Lead grid from spent lead-acid batteries contains significant amounts of tin and antimony. In cla... more Lead grid from spent lead-acid batteries contains significant amounts of tin and antimony. In classical pyro-refining processes of lead, tin oxidizes and is transferred to dross, making its recovery problematic and expensive. This paper presents an innovative method of pyro-refining lead using metallic aluminum and calcium to purify the lead from contaminants while retaining a higher amount of tin than in the traditional process. The changes in the chemical composition of an impure lead alloy containing tin, under the influence of refining by adding Al and/or Ca, are discussed based on laboratory-scale studies. Microanalysis of the metallic dross formed during the process was conducted. Analyses of the metallic dross microstructures showed that lead impurities, such as Sb, As, Cu, Se, and Te, tend to accumulate in areas containing Al or Ca. The amount and form of dross produced in industrial practice indicate that its removal would be challenging. Therefore, in the second part of the study, the metallic dross
Spent lead–acid batteries have become the primary raw material for global lead production. In the... more Spent lead–acid batteries have become the primary raw material for global lead production. In the current lead refining process, the tin oxidizes to slag, making its recovery problematic and expensive. This paper aims to present an innovative method for the fire refining of lead, which enables the retention of tin contained in lead from recycled lead–acid batteries. The proposed method uses aluminium scrap to remove impurities from the lead, virtually leaving all of the tin in it. The results of the conducted experiments indicate the high efficiency of the proposed method, which obtained a pure Pb-Sn alloy. This alloy is an ideal base material for the production of battery grids. This research was carried out on an industrial scale, which confirms the possibility of facile implementation of the method in almost every lead–acid battery recycling plant in the world.
Lead grid from spent lead-acid batteries contains significant amounts of tin and antimony. In cla... more Lead grid from spent lead-acid batteries contains significant amounts of tin and antimony. In classical pyro-refining processes of lead, tin oxidizes and is transferred to dross, making its recovery problematic and expensive. This paper presents an innovative method of pyro-refining lead using metallic aluminum and calcium to purify the lead from contaminants while retaining a higher amount of tin than in the traditional process. The changes in the chemical composition of an impure lead alloy containing tin, under the influence of refining by adding Al and/or Ca, are discussed based on laboratory-scale studies. Microanalysis of the metallic dross formed during the process was conducted. Analyses of the metallic dross microstructures showed that lead impurities, such as Sb, As, Cu, Se, and Te, tend to accumulate in areas containing Al or Ca. The amount and form of dross produced in industrial practice indicate that its removal would be challenging. Therefore, in the second part of the study, the metallic dross
Spent lead–acid batteries have become the primary raw material for global lead production. In the... more Spent lead–acid batteries have become the primary raw material for global lead production. In the current lead refining process, the tin oxidizes to slag, making its recovery problematic and expensive. This paper aims to present an innovative method for the fire refining of lead, which enables the retention of tin contained in lead from recycled lead–acid batteries. The proposed method uses aluminium scrap to remove impurities from the lead, virtually leaving all of the tin in it. The results of the conducted experiments indicate the high efficiency of the proposed method, which obtained a pure Pb-Sn alloy. This alloy is an ideal base material for the production of battery grids. This research was carried out on an industrial scale, which confirms the possibility of facile implementation of the method in almost every lead–acid battery recycling plant in the world.
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Papers by Daniel Malecha