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US 10,566,665 B2Granted
Devices and method for smelterless recycling of lead acid batteries
AssigneeAqua Metals Inc.
InventorsStephen R. Clarke, Robert Lewis Clarke, Michael David Hurwitz, Michael John King, Selwyn Mould
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Abstract
Lead from lead acid battery scrap is recovered in two separate production streams as clean grid lead and as high-purity lead without smelting. In preferred aspects, lead recovery is performed in a continuous process that uses an aqueous electroprocessing solvent and electro-refining, and spent electroprocessing solvent can be recycled to the recovery process.
Claims12
A method of continuously and electrochemically producing high-purity lead from a lead ion-enriched electroprocessing solvent, comprising:
- providing a lead ion-enriched electroprocessing solvent;
- providing an electrolytic cell comprising an anode and a cathode, wherein the electrolytic cell does not include a membrane or other separator between the anode and the cathode;
- reducing lead ions in the lead ion-enriched electroprocessing solvent on the cathode to form adherent high-purity lead and a regenerated electroprocessing solvent without significant degradation of a chelator at the anode;
- removing the adherent high-purity lead from one portion of the cathode while lead ions are reduced on another portion of the cathode;
- contacting at least some of the regenerated electroprocessing solvent with lead materials comprising grid lead and active material lead to so produce at least a portion of the lead ion-enriched electroprocessing solvent.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.