Let me start this by saying we are very safe with everything we do. We hold a Federal Explosives License so we take safety seriously. So for the finger waggers, no worries here.
There is little to no information, that I have found, on the lead within a car battery. So today we cut one open, drained the acid into a bucket containing a strong baking soda solution to neutralize it. Cut one side off the battery and had the whole thing soak in another strong baking soda solution for a couple hours. Next, we will be putting the lead components into another solution to make sure it is completely safe.
Next Friday, I will put it in the cast iron outside and melt and flux, and flux, and flux some of it. The rest I will just melt and skim it. This way we will all know what is originally in it and whether or not fluxing this particular lead actually accomplishes anything.
My goal is to have the definitive answer on what is contained in the lead within a battery and what contaminants there are. I will send a sample of each off to be scanned.
The battery posts will not be included in the test because we already know they aren't "contaminated" or dangerous.
We will go through 5 pounds of baking soda before it is all done.
I am an information guy, if there is debate or flat out falsehoods, I want to know the true answer. We will see if there is cadmium or calcium contained within the lead.