ABSTRACT
Tonolli Canada Limited is a lead recovery and refinery plant located in the City of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Approximately 80% of the feedstock for the plant comes from batteries purchased from scrap dealers and battery manufacturers within 600 km of Mississauga. In 1985, Tonolli was requested by the Regional Municipality of Peel to investigate options available for acid recycling or waste treatment to reduce the concentration of soluble sulfate in the discharge to the sewer from the plant. After evaluating a number of options in detail, including lime neutralization, caustic neutralization, waste acid upgrading, and the sale of waste acid without treatment, Tonolli selected the CX Process to satisfy the Region's new waste management request. The process uses sodium carbonate to neutralize the waste acid and also to react with lead sulfate in the battery paste to produce lead carbonate and sodium sulfate. Sodium sulfate is recovered as a byproduct and the desulfurized battery paste is smelted to produce lead.
