Battery rebuilding?

[NMNeil]

I've often wondered how difficult it would be to build a new lead acid battery out of my collection of dead ones.
The basic materials are lead, a lead oxide and dilute sulfuric acid, so how hard could it be?. If I did it myself I could even make it rebuildable in the future, give it thicker plates etc.
So a quick search found this video on how it's done. And led me to the conclusion that I would simply buy a new one.
If you work for OSHA I'd advise against watching

 

[snoobler]

Yep. Exactly why the best use for an old battery is as a core for a new one...

 

[wmills_92105]

I don't think it's all that difficult, but it's way toxic.

 

[NMNeil]

If you decide to drink the electrolyte or chew on an old battery plate, yes they would be highly toxic/corrosive.
But common sense handling precautions should make them easy and safe to work with.
For example

 

[snoobler]

The issue is proper disposal of the junk that you dump out of them while cleaning them. It's classified as hazardous waste. Proper disposal might cost more than a new battery.

 

[BobBaty]

I've often wondered how difficult it would be to build a new lead acid battery out of my collection of dead ones.
The basic materials are lead, a lead oxide and dilute sulfuric acid, so how hard could it be?. If I did it myself I could even make it rebuildable in the future, give it thicker plates etc.
So a quick search found this video on how it's done. And led me to the conclusion that I would simply buy a new one.
If you work for OSHA I'd advise against watching

I have a bias towards recycling, but the video does demonstrate part of why lead acid batteries are so popular worldwide. Molten lead and open toed shoes are not a good combination.

 

[NMNeil]

I have a bias towards recycling, but the video does demonstrate part of why lead acid batteries are so popular worldwide. Molten lead and open toed shoes are not a good combination.

Could be worse

 

[Delmar]

It is worse.

On an arbitrary “green” scale of 1-10, older USA battery and steel plants were about a 6 or 7. Not great, but not horrible either. Then the government started adding regulations that require an 8 or 9. The cost of adding scrubbers and other pollution control equipment to meet these regulations was prohibitive, so the plants closed and production was sent over to China and India. It wasn’t material cost or labor, it was regulations.

China and India plants are a nasty 0 or 1. Just watch the above video and weep. They share the same air we breathe. So what was the net benefit of the increased pollution control regulations? More job loss and more pollution.

And the Paris Climate Agreement only imposed restrictions on the USA and Europe, while doing nothing to curb emissions from China and India. What a farce.

Rant concluded.