Sure it will work! The truth is the bigger the pile of batteries and fuel (wood or charcoal) the better it will work. The lead alloy will puddle and
collect at the bottom. A pit dug underneath will facilitate the puddle of lead and the separation of non lead junk. Nobody claims the product will be
pure lead, as it will contain antimony, calcium, tin, and probably other impurities. There may even be chunks of charcoal and rocks in it. This isn't
rocket science, but it would be a nasty mess.
I have melted many hundreds of pounds of lead and lead alloys, and with a few simple tools and planning melting a battery would be a very doable
project, although a very ,cough ,cough, nasty one.
On a side note, an early reference to purifying galena , a lead ore, ( PbS ) recommended using aluminum to reduce the lead. The author mentioned using
an excess of aluminum to allow a layer of molten aluminum over the lead that was formed. He noted the lead button formed under these conditions was
very soft and pure, and the aluminum had absorbed all the impurities of the lead. I have considered melting some aluminum and pouring in some zinc
contaminated alloy through the aluminum to test this. Has anyone else heard of this or done it? |