The reason for the strict set of rules governing the disposal of batteries is that lead acid batteries are largely composed of 60-75% Lead, Lead-dioxide  and sulfuric acid solution electrolyte. This heavy metal element makes them toxic and improper disposal can be hazardous to the environment.

Improper and illegal disposal of lead acid batteries show up in the form of pollution of our drinking water, and food produced from ingredients exposed to small and moderate levels of lead content. humans are very susceptible to the effects of lead and children are the most vulnerable. Lead's primary target organ is the peripheral nervous system which cause poor growth, delayed learning and reduced intellect. This is also known as lead-poisoning.

This improper battery disposal needs to prevent and one should understand the responsibility towards the environment. The Battery Recycling firms should follow the environmental guidelines to make the environment pollution free.

Great care should therefore be employed when removing acid by draining thecasing. Once it is collected, it is important that the acid be neutralised toincrease the pH (and hence reduce its corrosiveness) but also to remove thelead dissolved in the acid.

The acid should be diluted with an excess of water to give a 5 to 10-folddilution. The liquid should then be neutralized by mixing with an equal volumeof agricultural lime, or other alkaline material containing calcium carbonate, orsodium hydroxide. Use ofhydrated lime has the advantage of lower cost per unit of neutralizing capacitywhen compared to sodium hydroxide.

Coral rock may be an alternative in many PICs, although use of calciumcarbonate or sodium hydroxide is preferred. The coral rock to be used shouldbe dead coral, preferably washed ashore which can be crushed finely andadded to the liquid requiring neutralization. If the ro ck is to be used, it shouldbe crushed into very small particles to increase the surface area so that the neutralization reaction can proceed as fast as possible. If large particles areadded to the acid it may take a lot longer for the same neutralization level tobe reached.

After the additive has been mixed with the acid, universal paper is to be usedto test the resulting pH of the liquid. (Universal paper can be purchasedcheaply from chemical companies, again contact details are included later).Once the liquid has reached a pH of 7.5 it has been neutralised and is safe todischarge to the environment. It is important to ensure that the pH is withinthe range of pH 7-8, as outside of this range there will be levels of lead stilldissolved into solution.

To remove the lead precipitates after neutralization, the solution must then befiltered. Soil can be used as an appropriate filter medium. A column of soilcontained in a metal container ie. 44 gallon metal drum with each endremoved, may be suitable for this purpose. The liquid once drained throughthis filter is ready for release to the environment.

The soil should be regularly replaced if large quantities of battery acid is beingfiltered. It is crucial that the soil must be encapsulated by mixing with wetconcrete and can then be disposed to landfill as general waste. If the soil isnot mixed with concrete, the lead will leach through the soil and becomemobile in landfill leachate in high concentrations.

Another way to treat acid is to process it by reacting it with sodium hydroxideto convert it to sodium sulfate, an odorless white powder used in laundrydetergent, glass and textile manufacturing. This process takes a material thatwould be discarded and turns it into a useful product.

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.

Classification:
Generally there are two types of Lead-acid storage batteries, based on their method of construction Flooded or Sealed. Flooded (or wet) Lead acid batteries are those where the electrodes / plates are immersed in electrolyte. Sealed Lead acid or valve-regulated Lead acid (VRLA) battery where the electrolyte is immobilized. All Lead-acid batteries produce hydrogen and oxygen gas (gassing) at the electrodes during charging through a process called electrolysis. These gases are allowed to escape a flooded cell, however the sealed cell is constructed so that the gases are contained and recombined.

Lead Acid Battery waste Recycling
The grid structure in both batteries is made from a Lead alloy. A pure Lead grid structure is not strong enough & therefore other metals like antimony, calcium, tin, and selenium in small quantities are alloyed for added strength and improved electrical properties.
The electrolyte in a Lead-acid battery is a dilute solution of sulfuric acid (H2SO4). The negative electrode of a fully charged battery is composed of sponge Lead (Pb) and the positive electrode is composed of Lead dioxide (PbO). The separator is used to electrically isolate the positive and negative electrodes.

Waste Batteries:
The typical Lead-acid battery comprises of: metal grids, electrode paste, Sulphuric acid, connectors and poles of Lead alloy, and grid separators made up of PVC. The battery components are contained in corrosion and heat-resistant housing usually composed of plastic (polycarbonate, polypropylene, or polystyrene).

The composition of waste batteries include:Lead: 25-30%(alloy, components, (grids, poles))Electrode paste (fine particles of lead oxide and lead sulphate): 35-45%Sulphuric Acid 10% to 15%Polypropylene: 5-8%Other plastic (PVC, other plastic): 1-3%Other materials 0-5%
In the past, grids were mainly made from antimony Lead alloys, but new trends show an increase in the usage of calcium Lead alloys. The electrode paste of used batteries is a mixture of Lead sulphate and Lead oxide. The composition of typical battery scrap material is given in Table.

Drained Lead Acid Battery Scrap
Drained Lead Acid Battery Scrap shall consist of whole drained lead/acid batteries. May contain plastic or rubber cases, but may not contain wooden, metal or glass cases. Similar to ISRI code RAINS.
This is the most preferred type of raw material for Lead recyclers/smelters or recycling/smelting Industries. We provide Rotary based Smelting plants for processing such raw material with equipments & machines for handling & separation of Lead.

Lead additions improve the appearance and cutting properties of crystal glass. Small additions are also made to optical and electrical glass. The major application of leaded glass is in television screens and computer monitors to protect viewers from the harmful X-rays generated by these appliances. Lead-containing glazes are used for some pottery, tiles and tableware.

Lead compounds were universally added to petrol to improve its efficiency at low cost. This has been the major source of lead emissions to the environment. It is now being phased out almost universally because of concerns about health impacts.

Lead demand in India is expanding by 10 percent to 12 percent a year, about twice the global rate, on increased battery sales and infrastructure projects, according to recycler Gravita India Ltd.

“There is a good expansion in the automobile, telecom and power sector,” Navin Sharma, marketing vice president, said from Jaipur. The company’s sales were about 50 percent higher over the first three quarters of this fiscal year compared with a year earlier, Sharma said yesterday by phone.

Metals demand in the second-most populous nation may gain 80 percent in the next five years, Barclays Capital forecast in a report last November, saying commodity consumption has reached a “tipping point.” Lead futures on the London Metal Exchange have gained about 11 percent over the past year.

“Car sales is the big driver,” Sharma said. “There is a shortage of power, so all batteries for the office backup as well home backup, the inverters, will also be a good driver.”

Three-month lead futures traded at $2,538 per metric ton on the LME at 11:29 a.m. in Singapore. The price more than doubled in 2009 as the global economy emerged from recession, and increased a further 4.9 percent in 2010.

Lead should remain “firm” in 2011, trading between $2,300 and $2,800 a ton, Sharma said. LME lead futures peaked this year at $2,712.75 a ton on Jan. 6, the highest level since 2008, when they surged to $3,480 a ton.

Annual Demand

Annual lead demand in India is about 500,000 tons, with about half of that total met through recycling, Sharma said. Gravita India produces about 20,000 tons of the metal domestically a year, he said.

China, the world’s largest metal consumer, used about 4 million tons of refined lead in 2010, up 3.9 percent from a year earlier, according to data from the International Lead and Zinc Study Group.

India’s government estimates annual vehicle sales may double to 3 million by 2015, helped by rising incomes and the creation of new jobs. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh plans to double spending on roads, ports and power plants to $1 trillion in the five years to 2017 to improve infrastructure.

“We foresee good demand in the future also because of infrastructure and power projects,” said Sharma.

India’s economy may expand more than China’s in the next 10 years if investment curbs are lifted and there’s increased spending on roads and bridges, according to a forecast last month from New York University professor Nouriel Roubini.

The South Asian country’s gross domestic product climbed 8.9 percent for a second straight quarter in the July-to- September period, according to government figures. China’s economy expanded 10.3 percent in 2010, the fastest pace in three years, the statistics bureau said in a report

The International Lead and Zinc Study Group (ILZSG) released preliminary data for world lead and zinc supply and demand during the first eleven months of 2010. Preliminary data indicate the global refined lead metal market in surplus, an exceeded demand in world supply of refined zinc metal and an increase in total reported stock levels. Full details are available in the January 2011 edition of the Group’s 68 page ‘Lead and Zinc Statistics’ Bulletin (for members) under ilzsg.org

Lead

* Preliminary data compiled by the ILZSG for the first eleven months of 2011 indicate that the global refined lead metal market was in surplus by 41kt (kiloton) and that, over the same period, total reported inventory levels increased by 53kt.
* A rise in world lead mine production of 7.8 percent, compared to the first eleven months of 2010, was primarily influenced by increased production in Australia, China, India, Mexico and the Russian Federation which more than offset declines in Ireland, Peru and the United States.
* Global production of refined lead metal rose by 5.8 percent. This was mainly due to further growth in Chinese output.
* The main drivers behind a rise in world demand for refined lead metal of 6.3 percent were an increase in Chinese apparent usage of 8.2 percent and recoveries in Europe and Japan after sharp reductions in 2009.

Zinc

* According to the most recent information available to the ILZSG, world supply of refined zinc metal exceeded demand by 223kt over the period January to November 2011. Over the same period, after having taken into account 50kt of refined zinc released by the Chinese State Reserve Bureau in November, total reported stock levels increased by 201kt.
* Global global refined lead metal market was in surplusby 9.7 percent compared to the first eleven months of 2010. This was primarily due to higher output in Australia, China, Mexico and the Russian Federation.
* Increases in Belgium, Brazil, Peru, China, India, the United States and a number of other countries resulted in an overall global rise in world refined zinc metal production of 14.5 percent.
* The principal influences on an increase in world usage of refined zinc metal of 16.7 percent were strong recoveries in demand in Europe, Japan and the Republic of Korea together with further growth in Chinese apparent demand of 14.9 percent.

The 2011 edition of the ILZSG ‘Lead and Zinc New Mine and Smelter Projects’ report, with details of more than 200 lead and zinc projects, is now available under ilzsg.org.