Recycling Process

Spent batteries will be processed by Batrec Industrie AG in a high-tech battery recycling plant (Sumitomo process) that we specifically developed for this purpose.

First, the spent batteries will be sorted manually to remove lead- and cadmium-containing batteries which will be passed on to a specialized recycling company. Then the process is divided into five steps:

Level 1	Pyrolysis
	The batteries are pyrolized at temperatures of up to 700° Celsius. Water and mercury are vaporized in the process and pass together with volatile organic components (made of paper, plastic, cardboard, etc.) into the after-burner where the gases burn at over 1000° Celsius, such that dioxins and furanes are destroyed. The exhaust gases are then led into the exhaust gas purification plant.

Level 2	Exhaust gas purification
	In the exhaust gas purification plant, exhaust gases are washed with circulating water as a wet chemical process and cooled to 4° Celsius. Solid materials are washed out and the mercury condensed out as a metal. The sludge produced is further processed in the mercury distillation plant.

Level 3	Metal recovery
	The metallic components are reduced and melted in the induction furnace at a temperature of 1500° Celsius. Iron and manganese remain in the melt and form the ferro-manganese. Zinc vaporizes and is recovered in the zinc condenser. Ferro-manganese and slag are tapped out every four hours.

Level 4	Waste water treatment
	Waste water arising during the course of exhaust gas purification is filtered and cleansed of cyanide, fluoride and heavy metals. The solid materials are returned to the pyrolysis process and, after successful completion of a test, the purified waste water is dispatched into the sewage system.

Level 5	Mercury distillation
	By heating to over 360° Celsius, mercury contained in the waste vaporizes and condenses again as pure mercury in a condensation column. The condensation unit is followed in the process by an activated carbon filter, which removes the remaining traces of mercury from the exhaust gas stream.