Recycling extends life of lead, helps meet demand for vital natural resource
Lead’s value has been clear for thousands of years. But as the global economy expands, how will we meet future demand for this valuable natural resource? Doe Run’s Buick Resource Recycling Division (BRRD) is one part of the solution.
Fifteen years ago, BRRD opened in Boss, Mo. It’s now one of the largest single-site lead recycling facilities in the world.
The results of BRRD’s recovery and recycling efforts are significant: BRRD can produce 160,000 tons of “second generation” lead, returning this important metal to battery manufacturers and others for a new generation of products.
“We provide an important service to our customers, many of whom are battery manufacturers,” said Steve Arnold, BRRD general manager. “Recycling also has tremendous value for the environment and provides economic benefits. We’re returning the lead that goes into lead-acid batteries back into the marketplace and keeping it out of landfills.”
PHOTO CAPTION ABOVE: Lead-acid batteries, most commonly used to power passenger vehicles, account for the bulk of today’s lead consumption.
On the go
Once lead is recovered and reprocessed at BRRD, the metal is used to create multiple lead alloys for specific industry needs.
Lead-acid batteries, most commonly used in industrial applications and passenger vehicles, account for more than 80 percent of today’s lead consumption. Their recycle rate makes them the most recycled consumer product: 99 percent of lead-acid batteries are recycled (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 2007 Facts and Figures). In fact, 60 to 80 percent of the lead and plastic found in each new lead-acid battery is made from recycled materials.
Stored energy
Lead-acid batteries aren’t always on the go. Specialty lead-acid batteries serve as the preferred resource for stored energy and backup power, often in remote areas.
“Lead-acid batteries are critical to oil production along the Alaskan pipeline,” said George Ayrton, director of motive power engineering for battery producer EnerSys. “They power heavy equipment and provide cost-effective backup power. They also can supply the energy needed to operate the remote data gathering systems at pump stations for up to 96 hours and allow for the operation of valves to control oil flow in areas with air temperatures as low as 50 degrees below zero.”
In 2008, BRRD spent approximately $4 million on facility upgrades and process improvements. In October, the company installed a new baghouse at the refinery at a cost of $1.2 million. This baghouse improves environmental performance by reducing dust and allowing pre-existing baghouse equipment to be relocated to other areas of the plant. Additional new baghouses are planned for 2011 and 2012 at a cost of $8 million.
Backup power is also key to the exponentially growing cellular and data center infrastructure. Data centers restore connections for information systems and impact nearly every part of our economy, from security and banking to communications, education and manufacturing.
In addition, backup power ensures connectivity during electrical outages. Reflecting upon the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina and the importance of sustained power in emergency situations, the Federal Communications Commission issued a report noting that the lack of backup power during emergency situations can be directly attributable to lives lost.
The lead-acid battery also plays a role in storing energy from renewable sources. As part of remote area power supply technology, lead-acid batteries store solar power and provide energy to communities that are too remote for electric power. Remote power sources are fundamental to the economic, social and environmental well-being of communities, creating greater opportunity for local education systems and business development.
Providing protection
Providing a renewable, recyclable resource of power has tremendous advantages. But there’s more to the success of lead.
Lead’s high density makes it an ideal choice for protection in nuclear applications such as submarines, nuclear reactors and the storage of nuclear and radioactive materials. In fact, Doe Run’s BRRD facility has recovered lead from decommissioned nuclear submarines, giving this protective metal another life.
As a stabilizer, lead balances watercraft and absorbs shocks from earthquakes in bridges.
Additionally, lead’s use in the medical field protects against X-rays in medical and dental facilities. This, in turn, triggers many recycling needs. For example, BRRD recovers the lead from thousands of used dental “bite wings” annually.
Peering into the future
Global demand for lead is on the rise. According to the International Lead Zinc Study Group, global demand for refined lead is expected to hit 8.56 million tons in 2009. China currently uses about one-third of the world’s lead.
With global, workable reserves of lead estimated at approximately 85 million tons, it will be imperative for Doe Run’s BRRD and other facilities to meet the growing demand to reclaim and reuse significant amounts of the metal.
At the same time, a recently tightened federal air emissions standard for lead poses far-reaching impacts on existing operations, including recycling. Throughout the past year, BRRD took several measures to meet new challenges.
PHOTO CAPTION: Doe Run’s Buick Resource Recycling Division can produce 160,000 tons of “second generation” lead per year, returning this important metal to battery manufacturers and others for a new generation of products.
In 2008, BRRD spent approximately $4 million on facility upgrades and process improvements. In October, the company installed a new baghouse at the refinery at a cost of $1.2 million. This baghouse improves environmental performance by reducing dust and allowing pre-existing baghouse equipment to be relocated to other areas of the plant. Additional new baghouses are planned for 2011 and 2012 at a cost of $8 million.
Process upgrades included the removal of sulfur from furnace feeds earlier in the lead battery desulfurization process. Capturing and removing more sulfur prior to entering the furnaces allows for reduced sulfur dioxide emissions and enhances environmental performance.
Material handling also improved in 2008. Doe Run installed 15 high-speed doors to contain dust and emissions within the plant. Furthermore, a new traffic office limits truck traffic on facility grounds, while a newly erected vehicle tire wash station cleans all vehicle tires departing the grounds.
As a fully integrated, sustainable metals producer, Doe Run extracts, processes and recycles lead, ensuring lead’s life for the next generation. Through careful planning and implementation, recovery and recycling, the company is able to extend the life of existing mines, meet growing global demand and provide the jobs, economic benefits and environmental improvements that best position the company – and this vital natural resource – for sustained viability.
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