Materials Used In Batteries

Dwight Younge

Introduction

• Battery (two categories)– Primary (one-time)– Secondary (rechargeable)

• The need for batteries:– Technological reliance – Quality of life

• Focus: – Canada

• Canada (2004)– Est. 450 million batteries sold– Est. 348 million discarded

Battery structure• Insulation tube (usually polymers)• Metal end caps• Common chemicals used

– Lead-acid– Lithium– Nickel-Cadmium– Silver oxide– Mercury– Copper– Zinc– Manganese– Lithium– Potassium

Zinc-carbon battery (1.5V)Photo by The Battery Association of Japan

Battery disposal

• Batteries have definite lifetimes• What happens to dead batteries?– Trash

• 60% of households in Canada• Improperly disposed batteries end up in landfills or

incinerators

– Dropped off at battery depot• Over half of the households in PEI do so

– Any hazards associated with improper battery disposal?

Environmental Hazards• Normal alkaline batteries in trash

– Not too harmful but not recommended• Safety risk due to large volume disposal

– Batteries can react and overheat• Chemical leakage (heavy metal toxic batteries):

– Lead-acid– Lithium– Nickel-Cadmium– Silver oxide– Mercury

• Plant, animal, and ocean life• Chemicals release toxins when batteries are combusted

– Incineration

Health Issues

• Human interaction with chemicals from improperly disposed batteries– E.g. Lead (inhalation)– E.g. Mercury (skin absorption)

• Some health problems– Abdominal pain– Liver and kidney damage– Skin irritation– Asthma– Decreased IQ in children (****)– Cancer

Proper disposal methods

• Do not dispose of dead batteries in the trash• Designate separate waste bins for batteries• Local battery disposal station• Community-run disposal program• Proper disposal– Most common in PEI– Controlled disposal methods outweigh disposal

through regular waste stream

Dead battery treatment: CND 2005

How can we reduce battery waste?

• Recycling• Consider battery alternatives– Rechargeable batteries– Renewable sources (eg. Solar)

• Modify existing batteries– Less lead, cadmium, mercury– Research

EarthPhoto by NASA

Questions???

References

• http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/16-002-x/2008001/10539-eng.htm (Statistics Canada)

• http://www.baj.or.jp/e/knowledge/structure.html (Battery Association of Japan)

• http://www.ppgintl.com/products/battery-sleeve-insulation-1 (Precision Products Group, Inc.)

• http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/market-insight-top.pag?docid=20759887 (Frost & Sullivan)