| abstract |
Process for the disposal of spent, or partly spent, dry, metal-cased, batteries, especially those containing lithium, involves cooling the batteries before disintegration to such a low temperature that the partially freed components cannot react chemically or physically under normal conditions of temperature, pressure and the presence of oxygen. Further provision is made for the separation and recovery of materials which can be recycled. Batteries are cooled by direct contact with, pref., liquid nitrogen at -196 deg C. The gasified nitrogen is used in a pre-cooling chamber and also to provide an inert atmosphere in the disintegration section, including the materials separation chambers. A coarse separation is carried out in a flotation process followed by a further separation of individual materials, some of which will be used for recycling. |