Manganese Oxide from AA batteries and the like. I wonder?

[Jehu]

[Jehu]

Well, I've torn quite a few apart now and I'm learning a bit about them.

Most of the old elcheapo batteries are carbon zinc. You can eaisly tell these by putting a magnet to the side of the cylinder. If it's a carbon zinc it shouldn't stick but it will with an alkaline cell. I found that if you are pulling apart a CZn battery that is leaking, you will have a hard time peeling the zinc case away. The case becomes quite thin and brittle. Also the MnC inside it becomes quite dry and makes it harder to extract. In a cell that still has electrolyte in it, everything is quite damp still and that makes it much eaiser to extract everything. So I'mthinking that it might be a good Idea to open the case slightly and soak it in water if it has already started leaking. Also you have to open these from the top. I've found the eaisest way is to get a small pair of angle cutters and pince the outer case and pull it away. Though you do have to be careful because you will cause a short and this can heat up the battery quite a bit. I had one that emmited a spark once.

Alkaline cells are quite a bit different. If you are opening these, wear gloves. I pretty much do the same as with CZn cells but at the bottom of the cell. I first make one pinch and then hold the cell over a bottle and let the KOH drip out. If you don't do this, when you make the other pinches, the cell wil heat up alot due to the shorts. So be quick when you make the pinches. Once I get the bottom plate exposed I give it a tug with some pliers and the plate and metal pin slide straight out. Then if I peel the can back more, I can then get my pliers in and pull on the paper membrane and slide it straight out. Then I can seperate the Mn+C and the Zn paste.

Seamonkey, thanks for the info on making the rods in a mold in Mael's thread. I was wondering what they use as a binder.

Now I still gotta figure out what to do with this Mn that I'm getting out of these batteries. I can't really find much uses for them on the net. Maybe I could make a thumping big battery out of it? Make some type of rechargeable perhaps?

[SeaMonkey]

[Jehu]

[SeaMonkey]

[Jehu]