Lead in batteries

I may have to re-think. A lot of us used to use it years ago. I'm talking 40
years ago. Everything was OK.
 
As a chemist I would say avoid doing so at all costs with the current formulations you could be exposing yourself to all sorts of toxic nasties.
 
They've changed the formula quite a bit in the last few years. Used to be, I think the plates were made with pure lead. Then they added antimony (which is still OK.) Now they harden the lead with calcium. I don't know if calcium lead is usable or not, but if it gets mixed with antimony lead, the calcium and antimony will react to form an intermetallic compound that separates out in the dross, and reacts with water to form stibine gas -- it's related to cyanide but more deadly.

Also there's really not much lead in a battery. It's mostly lead oxide paste and sulphate. That *can* be smelted back into lead, but it takes lots of high heat and it releases sulphurous fumes.

Just cut the top posts off and keep them, and recycle the rest of the battery.

Mycrobyte can correct me if I've misstated anything.
 
If you are not part of the solution....you are part of the precipitate..
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oh_you.jpg
 
Go the plumbers and get your lead from there. As kids, my brother and I tried to salvage lead from a car battery. It was such a mess that we gave up and tossed the battery. This was in the days when there was no hazmat fee and you placed it by the trashcan on the sidewalk. :rolleyes: We were smart enough not to get our mother angry at us by tossing in the regular trashcan.
 
Maintenence Free

M/F batteries contain cadium amoung other things , If ya get it all hot enuff to seperate the useable lead from the cadium the fumes are extremely toxic & after everything else has burnt off mostly odorless.

There`s safer & more feasible means of obtaining lead !

How `bout a WTB add in classifieds !

Most "stik ons" run in the 40-30 to 1 ratio & a touch of tin .5%, around 7-8bhn

But be prepared to trade though !

Check this place out , you can even qualify for free shippin !!!

http://www.rotometals.com/Bullet-Casting-Alloys-s/5.htm
 
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From what I've been reading, you USED to be able to use the lead from batteries but no longer.

Just isn't worth the risks

--Wag--
 
We used to use them . . we used to use them . . . we used to use them . . . we used to use them . . . we used to use them . . :D

Hmmm . . maybe all those harmful fumes is why I repeat myself . . repeat myself . . repeat myself . . . repeat myself :D

Seriously, others have stated it better than I and they are the chemists and such that should know. As suggested - hit some plumbers - especially if they work at replacing old cast iron soil pipe, etc. The last time I bought lead, I bought about 600 lbs. of it from a scrap yard. It was from lead shielded cable - nice and soft pure lead. It will be a long time before I need more and now, I don't know if I can even get it anymore. At the time, it was 10 cents a pound - what a bargain! It was quite dirty but I spent a couple of days melting a bunch of it down, fluxing it with beeswax and skimmed the impurities - then made ingots to use as I needed to. It took some time, but hey . . . I work cheap . . . cheap . . . cheap . . cheap :D
 
Since it seems that quite a few people have used them.... aprox. how many pounds of lead did you get from a typical sized battery??
 
I agree with Gary

Have you ever tried to take a battery apart?

The lead in the plates seems like it is not a cast lead but a compressed lead powder. I ruined a pair of jeans, a pair of gloves, and a Tee shirt. I used an awful lot of water to clean up the mess and still wound up killing about ten square feet of grass.

There are better sources.
 
Guys, to reiterate on an earlier post, your father's car batteries are no longer in production. FORGET salvaging today's long-life/sealed batteries. They are dangerous to smelt outside of an industrial setting with all the HAZMAT controls and associated isolation.

I worry when I still see people seriously writing about still doing it after all the discussion above. Being an NSSA shooter, a lot of lead has been melted my way, but batteries are not one of them.
 
Wouldn't it just be easier to buy the lead directly from the commercial recycle/smelter facility (if they sell to the public) then all the rough work is done, and it will be pure lead without all the trouble. A few cents isn't worth the risk of being burned with acid (at the least) or winding up dead from deadly fumes/smoke (at the worst) for a few cents.

Anyway, even if you could safely harvest the lead- where are you going to dispose of the acid without raising a few eyebrows? Going to buy lots of baking soda are we? :p
 
Anyway, even if you could safely harvest the lead- where are you going to dispose of the acid without raising a few eyebrows? Going to buy lots of baking soda are we?
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Doesn't have to be baking soda, you can use lime -- either calcium carbonate or calcium hydroxide will work. Converts the sulfuric acid to calcium sulfate (gypsum)

I'm not saying it's a good idea...
 
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