Rsr Limited

Rsr Technologies, Inc.

Clifford E Morgan

R David Prengaman

Raymond D Prengaman

Gerald M Griffin, Jr

Homer P Hine

An anode for use in zinc electrowinning is described. The anode is made of a lead-silver alloy which has been cast as a billet rolled and subjected to heat treatment either during or after rolling. The temperature of treatment is high enough to cause recrystallization of the alloy and to prevent precipitation of any alloying elements. The anode has a surface grain structure which facilitates rapid oxidation of the anode to condition the anode. The anode preferably contains at least 0.03 to 0.45% silver and Lip to 0.08% calcium.

Electrowinning anodes which rapidly produce a protective oxide coating

A process for recovery of substantially all the sulfur in a spent lead-acid battery as Na,SO,is disclosed. The process comprises (a) breaking the batteries to remove the acid, (b) separating the plastic from the lead bearing materials, (c) smelting the lead bearing materials in a reverberatory furnace in an oxidizing atmosphere to volatilize most of the sulfur in the feed as SO,, (d) scrubbing the SO,from the off gas stream using a soluble alkaline material such as NaOH, Na,CO,, or KOH to produce a soluble sulfite solution, (e) oxidizing the sulfite solution to sulfate, preferably by turbulent mixing of the solution with air, (f) adjusting the pH by adding the sulfuric acid separated from the batteries, (g) removing the contained heavy metals, (h) crystallizing the sulfate as Na,SO,or K,SO,, (i) separating a bleed stream from the crystallizer and removing the contained chlorides as a mixed sulfate-chloride product by evaporation of the bleed stream in another crystallizer. The process produces a high grade Na,SO,or K,SO,product, condensed H,O for recycle to the scrubber, and a mixed sulfate-chloride product while reducing sulfur dioxide, chloride and heavy metal emissions to extremely low levels.

Process for recycling lead-acid batteries

An electrowinning anode is formed by tightly joining a sheet of lead anode material to a copper busbar using solder to fill the joint. The busbar is optimally coated with a tin alloy by dipping the busbar into the alloy prior to being joined with the sheet. A lead coating is electrodeposited onto the busbar and the soldered joint to provide a complete metallurgical seal and good resistance to acid corrosion.

Growing community of inventors

Arlington, TX, United States of America

Clifford E Morgan