Recycling Optima Car Battery in Sydney

Most car batteries are lead-acid batteries are the environmentally a success story. 98 percent of all lead from a car battery in Sydney is recycled. As compared to other metals used in the industry for example, aluminum, newspapers, glass bottles and tires. Optima lead acid battery has a closed loop life cycle therefore giving it an edge over its environmental edge. Every new car battery contains 60 to 80 percent of recycled lead. When a used battery goes to the recycling factory it is first broken into a vat by several hammer-mills. Due to this process heavy metals and lead are separated and plain simple plastic raises to the top. After the polypropylene pieces are separated away and fluids washed away. Once this is done each material goes to a different stream.  We will start with plastic.

Plastic:

Once the polypropylene has been washed and blown dry the plastic is sent to the recycler where the pieces are melted to a liquid form. After that they are put through an extrude that produces small plastic pellets of the same size. These are sold off to the manufactures of battery cases and the same process begins all over again.

Lead:

Once molted, lead is poured in ingots molds, also known as hogs (for their size and weight of 2000 pounds). After some time impurities float to the top and are scraped away there after the ingots are left to cool down. The cold ingots are removed from the molds are sent to battery manufactures for further use.

Sulfuric Acid:

Old batteries acid can be handled in two ways. Either the battery is neutralized with industrial composite of household baking soda, which converts acid into water. The water is then sterilized and tested to meet the standards of clean water and is later released to the public sewer system. Or the acid is treated and converted into sodium sulfate a white powder which is used in detergents, glass and textile manufacturing. The sulfuric acid can also be reclaim and used in a new battery. 

Recycling Rechargeable Batteries:

Rechargeable Car Battery is a place where remaining components of the recyclable battery are made reusable again.