Application Comparison of Sodium Persulfate and Sodium Hypochlorite in Waste Battery Treatment

Used power batteries (such as ternary lithium and lithium iron phosphate batteries) contain various metal resources like lithium, cobalt, and nickel. Efficient extraction of these metals not only enables resource recycling but also helps avoid environmental pollution. In the treatment process, the selection of oxidizing agents is critical. Sodium persulfate and sodium hypochlorite, as two common oxidizing agents, exhibit significant differences in practical applications. The following provides a comparative analysis from three dimensions: metal extraction efficiency, environmental impact, and maintenance of system purity.

I. Metal Extraction Efficiency: Selectivity Determines Recovery Value

In used battery treatment, achieving precise extraction of specific metals is key to enhancing recovery value.

• Sodium Hypochlorite: Its oxidizing capacity is significantly influenced by pH. If not properly controlled, minor fluctuations in pH can lead to co-oxidation of various metal ions, causing target metals and impurity metals to be leached together. This complicates subsequent separation and purification steps, increasing costs and potentially reducing the purity and value of the recovered metals.

• Sodium Persulfate: Particularly after activation, it exhibits a stronger oxidation potential. By precisely controlling key conditions such as pH and temperature, the sulfate radicals generated after activation achieve optimal stability. This enables efficient oxidation of target metals while reducing the dissolution of impurity metals. Moreover, it offers higher pH tolerance (±0.5 fluctuations do not affect core performance), making process operations easier to manage. This approach effectively minimizes the dissolution of non-target metals, creating favorable conditions for subsequent high-purity metal recovery and thereby enhancing the economic efficiency of the entire recycling process.

II. Environmental Impact: Eco-Friendliness Relates to Sustainable Development

Environmental protection is a fundamental principle that must be upheld in used battery treatment. The characteristics of the by-products from oxidizing agents directly affect the environmental performance of the treatment process.

• Sodium Hypochlorite: During reactions, it may produce chlorine-containing by-products such as chlorine gas and chlorates. These substances exhibit high biotoxicity and can cause severe environmental harm if not properly managed. Comprehensive exhaust gas absorption and wastewater treatment facilities are required, increasing subsequent environmental costs.

• Sodium Persulfate: Its main reaction products are sulfates. Although high concentrations of sulfates require proper treatment to prevent water salinization, their environmental toxicity and corrosiveness are generally lower than chlorine-containing pollutants. The treatment process is relatively simpler, offering advantages in overall environmental risk and control costs, making it more aligned with green treatment requirements.

III. Maintenance of System Purity: Impurity Control Ensures Subsequent Processes

In used battery treatment systems, the introduction of impurities can adversely affect subsequent processes such as metal separation and purification.

• Sodium Hypochlorite: While introducing active components, it also introduces chloride ions (Cl⁻) into the system. Chloride ions readily form complexes or insoluble salts with various metal ions, altering the solution's chemical environment and significantly increasing the difficulty of subsequent separation and purification, potentially affecting product purity.

• Sodium Persulfate: It introduces sulfate ions (SO₄²⁻) into the system. Compared to chloride ions, sulfates generally cause less interference in subsequent separation steps such as precipitation and solvent extraction, making them easier to control and manage. This helps maintain the stability of the process system and the purity of the final product.

IV.  Building a Solid Foundation for Sodium Persulfate Applications with High-Quality Products

In the practical application of sodium persulfate, product quality is a critical prerequisite for its effectiveness in areas like used battery treatment. Demonstrates industry-leading capabilities in this regard.

• The company has established a stringent quality control system covering the entire production process. Starting from raw material procurement, high-purity materials are carefully selected to ensure stability from the initial production stage.

• Automated control systems are employed during production to monitor key parameters such as reaction temperature, pressure, and concentration in real time, minimizing production deviations and ensuring consistent performance across batches.

• Equipped with a professional quality inspection laboratory and high-precision testing equipment, Conducts rigorous checks on core parameters like purity, impurity content, and stability of the sodium persulfate before shipment. This ensures the product purity consistently meets high industry standards, with impurity levels far below average industry thresholds.

• This relentless pursuit of quality allows their sodium persulfate to reliably deliver advantages such as selective metal extraction and low environmental impact in used battery treatment, avoiding issues like reduced processing efficiency or operational failures due to product quality fluctuations.

Conclusion

In the field of used battery treatment, sodium persulfate demonstrates clear advantages in metal extraction selectivity, environmental friendliness, and maintenance of system purity, making it more aligned with the current needs of efficient resource recovery and green treatment. Fujian Zhanhua Chemical, with its high-purity, low-impurity sodium persulfate products, provides a solid foundation for its widespread application in used battery treatment and other areas, supporting the industry's progress toward greener and more efficient practices.