Lead-acid batteries, if improperly recycled, can result in long lasting legacies that harm both the environment and humans, said PulseTech Products Corp., an early adopter of corporate green product policy that keeps all types of lead-acid based batteries out of the waste stream, landfills and smelters. According to statistics used by PulseTech, 98% of lead-acid batteries are “recycled,” an energy intensive procedure of sorting batteries into chemistries, including lead, a very valuable material. The materials, according to the Basel Convention, also have been classified as hazardous waste.
‘We understand that some countries, including the U.S. and Canada, have developed safe reclamation technologies and systems to extract lead, though there are instances of illegal dumping or unregulated exportation to low- and middle-income countries that have little or no environmental or health regulations,” said Rick Miller, sales manager for Texas-based PulseTech Products Corp. “The results of improper extraction of lead in backyards or worse in homes has resulted in an estimated one million people annually affected by lead pollution as a direct result of improper recycling.”
PulseTech estimates that batteries in vehicles on the road worldwide contain more than 4 million tons of lead. A substantial quantity of lead production comes from recycled batteries.
“We salute those recyclers that continuously seek improvement in extracting lead from batteries, while adhering to safety standards in processing,” said Miller. “We also fully support companies that employ lead-acid battery management programs keeping hundreds of thousands of batteries in service for longer periods of time.”
Basically, a lead-acid battery will continue to store and supply energy if enough of the active plate material is available to allow an energy transfer to occur naturally. In theory, lead-acid batteries should last many years, but they usually don’t because of a series of detrimental problems caused by “excessive sulfation buildup” related to the natural and necessary formation of sulfate crystals on the surface of lead battery plates.
As a battery ages through use or sits unused for periods of time, these lead sulfate crystals enlarge and can build up “excessively” to the point where they create a physical barrier across the surface of the plate. Before long, this buildup can become so dense that a battery is no longer able to accept or release energy.
Pulse Technology utilizes a strictly controlled waveform, comprised of rise time, pulse-width, frequency and amplitude of current and voltage pulse. Used as part of a routine maintenance program, PulseTech chargers have delivered impressive results, improving battery performance and extending life cycles.
According to Miller, the maintenance formula—test, charge, recover and maintain—is proven methodology to keep today’s lead-acid batteries in peak condition.
