Materials Extraction
These batteries consist of heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury, zinc, and nickel, which are environmental pollutants. Hence recycling them instead of incinerating them together with household waste saves our environment. These valuable metals are recovered during the process of recycling and consequently, save energy by minimizing the use of raw materials. Several materials are extracted from the used batteries and are used to manufacture new ones. Manganese dioxide, which is normally used to catalyze the reaction that produces oxygen from hydrogen peroxide, is contained in the zinc carbon cell. Dry batteries also contain metallic zinc, which is usually reacted with a strong acid such as hydrochloric acid to give hydrogen gas as the one of the main products. Last but not least, dry batteries contain a carbon rod, normally referred to as graphite, which is used in electrochemistry as an electrode. (Olivetti, 2016)
The extraction process involves a lot of activities as one must carefully break down the cells without interfering with its composition. It, therefore, requires a skilled person who will use sharp objects such as scissors or knives to open them up. During the process of extracting the materials contained in the dry batteries, it is usually advisable to put on gloves. This is because some of the chemical components of the batteries are harmful to the human health. The carbon rod, zinc metallic pieces, and the manganese powder extracted from dry batteries can also be preserved to be used for experiments in the future. The shield, plastic liner, and the top gasket can be recycled together with plastic materials for household use. (Olivetti, 2016)
The materials contained in dry batteries should be burned, neither should the used batteries be buried into the ground. The heavy metals contained in them pollute soil and water and hence leads to the death of organisms. They should be collected, packed and sold to the recycling companies.
Manufacturing of Dry Batteries
The major factors that influence the impact of alkaline battery manufacturing to the environment are namely; the quantity of raw materials used, the manufacturing technology, and the state of the raw materials used. The manufacturing technologies that involve consumption of the high amount of energy are a threat to the environment. Reusing or recycling the raw materials required in the process of manufacturing will also ensure that we do not deplete the available natural resources. Raw material production overshadow the other processes in the life cycle, although their transport to the center of manufacturing does not have a major impact on the environment. (Olivetti, 2016)
The manufacturing process also entails packaging and transportation of the packaged batteries to the target market. The manufacturing process at the factory may lead to pollution of both soil and water through the disposal of heavy metals such as zinc, mercury and cadmium as waste materials. These heavy and toxic metals are washed away by run-off water into water components that might be harboring living organisms. The presence of the heavy metals in soil might lead to their incorporation into plant materials that are part of the food chain. This might lead to poor health and subsequent death of living organisms. (Olivetti, 2016)
Transportation and packaging have no impact on the environment, although an accident can lead to pollution in case the batteries fall on the soil. Policies should be introduced that ensure the manufacturing companies do not pollute the environment. The companies should also resort to technologies that do not consume an intensive amount of energy.
Usage
Dry cell batteries, since their invention in 1866 by Georges Leclanche, have found multiple applications as sources of power. They are mostly used in electronic devices as sources of power. Alkaline batteries have a capacity of 1.5 volts. They are mainly suitable for devices such as cameras, calculators, and clocks, since they offer outputs of high capacity and long lives. (Jeanty & Jeanty, 2016)
Alkaline batteries are also used to power many small motors. They vary in size depending on the amount of current required to power the motor. Nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride are some of the types of dry cells used to power small motors. Nickel metal hydride cells are also used in large motors and they can be recharged regularly. Dry cell batteries are divided into four sizes namely: AA, C, AAA, D and 9 volts. (Jeanty & Jeanty, 2016)
AA batteries are also used in radios and torches to supply power. If a radio requires a power capacity of 6 volts, it means that four of this AA batteries should be used to power supply adequate power. The same case applies to torches and all other devices that require more than 1.5 voltage. The materials within a dry AA batteries can be extracted and reused to manufacture other batteries, for instance, the carbon rod and the zinc casing. (Jeanty & Jeanty, 2016)
The usage of these batteries has no significant impact on the environment in terms of pollution. When using these batteries in the various devices that need their power, one has to be careful not to dispose them on the ground after they have served their purpose. This is because they might release the toxic heavy metals contained in them which are major environmental pollutants.
Recycling
Recycling is the process of making good use of a product that has already been used and deemed by the consumer as no longer useful. Recycling of dry batteries begins with arranging them into chemistries. Lithium ions, nickel-cadmium, lead acid, and nickel metal hydride, are assembled in boxes or sacks. A thermal oxidizer which gas-fired is used to remove materials that can burn, for instance, insulation and plastics. A plant’s scrubber removes polluting particles prior to its release into the atmosphere.
Small pieces of cells are exposed to heat until they melt. A slag arm is used to remove a black slag left when non-metallic substances burn off. The metal alloys arrange themselves in terms of their atomic weight. The energy used in battery recycling has a high degree of intensity. Reports have revealed that the energy required to obtain metals from recycled batteries is 6 times more than the energy used to mine them. In order to produce such a large amount of energy, one has to use the most expensive forms of energy or use a high quantity of energy producing elements. Consequently. Although recycling helps preserve our natural resources, large amounts of energy are employed in the process of dry batteries recycling. ("Recycling / Batteries recycling / Materials and Tools / Sykli", 2016)
Environmental pollution comes in when there is the emission of toxic gasses from the factories into the atmosphere. These gasses end up being dissolved in rain water that flows on the ground and into water bodies hence polluting both soil and water. The consequences of this form environmental pollution have far reaching effects on living organisms.
References
Jeanty, J. & Jeanty, J. (2016). Uses of Dry Cell Batteries | eHow. eHow. Retrieved 7 May 2016, from http://www.ehow.com/list_6955841_uses-dry-cell-batteries.html
Olivetti, E. (2016). related:Urt3Ly2n6Ovh2M:scholar.google.com/ - Google Scholar. Scholar.google.co.uk. Retrieved 7 May 2016, from https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?bav=on.2,or.r_cp.&biw=1366&bih=653&dpr=1&um=1&ie=UTF-8&lr&q=related:Urt3Ly2n6Ovh2M:scholar.google.com/
Recycling / Batteries recycling / Materials and Tools / Sykli. (2016). Sykli.fi. Retrieved 7 May 2016, from http://www.sykli.fi/en/materials-and-tools/batteries-recycling/recycling
