Process with low environmental impact and reduced energy consumption for the recovery of lead from the electrode pastes of end-of-life batteries

1 . Process for obtaining metallic lead from its compounds present in an end-of-life lead-acid battery by direct solid-solid reaction with metallic zinc, said process comprising:

a) a dry mixing step of a mixture of lead compounds present in an end-of-life lead-acid battery with a metered quantity of metallic zinc powder, obtaining a mass;

b) an addition to the mass, during mixing, of water and of an aqueous solution containing a substance capable of forming soluble zinc salts;

c) a separation of a solid portion, consisting of metallic lead, from a liquid portion in which a soluble zinc salt is present;

d) an electrolytic treatment of the liquid portion separated in step c) in order to recover metallic zinc suitable for reuse in the treatment referred to in step a);

wherein the addition, to said mass, of water and of the aqueous solution containing the substance capable of forming soluble zinc salts, determines an achievement of a pH value comprised between 2.1 and 4.4, said pH value being indicative of a substantial separation between the solid, mainly comprising metallic lead, and the liquid portion in which the soluble zinc salt is present.

2 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the substance capable of forming soluble zinc salts comprises sulfuric acid, wherein the liquid portion determines the production of a solution and wherein the dry mixing causes the obtainment of said mass,

and/or wherein the process comprises a step of further treatment of an acid solution resulting from the electrolytic treatment to recover the metallic zinc with a metered quantity of carbonate or hydroxide, of an alkaline earth metal which reacts with part of sulfate ions present in the acid solution forming an insoluble sulfate, and wherein the step of further treatment of the acid solution comprises a separation of a residual acid solution with a quantity of free acid, the separation making said residual acid solution suitable for reuse in step b).

3 . Process according to claim 1 , comprising a step of pouring at least part of the solution resulting from the electrolytic treatment into a lead-acid battery, and wherein, after the step of pouring, said solution is destined to act as an electrolyte for the lead acid battery; said solution comprising zinc in an amount between 40 g/l and 140 g/l.

4 . Process according to claim 2 , comprising the use, instead of sulfuric acid as a substance capable of forming soluble zinc salts, of an aqueous solution containing at least one alkaline substance, said at least one alkaline substance reacting with the zinc compounds forming a soluble zincate and a soluble sulfate of the cation of the alkaline substance,

wherein after the separation of the solid consisting essentially of metallic lead, the zincate of the alkaline substance and the sulfate of the cation present in the alkaline substance are present in the liquid portion.

5 . Process according to claim 1 , comprising an electrolysis treatment of the separated solution; said process further comprising a recovery of metallic zinc after the electrolysis treatment, said metallic zinc being suitable for use in the dry mixing step.

6 . Process according to claim 5 , wherein said electrolysis treatment is carried out in an electrolytic cell made with a magnesium cathode and a nickel anode, said electrolysis treatment taking place with current density comprised between 600 A/m 2 and 1400 A/m 2 .

7 . Process according to claim 2 , wherein the sulfuric acid is sulfuric acid extracted from end-of-life batteries, and/or wherein the process comprises an extraction of sulfuric acid from end-of-life batteries and a use of the extracted sulfuric acid for said addition to the mass.

8 . Process according to claim 2 , wherein the carbonate of the alkaline earth metals is calcium or barium carbonate.

9 . Process according to claim 6 , wherein the electrolysis treatment determines the production of an alkaline solution;

said process comprising a treatment of the alkaline solution resulting from the electrolytic treatment, said treatment taking place with barium hydroxide, said treatment producing an insolubilization of sulfate ions present in the alkaline solution and determining the production of insoluble barium sulfate, said alkaline solution constituting said substance capable of forming soluble zinc salts.

10 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the addition of water and of an aqueous solution containing a substance capable of forming soluble zinc salts in said mass causes an exothermic reaction, and wherein the mixing step takes place with active heat removal, wherein the mixing step comprises the introduction of said mass into a mixer provided with a cooling jacket configured to at least partially dissipate the heat produced by the exothermic reaction.

11 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the separation comprises the use of ultrasounds to facilitate the detachment of the solid, essentially consisting of metallic lead, from said liquid portion, optionally comprising the activation of at least one ultrasound transducer operatively acting on a containment tank of said mixer, to promote the detachment of the solid, essentially consisting of metallic lead, from said liquid portion.

12 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the addition of water and of the aqueous solution containing the substance capable of forming soluble zinc salts follows the mixing step, and/or wherein the separation of the solid from the liquid portion follows the addition step, and wherein such separation determines a production of a separate solution, and/or wherein the electrolytic treatment follows the separation step.

13 . Process according to claim 1 , comprising a step of purification of the separated solution by addition of metallic zinc powder, said addition of metallic zinc powder causing a precipitation of impurities comprising at least one among the following compounds: manganese compounds, cadmium compounds, nickel compounds, cobalt compounds.

14 . Process according to claim 2 , wherein said substance capable of forming soluble zinc salts comprises sulfuric acid between 6% and 14%, or comprises sulfuric acid between 20% and 30%.

15 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the mixing step lasts for a time substantially comprised between 2 minutes and 10 minutes and wherein the aqueous solution containing the substance capable of forming soluble zinc salts comprises potassium hydroxide,

and/or wherein the addition to the mass, during the mixing step, of water and of the aqueous solution containing a substance capable of forming soluble zinc salts is an addition in two steps, comprising a first step of adding said substance, in particular sulfuric acid between 6% and 14%, and comprising a second step of adding said substance, said substance being sulfuric acid between 20% and 30%, said second step being subsequent to said first step and taking place when the free acidity of a resulting intermediate mixture is substantially absent,

and/or comprising a step of crystallization of the soluble zinc salts, said crystallization step taking place after a purification process of said soluble zinc salts,

wherein the crystallization step is a crystallization step of zinc salts of said liquid portion separated in step c).

16 . Process according to claim 8 , wherein said alkaline solution comprises excess potassium zincate, potassium sulfate and potassium hydroxide.

17 . Process for obtaining metallic lead from its compounds present in an end-of-life lead-acid battery by direct solid-solid reaction with metallic zinc, said process comprising:

a) a dry mixing step of a mixture of lead compounds present in an end-of-life lead-acid battery with a metered quantity of metallic zinc powder, obtaining a mass;

b) an addition to the mass, during mixing, of water and of an aqueous solution containing a substance capable of forming soluble zinc salts;

c) a separation of a solid portion, consisting of metallic lead, from a liquid portion in which a soluble zinc salt is present;

d) an electrolytic treatment of the liquid portion separated in step c) in order to recover metallic zinc suitable for reuse in the treatment referred to in step a);

wherein the mixing step lasts for a time substantially comprised between 2 minutes and 10 minutes and wherein the aqueous solution containing the substance capable of forming soluble zinc salts comprises potassium hydroxide,

and/or wherein the addition to the mass, during the mixing step, of water and of the aqueous solution containing a substance capable of forming soluble zinc salts is an addition in two steps, comprising a first step of adding said substance, in particular sulfuric acid between 6% and 14%, and comprising a second step of adding said substance, said substance being sulfuric acid between 20% and 30%, said second step being subsequent to said first step and taking place when the free acidity of a resulting intermediate mixture is substantially absent,

and/or comprising a step of crystallization of the soluble zinc salts, said crystallization step taking place after a purification process of said soluble zinc salts,

wherein the crystallization step is a crystallization step of zinc salts of said liquid portion separated in step c).