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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.
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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
How can we reduce battery waste? • Recycling • Consider battery alternatives • Rechargeable batteries • Renewable sources (eg. Solar) • Modify existing batteries • Less lead, cadmium, mercury • Research
Earth Photo by NASA
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)