Collecting, packaging, transporting, reclaiming spent Nickel-Cadmium Batteries

Programs For Collecting, Packaging, Transporting And Reclaiming Spent Nickel-cadmium Batteries

Presented By
J.C. Onuska, M.E. Schweers, P.A. Whitver
INMETCO

FOR
The Fifth International Seminar on
Battery Waste Management

November 3, 1993
Deerfield Beach, FL

INMETCO
The International Metals Reclamation Company, Inc.
P.O. Box 720245
Portersville Road
Ellwood City, PA 16117
Phone 412-758-5515
Fax 412-758-9311

HISTORY AND CAPABILITIES

Inmetco is the leading recycling of metal bearing wastes in North America. In 1992, approximately 56,000 tons of nickel, chromium and iron bearing wastes, including 1,200 tons of spent nickel- cadmium and nickel-iron batteries, were recycled by Inmetco. This resulted in the production of over 21,000 tons of remelt allow. Inmetco is a subsidiary of INCO, one of the world's largest mining and metals companies.

Located 35 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, in the heart of steel country, Inmetco began in 1978, recycling wastes from stainless steel manufacturing. These wastes are known as mill scale, swarf, and electric arc furnace dust. They still make up a large percentage of Inmetco's feedstock. Since 1978, Inmetco's process waste feed specifications have been broadened to accept a wider variety of waste streams such as: Nickel and chromium containing cakes, nickel and chromium solutions, nickel and chromium containing catalyst, nickel-iron batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel metal hydride batteries and production scrap from the nickel-cadmium battery production process.

Since 1989, Inmetco's nickel-cadmium battery recycling programs have grown substantially, as illustrated by the graph below.

Ni-Cd BATTERIES
1989-1993
Tons

1989 - 50 Tons
1990 - 150 Tons
1991 - 500 Tons
1992 - 1,200 Tons
1993 - 2,200 Tons Proj.

NICKEL CADMIUM BATTERY RECYCLING PROGRAMS

Inmetco is the only facility in North America which provides thermal recovery for nickel-cadmium batteries, the technology which the U.S. EPA determined to be the Best Demonstrated Available Technology (BDAT) for cadmium disposal. Inmetco recycles the large vented or industrial cells that are used for back-up power by railroads, electric utilities, the military and telecommunications; and small consumer type or sealed cells that are used in transceivers, cordless power tools and appliances, medical equipment and emergency lighting equipment.

Inmetco has developed several types of nickel-cadmium battery programs to serve the needs of manufacturers, distributors and users of nickel-cadmium battery powered products. They are the mail-back program, the reverse distribution program and the large quantity program.

Mail-Back Program

Under Inmetco's mail-back program nickel-cadmium battery packs are delivered to Inmetco directly from Ni-Cd users by the U.S. Postal Service. Batteries from outside the U.S. are delivered by private delivery services. Mailers for the batteries are provided by the manufacturer/distributor of the nickel-cadmium battery powered product. It is our understanding that under U.S. law, only conditionally exempt small quantity generators (CESQG's), which are those facilities generating less than 220 pounds of hazardous waste per month, or households may ship spent nickel-cadmium batteries in this manner.

The manufacturer/distributor of the nickel-cadmium battery powered product if responsible for the costs of the post office box rental fee, a yearly U.S. Postal Service Return Goods Permit, and postage for the mailers. Inmetco provides assistance for designing the mailers and with setting up the program with the Ellwood City Post Office.

Inmetco tracks the number of mailers delivered to the facility. The customer is invoiced quarterly, based on the number of mailers that are received.

Currently there are five companies using the mail-back program. They are primarily computer and cellular telephone customers.

REVERSE DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM

Under the reverse distribution program, service centers and stores of Ni-Cd battery powered products serve as the collection sites for used nickel-cadmium batteries. It is our understanding that if these facilities qualify as CESQG's, they may ship used batteries to Inmetco by 4th class mail or UPS.

The batteries are shipped in boxes weighing approximately 20 to 70 pounds. The customer is responsible for the cost of shipping.

Inmetco keeps track of the total weight of the Ni-Cd batteries delivered to our facility. The customer is invoiced quarterly based on the total weight of Ni-Cd batteries received from all of the customer's service centers.

The reverse distribution program began in 1992. Since that time it has grown to over 100 customers. These customers include manufacturers and distributors of cellular telephones, tools/appliances, medical equipment and computers; as well as federal, state and local government agencies.

PREPAID PROGRAM

A recently added variation of the reverse distribution is the prepaid program. Under this program, the customer prepays a processing fee. Inmetco sends the customer a container that holds approximately 30 pounds of nickel-cadmium batteries and a identification label. The customer fills the container with spent nickel-cadmium batteries, attaches the label and ships the container 4th class mail or UPS. The customer is responsible for the cost of shipping. Customers find this program convenient, because it reduces the time spent in issuing a purchase order and billing.

LARGE QUANTITY GENERATOR PROGRAM

Industries such as railroads, utilities and telecommunications companies and facilities such as military bases generally fall into the "generator of hazardous waste" category. They usually generate above, 2,200 pounds (1,000 kilograms) of hazardous waste per month.

Inmetco serves over 300 customers that fall into this category. Under current federal regulations, spent nickel-cadmium batteries must be transported from facilities such as these as "hazardous waste". There are stringent regulations for packaging and transporting spent nickel-cadmium batteries as hazardous waste. Our purpose is to provide an overview of these regulations. Generators are advised to check with their federal or state environmental agency for more details on these requirements.

Large, vented cells must be shipped according to DOT regulations which are found in 49 CFR 173.159 Batteries, wet. Inmetco requires that they are stacked, banded or shrink wrapped to a pallet or shipped in DOT approved 55-gallon drums. Inmetco also requires the drums to be secured to a pallet. Some railroads ship spent batteries in DOT approved, heavy-duty, returnable, plastic tote containers.

Spent vented cell nickel-cadmium batteries often contain potassium hydroxide, which is corrosive. For this reason, containers must have the appropriate DOT "Corrosive" labels. Containers also require hazardous waste labels. The information on the label includes: proper DOT shipping name; UN or NA number; generator information (address, phone); generator EPA ID number; EPA Waste Codes; manifest document number, accumulation start date.

The U.S. EPA requires paperwork that tracks hazardous waste from the cradle to the grave. Or in the case of spent nickel-cadmium batteries, from the time a waste battery is generated until it is processed. This paper trail starts with the EPA ID number, which the generator usually gets from the state environmental agency. The number goes on the hazardous waste manifest, the key document in the hazardous waste tracking system. The generator of any hazardous waste tracking system. The generator of any hazardous waste fills in the manifest, which stays with the shipment until it is processed. Then it stays in the company and the EPA at least 30 years. Everyone who handles the waste: the generator, shipper and processor is required to sign the manifest and keep a copy. The signatures help guarantee that the wastes are classified, described, packaged, marked and labeled properly. Once the batteries have reached the processing facility, a copy is sent back to the generator. This lets the generator know that the batteries have arrived safely.

Under the current regulations, spent nickel-cadmium batteries from a generator of hazardous waste must be shipped to Inmetco by a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources licensed hazardous waste transporter. These transporters have an EPA ID number and comply with federal and state hazardous waste transporter standards.

RECLAIMING SPENT NICKEL-CADMIUM BATTERIES THROUGH THE THIGH TEMPERATURE METALS RECOVERY PROCESS

In the High Temperature Metal Recovery Process (HTMR), the batteries are first drained. The potassium hydroxide is used as a reagent in Inmetco's waste waster treatment plant. The batteries are shredded and fed to the Rotary Hearth Furnace. Operating at 2,300 degrees fahrenheit, the furnace reduces the nickel and fumes off the cadmium. The cadmium is collected in a high-energy, wet cyclonic scrubber system. The scrubber water is treated in the waste water treatment plant where the cadmium is precipitated along with zinc and lead then pressed into a cake. The cake is mixed with dust from the systems baghouse which also contains zinc, lead and cadmium. This by-product is sent to another Pennsylvania facility which processes these metals. In addition, Inmetco has directly recovered test quantities of cadmium metal at the Inmetco facility. Inmetco is actively pursuing a commercial cadmium recovery operating for eventual installation in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania.

The reduced nickel is transferred to the Electric Arc Furnace where it becomes part of a nickel, chromium and iron bath formed at nearly 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Hot metal is tapped from the furnace to a 15 ton ladle. The molten metal is taken by overhead traveling crane to the casting area where it is cast into pigs weighing approximately 30 pounds. The pigs are cooled, grouped into lots of approximately 22 tons, and shipped to specialty steel producers all over the world to be used as remelt alloy to make stainless steel products. Typical metal analysis and typical metals recoveries are shown below.

TYPICAL METAL ANALYSIS Percent

Ni   Cr   Fe   Mn   Mo   Cu   Co   S    C    Si   P
10   14   68   1.6  1.0  0.7  0.4  0.3  3.7  0.1  0.05

TYPICAL METAL RECOVERIES
Percent

NI   Co   Cr   Fe   Mn
98   97   86   96   60
SUMMARY Inmetco has developed several types of nickel-cadmium battery programs to serve the needs of manufacturers, distributors and users of nickel-cadmium battery powered products in the collection and processing of their spent nickel-cadmium batteries. They are the mail-back program, the reverse distribution program and the large quantity program.

Inmetco's HTMR process allows metal-bearing wastes, including spent nickel-cadmium batteries, to be recovered, reclaimed and recycled. Long-term liability is eliminated and valuable natural resources are preserved.


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Last Updated: July 23, 1996