Batteries can be broken down into 7 basic categories.
- Lead acid: car batteries, ups batteries, wheelchair batteries.
- Carbon Zinc: general purpose consumer batteries
- Alkaline: heavy duty general purpose consumer batteries
- NIMH: Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeable batteries
- NICAD: Nickel Cadmium Rechargeable Batteries
- Lithium Ion: Generally cell phone and portable device rechargeable batteries.
- Zinc Air: Commonly used in hearing aids and medical devices.
The Carbon Zinc, and Alkaline batteries on the list are usually used in consumer goods in the more common sizes AAA, AA, C, D cell sizes. There are exporters who will purchase these by the ton.
The rechargeable batteries NIMH and NICAD These batteries are usually shredded then melted down to reclaim their nickel content.
Lithium Ion batteries pose many problems for recyclers. There are valuable metals inside of them, but they are surrounded by a lot of extremely flammable Volatile Organic Compounds VOC’s. When a partly charged LIO Battery is shredded, it tends to spark. This causes the batteries to catch fire or explode. There are a number of companies currently working on Lithium Ion battery recycling systems.