Large Battery Lead

[parisite]

I have frequent access to old batteries used in heavy/highway construction equipment. Has anybody cut up large batteries and extracted the lead from them? How hazardous is it and is it worth the trouble?

[jsizemore]

In the Classics and Sticky's section is a sticky about 'the dangers of car batteries'.

[D Crockett]

there is more helth hasards to cutting open a battery than it is worth unless you have a way to despose of the contents leagaly you are stuck with a bunch of nasty stuff and if you get cought dumping it ileagal you could of bought a ton of lead with the leagal fees you would encounter it's just not worth it D Crockett

[uncle joe]

these guys know all about it
http://www.okinternational.org/lead-batteries/Recycling

[uscra112]

Double that. Dross from smelting batteries, if exposed to even moist air, produce stibene and arsine, two gases that are poisonous enough to compete with cyanide for use in execution chambers if any state still had one. Don't do it.

[cbrick]

This seems to come up every couple of weeks. It is far more dangerous than you may think, leave the batteries to the pros to recycle, you'll be doing yourself and everyone else in the area a huge favor.

"Maintenance free/low maintenance batteries use calcium metal-doped lead to catalyze the hydrogen gas. The lead alloy used in batteries also contains a bit of antimony and arsenic to help harden and strengthen the lead. When hydrogen comes in contact with arsenic and antimony, the hydrogen reacts to form ammonia analogues called arsine and stibine, AsH3 and SbH3. In World War One the Germans experimented with these as war gases. As such they were highly effective since they are deadly in amounts too small to easily detect.

Do yourself and everyone else in the vicinity a favor and DO NOT use batteries. Severe lung damage and even death could result. Sell the batteries to a recycler and let the professionals deal with the risks.

The amount of lead you'll get from batteries doesn't even come close to the risks you'll be taking. Sell the batteries and use the money to buy lead.

Rick

[Defcon-One]

Rick is 100% right!

The standard answer is Don't do it unless you do not need your lungs and brain anymore! Yields are low, risks are very high!

I posted a complete dissertation on this somewhere on here over a year ago. I'm not up to that again, but these guys are right on, with toxic gases, acid (the really bad one that can make parts of YOU fall off) and all the newer additives that will completely ruin the little lead that you get, I'd say "Just Don't Do It!"

Leave it to the professionals. Besides, isn't that why they invented wheel weights?

Update: My auto shop gets $10 per battery from the scrap guy. The acid and elemantal content all gets recyled. He trades me Wheel Weights for them. That way everybody is happy!

[bumpo628]

There is only about 10% by weight of actual lead in a battery anyway - in addition to all of the health hazards listed above. Plus it is the wrong sort of alloy for boolit casting.

You can recycle the batteries and use the money to buy much more lead than you would get out of harvesting them.

[klutz347]

the thought of messing with something that contains Sulfuric Acid just doesn't appeal to me.

YMMV

[cbrick]

Sulfuric Acid is the least of it but if it keeps you from messing with batteries just keep right on thinking that way. You'll do not only yourself a huge favor but also anyone in the vicinity of your smelting set up.

Batteries = BAD. Very little return for a huge risk. As was mentioned, you'll get more lead from selling the batteries and buying lead than you will from the batteries.

Rick