Advances in the Sustainable Production of Fertilizers from Spent Zinc-Based Batteries

Silvia Patricia Barragán-Mantilla, Raquel Ortiz, Patricia Almendros, Laura Sánchez-Martín, Gabriel Gascó and Ana Méndez ()
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Silvia Patricia Barragán-Mantilla: Department of Geological and Mining Engineering, Mines and Energy School, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28003 Madrid, Spain
Raquel Ortiz: Department of Chemical and Food Technology, Agronomic, Food and Biosystems Engineering School, Research Centre for the Management of Agricultural and Environmental Risks (CEIGRAM), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Patricia Almendros: Department of Chemical and Food Technology, Agronomic, Food and Biosystems Engineering School, Research Centre for the Management of Agricultural and Environmental Risks (CEIGRAM), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Laura Sánchez-Martín: Department of Chemical and Food Technology, Agronomic, Food and Biosystems Engineering School, Research Centre for the Management of Agricultural and Environmental Risks (CEIGRAM), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Gabriel Gascó: Department of Agricultural Production, Agronomic, Food and Biosystems Engineering School, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Ana Méndez: Department of Geological and Mining Engineering, Mines and Energy School, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28003 Madrid, Spain

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 10, 1-13

Abstract: Wastes from spent batteries are a secondary source of raw materials. To ensure this, it is mandatory to design sustainable and low-cost processes. In the case of alkaline and zinc–carbon-based batteries, the high content of Zn and Mn makes them of interest in the development of fertilizers. The main objective of this research is to study the fertilizers production from spent zinc-based batteries, using sulfuric acid, citric acid (CIT) and glycine (GLY) solutions as leaching agents. Leaching with glycine at alkaline pHs shows a high selectivity of Zn over Mn, whereas the use of citric and sulfuric solutions leads to recoveries of Zn and Mn. Solutions with the highest Zn recoveries were tested in sand columns. Commercial ZnSO 4 heptahydrate was used as a control. For sulfuric acid, two solutions (H 2 SO 4 2M and 0.25M) were used. The elution of leached Zn and Mn in sand columns depended on the solution added. The Zn-Mn-CIT treatment showed a slight but steady increase in the leachates, reaching 70% and 75% of the total leached Zn and Mn, respectively, in the medium term. The Zn-Mn-H 2 SO 4 2M and ZnSO 4 treatments showed a similar behavior in Zn release. Both Zn-Mn-GLY and Zn-Mn-H 2 SO 4 0.25M treatments showed similar amounts of leached Mn in the medium term (77% of total leached Mn), differing in the leached Zn. Solutions from the leaching of spent black mass batteries, especially Zn-Mn-CIT or Zn-Mn-GLY, showed promising behavior as fertilizer from the point of view of Zn and Mn availability as nutrients.

Keywords: fertilizer; waste; black mass; zinc; manganese; citric; glycine (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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