Hydrometallurgical process for an overall recovery of the components of exhausted lead-acid batteries

Hydrometallurgical process which, for an overall recovery of the components of exhausted lead-acid batteries, in a re-usable form, said components being mainly constituted by such materials as polypropylene, ebanite, PVC;

• by paste comprising lead sulphatized compounds;
• and by pure or alloyed metal lead, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:
• (a) battery crushing,
• (b) separation of paste by wet-screening,
• (c) separation of polypropylene by water floating,
• (d) separation of ebanite and PVC from pure or alloyed metal lead, by means of a first hydrodynamic separation,
• (e) separation of ebanite from PVC by a second hydrodynamic separation,
• (f) desulphurization of paste by reaction of lead sulphate in the paste with a stoichiometric amount of sodium carbonate at temperatures ranging from about 30.degree. to 40.degree. C. in a solution in which the solid/liquid ratio is greater than or equal to 1:1, with pure sodium sulphate being obtained,
• (g) recovery of so-obtained pure sodium sulphate,
• (h) treatment of carbonated paste in order to recover from it the lead, in pure metal form, by extraction by electrowinning.