Battery recycling

Abstract

In a method of recycling sealed batteries, the batteries are shredded to form a shredded feedstock. The shredded feedstock is heated above ambient temperature and rolled to form a dried material. The dried material is screen separated into a coarse fraction and a powder fraction and the powder fraction is output. A system for recycling sealed cell batteries comprises an oven with a first conveyor extending into the oven. A rotatable tunnel extends within the oven from an output of the first conveyor. The tunnel has a spiral vane depending from its inner surface which extends along a length of the tunnel. A second conveyor is positioned below an output of the rotatable tunnel.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A system for recycling sealed cell batteries, comprising:
 an oven;   a first conveyor extending into said oven;   a rotatable tunnel with a spiral vane depending from an inner surface of said tunnel extending along a length of said tunnel, said rotatable tunnel disposed within said oven and extending from an output of said first conveyor;   a second conveyor below an output of said rotatable tunnel.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  further comprising a sieve downstream of an output of said second conveyor. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  further comprising a shredder upstream of an input of said first conveyor. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  further comprising a leveller associated with said first conveyor. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15  further comprising a cyclone and a scrubber above said oven, and means for moving air upwardly through said oven, said cyclone and said scrubber. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19  further comprising at least one particulate filter between said oven and said scrubber.