Used Lead Acid Battery and Waste Batteries Recycling

Used Lead Acid batteries pose a threat to our environment and should be managed properly for disposal. Hazardous material makes up most of the ingredients of this product that can leach out into our waterways, contaminating our future resources. Some local agencies currently have imposed regulations to manage this material properly for Used Lead Acid Battery Recycling.

Waste batteries may be considered hazardous waste because of their corrosively, reactivity, or toxicity. According to battery-producing industry sources, nickel cadmium batteries typically exhibit hazardous waste characteristics, whereas low mercury alkaline and carbon-zinc batteries do not. Alkaline batteries with higher concentrations of mercury and larger mercury batteries would be likely to test as hazardous, and some lithium batteries might be considered reactive. Lead acid batteries are considered corrosive, as well as toxic. (Gel cell batteries, are a subset of Lead acid batteries, and should be treated the same.) Button batteries may or may not test as hazardous, depending on their type and size.

Lead acid batteries are made up of plates, Lead, and Lead oxide with a 35% sulfuric acid and 65% water electrolyte solution. Lead acid batteries represent almost 60% of all batteries sold worldwide. They are used for starting, lighting, and ignition (SLI) service on automobiles and trucks, as well as providing power for automobiles, forklifts, submarines, and almost all other motive vehicles. Lead acid batteries are noted for their ability to withstand varied forms of maltreatment, and are often used as back-up power sources should the primary battery or electrical power fail. Lead acid batteries use a simple set of reactions to provide energy. All styles of these batteries use the same active materials. The positive electrode is Lead dioxide (PbO2), which is converted to Lead sulfate (PbSO4), while the negative electrode is a spongy metallic Lead (Pb), which is also converted to Lead sulfate (PbSO4). The electrolyte is a dilute mixture of sulfuric acid that provides the sulfate ion for the discharge reactions. There are three common types of Lead acid batteries: flooded (or wet), absorbed glass mat (AGM), and gel cell.

Flooded (or wet) Lead acid batteries are those where the electrodes / plates are immersed in electrolyte. Since gases created during charging are vented to the atmosphere, distilled water must be added occasionally to bring the electrolyte back to its required level. The most familiar example of a flooded Lead acid cell is the 12V automobile battery.