Process for the recovery of lead from spent batteries
AssigneeMargulead Ltd.
InventorEfim Margulis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for the recovery of lead from spent battery paste and lead containing materials. The process includes the steps of calcination of a spent paste treated with an alkali carbonate or hydroxide or any mixture thereof, and elemental sulphur at a temperature of up to 600.degree. C., followed by washing with water. The calcined and washed paste is dissolved in an alkali molten electrolyte, and lead is electrowinned from the alkali molten electrolyte. The spent electrolyte is reused in the process.
Claims10
A process for recovery of lead from spent battery paste and other materials, containing lead sulphate, lead dioxide and lead oxide, comprising the steps of:
- (a) calcining a blend of the spent paste containing PbSO.sub.4 and PbO.sub.2, an alkali carbonate, and elemental sulphur, at a temperature of up to 600.degree. C. for transforming the PbSO.sub.4 and PbO.sub.2 in the blend into PbO and converting the alkali carbonate and elemental sulphur into an alkali sulfate;
- (b) leaching the calcinated blend with water to dissolve the alkali sulphate, and drying the leached calcinated blend to obtain a rough lead oxide;
- and
- (c) dissolving the rough lead oxide in a molten electrolyte in an electrowinning cell containing alkali hydroxide, optionally in the presence of a carbonate and a sulfate of an alkali metal, to obtain molten lead from the molten electrolyte, and tapping the molten lead from the electrowinning cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.