China Develops Technology to Dispose of Used BatteriesA new technology for dealing with used batteries developed by China's Beijing University of Science and Technology has proved to be very successful.The technology features a combination of "physical selection" and "chemical disposal," experts said. "Physical selection" means the different materials contained in used batteries, such as metals and graphite composites, are removed and separated from each other through physical methods. "Chemical disposal" refers to the process in which these selected materials are purified through a series of chemical methods. The heavy metal ions that can damage people's health will be separated before waste water is discharged. Experts say the technology can not only fully recycle the materials from the used batteries, but can also protect the environment. Equipped with this technology, a new plant to dispose of used batteries has been built in Yixian County in Hebei Province. One used battery, if disposed of improperly, could lead to the contamination of 12 cubic meters of water or one cubic meter of soil, experts say. |
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