Experimental Research on the Ecological Recovery of Metals from Used Ni-MH Batteries

The presented research is focused on identifying a cheap and environmentally friendly solution for recovering useful non-ferrous metals contained in used Ni-MH batteries; more specifically in batteries that power medical equipment, i.e. portable defibrillators. The cathodic paste of Ni-MH batteries contains Ni(OH)2 as an active material to which Zn, Co, Mn can be added. The paste is impregnated in a support mesh made of nickel. The anodic paste of Ni-MH batteries contains mixtures of rare earths capable of storing the released hydrogen. The paste is mixed with a binder and pressed onto a metal grid made of nickel alloy. After manual disassembly, the components of the Ni-MH batteries were analyzed by X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF) before and after the separation/recovery operation. To separate the cathode and anode paste from the metal supports (grids, metal meshes), an ultrasonic bath with appropriate solutions was used, and the optimal working parameters were established. The recovery of the anode paste was achieved by completely passing the rare earths into the citric acid solution used for ultrasonication; the nickel mesh was cleaned of the Ni(OH)2 paste using water as the ultrasonication medium. After separation from the metal supports, the anode and cathode pastes were analyzed and characterized by XRF, optical and electron microscopy (SEM, EDX). The results obtained are of real interest for those who study the recycling of Ni-MH batteries; the use of ultrasound in a low-concentration citric acid environment for the purpose of recovering rare earths can be an economic and ecological alternative for battery recycling.