the world’s largest and most successful recycling operations. The batteries were added into the charge bucket together with the steel scrap and fed to the furnace without any pre-processing or additional operator requirements. It was reported that manganese dioxide in the batteries would normally be dissolved in the slag, while the majority of the zinc would vaporize into the furnace off-gases and collect as zinc oxide in the filter plant dust. As shown in Fig. 1, however, the presence of residual copper, which was used as a current collector, ultimately restricted the addition of batteries to the electric arc furnace, because copper could not be removed from molten steel by the regular refining processes [10].
Ellingham diagram for zinc oxide and manganese oxides
Experimental Aspects
Contents of metallic elements in a type LR6 of alkaline-manganese dry cell
| Element | Zn | K | Mn | Fe | Cu | Ni |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mass% | 17.6 | 4.1 | 24.3 | 14.4 | 0.8 | 0.1 |
Experimental setup for water removal. A rubber stopper, B glass reaction tube, C alumina sheath, D K-type thermocouple, E SiC resistance furnace, F glass crucible, G used dry cell, H tape heater, I measuring cylinder, J mixture of water and ice, K gas inlet, L gas outlet
Experimental apparatus for zinc recovery. A Pt-PtRh13 thermocouple, B rubber stopper, C alumina sheath, D SiC resistance furnace, E alumina reaction tube, F water-cooled copper pipe, G used dry cell, H alumina boat, I cold trap, J gas inlet, K gas outlet
Typical temperature profile during an experimental run for zinc recovery
Experimental Results and Discussion
Water removal rate plotted against experimental time
Concentrations of CO, CO2, and H2 generated during zinc recovery
Calculated values for amounts of solid carbon, CO and H2 through thermal decomposition of one mole of vinylon
On the other hand, the condensation of H2O was not observed in the cold trap. This observation indicated that the reduction of manganese oxide and zinc oxide should be attributed to carbon rather than hydrogen.
Amount of zinc in the material collected on the copper pipe
| Temperature (K) | Time (h) | Amount of zinc (g) |
|---|---|---|
| 1123 | 4 | 0.195 ± 0.007 |
| 1123 | 9 | 0.777 ± 0.004 |
| 1223 | 3 | 1.974 ± 0.011 |
| 1223 | 4 | 2.432 |
| 1223 | 5 | 2.317 ± 0.099 |
| 1223 | 6 | 2.365 |
| 1223 | 9 | 3.018 ± 0.019 |
| 1323 | 3 | 2.116 ± 0.010 |
| 1323 | 4 | 2.361 |
| 1323 | 5 | 2.747 ± 0.120 |
| 1323 | 6 | 2.950 |
| 1323 | 9 | 3.537 ± 0.083 |
| 1423 | 3 | 3.206 ± 0.027 |
| 1423 | 4 | 3.653 ± 0.169 |
| 1423 | 5 | 3.873 ± 0.169 |
| 1423 | 6 | 4.065 |
| 1523 | 3 | 3.757 ± 0.029 |
| 1523 | 4 | 3.715 |
| 1523 | 5 | 3.628 ± 0.178 |
| 1523 | 6 | 3.855 |
Changes in recovery rate of zinc over time
X-ray diffraction patterns of the material collected on the copper pipe
ZnO contents in the material collected on the copper pipe
| Temperature (K) | ZnO content (mass%) |
|---|---|
| 1123 | 0.03 |
| 1223 | 1.18 |
| 1323 | 2.74 |
| 1423 | 12.04 |
Residues after zinc recovery at 1323 K
Conclusions
- 1.
Water contained in the electrolyte and present as manganese hydroxides could be removed completely at 673 K.
- 2.
Solid carbon, gaseous hydrogen, and carbon monoxide were generated through thermal decomposition of the organic materials used as separators and gaskets.
- 3.
Zinc oxide was apparently reduced by carbon rather than hydrogen, and more than 85 % of the zinc could be recovered at temperatures above 1423 K.
- 4.
Residual copper could be easily separated from the steel container.
Notes
Acknowledgments
Helpful comments, suggestions, discussion, and encouragement were given by the late Dr. Masanori Iwase, Professor, Kyoto University, and Dr. Alexander McLean, Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto, and these are gratefully acknowledged.
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