Ever recycle lead from a car battery?

[glassparman]

I know this has probably been discussed before.

Saw a video on youtube. They guy neutralized the acid and melted down the lead. Do you think the lead holds some if the acid and what issues might it cause with our reloading?

I have several car batteries to get rid of.

 

[popper]

It can be done but is hazardous. Problem is even if you just reclaim the posts, you gotta get rid of the case and everything else. Just pay the hazard fee and be done with it. Unless you want to bury the old case.

 

[glassparman]

Thats what I thought. My local scrap yard will give $5 each.

 

[KeithB]

The problem isn't the acid, its cadmium and other nasties that can cause serious health problems. I've used lead from lots of sources but I leave batteries alone. Not worth it.

 

[Rick]

Best advice . . . Don't do it. For what little lead you could get from them it's simply not worth it. Let the professionals deal with recycling lead acid batteries.

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.

 

[glassparman]

Crazy stuff Rick! Thanks for the info

 

[Glaciers]

I worked in a Battery shop for a dozen years. My simple opinion has been expressed by Ric, Keith and Popper.

DON’T

Go get the $5 and buy a fancy coffee or something.

 

[JustJim]

Turn them in for whatever they'll pay for cores, and either trade for lead or take the cash and buy lead elsewhere. As Rick pointed out, melting them down releases toxic gas.

 

[JonB]

Bring them to MN, or some other State that 'mandates' a core charge.
Last one I brought to a car parts store, I got $20.

edited: I gotta believe CA does this, right?

 

[Winelover]

Core charges in Michigan & Arkansas.

 

[Tomme boy]

All Autozones will give you $7 if you are not buying a battery. Call around to all the part stores and ask them how much they will give you. You might have to give an ID as all the crack heads try to do this from the batteries they steal.

 

[nanuk]

Best advice . . . Don't do it.

…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….

Wheel weights also contain arsenic and antimony

Why are they considered safe?

 

[RicinYakima]

Wheel weights also contain arsenic and antimony

Why are they considered safe?

Arsenic and antimony, as metals, are bound to the lead matrix both liquid and solid. HOWEVER, as oxides (dross) they are many time more toxic than lead oxide. Don't over heat the metals and dispose of dross properly. Vapors are never the issue, it is the solids you skim off.

 

[RicinYakima]

Read the article from the Dr. in Mississippi today on an internet feed. He doesn't know shXt about chemistry.

 

[glassparman]

Ric . . . link??

 

[RicinYakima]

Ric . . . link??

Never keep the internet magazines, read them then immediately delete, but it was American Handgunner or Wheel Gun Wednesday of some such.

 

[JWinAZ]

The link:
gunsmagazine.com/gear/lead-poisoning-dangers/

 

[glassparman]

Well that was an interesting read. Maybe I'll just take up stamp collecting . . . nope, I'm still gonna cast, just going to be cautious and send the junk car batteries to the scrap man.

 

[Winelover]

When I was a pre-teenager, scrounging lead for fishing sinkers, I knew enough to stay away from trying to obtain lead from automotive type batteries. That was over 65 years ago.

 

[Glaciers]

When they went to maintenance free batteries they changed the composition of the plates. Don’t know from what to what. So I could be all wet.