Processing of spent zinc-MnO2 dry cells in various acidic media

Abstract

This paper describes a route for recovering manganese and zinc from spent zinc-MnO2 dry cells via acid leaching. Sulfuric, hydrofluoric and formic acids were used as leachants. Hydrogen peroxide was added as reductant, except for formic acid since it is itself a reductant. Experiments were run at 25-40 oC for 1-3 h. Under the best optimal conditions, over 95 wt.% of zinc and manganese were leached irrespective of the leachant. Leaching of contaminants was strongly dependent on the leachant due to the insolubility of salts or complexing reactions. Zn(II) was best extracted with D2EHPA diluted in n-heptane at pH < 1, particularly from the leachates of weak acids. Mn(II) was much more co-extracted from sulfuric leachates, but was easily scrubbed with dilute leachant (2 mol L-1). Zn(II) striping was possible using 5 mol L-1 H2SO4. Manganese was isolated as MnO2 carrying the leached contaminants. High-purity sodium salts of the anions of the leachants were recovered after slow evaporation of the final solution.