[ale] Where2Dispose UPS batteries ?

[Dan Lambert]

The chemical process erodes the lead from the plates, but when it's
reclaimed, they get some lead out of the electrolyte solution (minute
amounts, and some from where it has plated out on other components where
it isn't useful. The lead doesn't disappear, it essentially just becomes
"disconnected" from the grid, and so can't carry any current.

Once it's resmelted, it is not chemically pure lead (Pb), but is quite
usable for manufacturing batteries. It will be reformulated into lead or
lead oxide paste, and pasted into the grids, which are the support
structure. The grids are what need to be made of the better grades of
lead, and are the only real hard lead structures in a battery.

Dan

On Thu, 2007-04-05 at 14:15 -0400, Warren Myers wrote:
> wow - "pure virgin" in a geek channel :)
> 
> I was under the impression that in most batteries the lead was mostly
> junk after having been in use for a long time.
> 
> On 4/5/07, Dan Lambert <danlambert at bellsouth.net> wrote:
>         Actually, they return them to an EPA certified recycling
>         center, and
>         there, they separate them into their component parts. The Acid
>         (what
>         little is in a VRLA) is recycled or neutralized, the lead is
>         removed and
>         resmelted using a special smelter that scrubs the exhaust
>         gasses, and 
>         the plastic is recycled.
>         
>         Most commodity batteries made today use mostly recycled lead,
>         and only
>         premium batteries and specialty batteries are made with pure
>         virgin
>         lead.
>         Dan
>         
>         On Thu, 2007-04-05 at 14:02 -0400, Jim Popovitch wrote:
>         > On Thu, 2007-04-05 at 13:55 -0400, James P. Kinney III
>         wrote:
>         > > I get replacement ones from Batteries plus and they
>         recycle the old
>         > > ones.
>         >
>         > Any idea on what they do to recycle the old
>         ones?  Presumably they move
>         > them somewhere else, but what do they do to them?  Storage?
>         >
>         > -Jim P.
>         >
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