Production of Liquid Micro-Element Fertilizer Using Scrap Alkaline Zinc-Manganese Battery and Its Effect on Corn

LIN Hui-dong1,WANG De-han1,LI Hai-bin2 (1. Department of Environmental Science and Engineering,South China Agricultural University,Guangzhou 510640,China;2.Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Guangzhou 510640,China)

scrap alkaline zinc manganese battery (SLR); organic trace element fertilizer; Zn; Mn

Organic trace element fertilize was produced using spent alkaline zinc manganese battery (SLR) adopting the process of baking,acidification and chelation?After baking,the release mercury ratio of SLR powder was 100%,its major metals were found to be Zn (25.51%) and Mn (35.02%). The results of acidifying SLR powder indicated that Zn2+ and Mn2+ contents of lixivium were 20.17 g·L-1 and 30.46 g·L-1, respectively,the trace element fertilizer contained Zn2+(11.5 g·L-1),Mn2+(13.0 g·L-1) and K+(3.3 g·L-1),the quality of heavy metals such as Hg, Pb, Cd and As were in little levels. The trace element fertilizer was used to grow corn in greenhouse experiment. Our results showed evidence of increased yield with increasing quantity of fertilizer. Dosages for Zn from 0.5 to 20 mg·kg-1 were used and 2 mg·kg-1 had the maximum yield with the increase by 38.5% comparison with the control. In addition, increasing quantity of the fertilizer reduced the corn P content,thus indicated that Zn and P both had negative correlation?In analyzing the cost producing the trace element fertilizer,it was found that 30% of the major element could be resourced directly for the SLR and 60% had to be further processed. This technique can serve as a way of achieving disposal metal of SLR,with little or no harm on environment and economically feasible.