Systems and methods for closed-loop recycling of a liquid component of a leaching mixture when recycling lead from spent lead-acid batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11923518-B2
Application number	US-202117313826-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2021
Priority date	Jun 20, 2014
Publication date	Mar 5, 2024
Grant date	Mar 5, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for recycling lead-acid batteries, and more specifically, relates to purifying and recycling the lead content from lead-acid batteries. A system includes a reactor that receives and mixes a lead-bearing material waste, a carboxylate source, and a recycled liquid component to form a leaching mixture yielding a lead carboxylate precipitate. The system also includes a phase separation device coupled to the reactor, wherein the phase separation device isolates the lead carboxylate precipitate from a liquid component of the leaching mixture. The system further includes a closed-loop liquid recycling system coupled to the phase separation device and to the reactor, wherein the closed-loop liquid recycling system receives the liquid component isolated by the phase separation device and recycles a substantial portion of the received liquid component back to the reactor as the recycled liquid component.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of recycling a lead-acid battery, comprising:
forming a lead containing mixture from a spent lead-acid battery, wherein the lead containing mixture includes a liquid component;
isolating lead from the lead containing mixture, such that the lead is removed from the liquid component;
recycling the liquid component for use in additional lead containing mixtures, with the liquid component having a high concentration of dissolved lead salt;
treating the isolated lead to form an active material; and
constructing a new lead-acid battery using the active material.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing at least one dissolved metal other than the lead from the liquid component.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one dissolved metal comprises sodium, barium, calcium, antimony, arsenic, tin, or combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising mixing calcium hydroxide with the liquid component and subsequently removing calcium sulfate precipitate before recycling the liquid component.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising using an ion exchange resin to remove one or more sulfates from the liquid component.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein isolating lead from the liquid component includes using a belt dryer, a filter press, a clarifier, or a cyclone separator.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lead includes a lead carboxylate precipitate.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein treating comprises oxidizing the lead carboxylate precipitate into a first leady oxide using a belt dryer, a spray calciner, a stirred pot reactor, a rotary kiln calciner, or a combination thereof, and wherein the first leady oxide is formed into the active material.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein treating comprises reacting the lead carboxylate precipitate with a hydroxide to yield a second leady oxide, and wherein the second leady oxide is formed into the active material.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the lead containing mixture further includes a carboxylate source, wherein the carboxylate source comprises acetic acid, a salt of acetic acid, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using a nanofilter to remove one or more sulfates from the liquid component.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the lead containing mixture includes crushing, pulverizing, gliding or otherwise physically digesting an entirety of the spent lead-acid battery.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding water or peroxide to the lead containing mixture to encourage a dissolution of the lead.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dissolved lead salt comprises a second lead.

Assignees

• Clarios Germany Gmbh & Co Kg
• Cps Tech Holdings Llc
• Clarios Advanced Germany Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Meissner Jr Eberhard
• Bauer Juergen
• Spence Matthew A

Classifications

• H01M10/54 Primary

  Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators · CPC title

• B01J6/001

  Calcining · CPC title

• B01J6/002

  using rotating drums · CPC title

• B01J8/008

  Details of the reactor or of the particulate material; Processes to increase or to retard the rate of reaction (B01J8/0285, B01J8/067, B01J8/087, B01J8/1836 take precedence) · CPC title

• B01J19/06

  Solidifying liquids (making microcapsules B01J13/02) · CPC title