All about silver button batteries

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Juan Manuel Arcos Frank

Well-known member
Joined
May 27, 2008
Messages
708
Location
Pachuca,Hidalgo.México
This is my first post.I am mainly indebted with Noxx who made possible this wonderful forum,Mercy Noxx.

I am particularly grateful to Mr. Steven Sackett,with Steve I have learned more about gold recovery than the last twenty years,thanks Steve.

It is a pleasure to give thanks to Harold_V for his advices,sometimes rough but always wise and useful.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank Gold Silver Pro,Alfacglobal,Lou and Irons who have supplied information,answered questions or discussed points.

Finally,I tried to make my best shot,my english is not good enough so if I make mistakes,please,let me know.

Best regards

Manuel
 

Attachments

  • all about silver button batteries.doc
    392 KB · Views: 1,621
I really like your document, muchas gracias amigo. :p

I didn't know there was silver in common batteries. Will see if I can recover some from 'em.
 
I downloaded it but haven't read it yet. Watch out for mercury. If I remember right, it was in the button hearing aid batteries.

Welcome to the forum, Juan.
 
Thank you,GSP.You are right,as always.The batteries that you have mentioned have a lot of mercury,but you can recongize them pretty soon,they are taller than silver cells and do not have a manufacturer´s name behind and do not contain any silver.I promess to show a pic of them as fast
as I can,because if you open them liquid mercury flows down,the good news is that some of them are gold plated.

Best regards.

Manuel
 
agpodt 77339:

Lithium is the most reactive metal,of course,gold has more value than lithium but there are many tons of lithium in spent batteries.Battery manufacturers need lithium.Other guys that need lithium are drugs manufacturers because lithium is used in methamphetamine synthesis.

If you want to check how lithium is in a coin battery just open it like I said and inside the front part there is a yellow powder,this is the lithium compound.Do not worry,this type of batteries do not contain any mercury.

I hope it helps.

Best Regards.

Manuel
 
I seem to also recall reading/hearing that cadmium is present in some of those silver batteries.



As far as the lithium goes, it's not the most reactive metal but it is the lightest metal and also the best reducing agent at room temperature. It's fairly expensive (~>$100lb).

Mind you, most lithium used in drugs manufacture is used by legitimate pharmaceuticals laboratories for making strong bases, for making salts, and also for the Birch reduction you referenced. As information to the forum, that procedure is hardly something amateurs can do--typically it is the Mexican superlabs that manufacture amphetamines in bulk for export to the US and they use that procedure.


Just trying to clear it up.
 
Lou:

It is correct, some kind of rechargeable batteries have silver and cadmium,but they are military types.

I did not know about the lithium price,could be a good bussines.

You are right about lithium reactivity and I was wrong,Cesium is the most reactive metal.

About the use of lithium in meth synthesis I want to say that the "Nazi method" is a process created by German Nazis during WWII,it is not a mexican process.Cooking meth is made everywhere,Superlabs ( in Mexico,USA,or any country) are easy detected so drugs manufacturers prefer common places to process illegal drugs (probably near your home in USA,probably near my home in Mexico). Meth processing and consuming is a shared problem between Mexico and USA and both countries must faced up to its own responsabilities and fight together to defeat drug´s Cartels.

Lou,it is my honor exchanging opinions with you.

Manuel
 

Attachments

  • methamphetaminesynthesisinhibition.pdf
    70.3 KB · Views: 231
The reaction you refer to is called the Birch reduction and it uses lithium (or sodium or other alkali metals) in anhydrous ammonia--it has a nice blue colour to it too (from free electron)! It is a very general reaction but finds special use in steroids and fine pharma use and is by no means "special" to illicit materials manufacture. It's just been perverted to that use :-\ Perhaps the Nazis did use it, but I couldn't see why as there are cheaper ways. I'm no historian though. Unfortunately, there are a million other ways to that problematic molecule which is 99% of the problem when combating the horrific substance. As far as Mexico goes, I just know that the majority of large narcotics busts occur there because there is little restriction on the precursors to that and other controlled substances. That, thankfully, is not the case in the US.

I am no organic chemist--that field isn't what I specialised in, but I know that this process was discovered by an Australian chemist, Arthur Birch (a hell of a chemist too, he was very prolific and we owe much research into steroids/hormones to him!!).

Anyway, if you'd like to discuss this more (particularly the politics), let's do it privately. I don't think this has any relevance to the forum--our interests lie with making money from metals, not making misery.



After post: here's the wiki on the actual procedure in case anyone wants to fact check me-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birch_reduction
 
Fine with me--we'll keep it to more profitable topics! I really don't get bent out of shape if someone disagrees with my politics, religion, or anything else opinion-wise. I like to think of myself as being open minded so long as someone isn't forcing their idea of what's right down my throat. As Voltaire once said (paraphrased of course): "I may not like what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" I try to live by that unless it is someone promoting a dangerous procedure or spreading misinformation that could hurt someone else.


Take good care,

Lou
 
Hi Juan,
This is my collection of silver button batteries.
watchbatteries.jpg

I've read your PDF but I'd like to ask about the nitric process, can use diluted nitric acid (1:1) to dissolve the silver? because honesly I don't like the way nitric boiled when dissolving metal?

Best regards,

Bagus,
 
baguskd:

I do not like acid boiling too...but less acid (1:1) will not dissolve all the silver/silver oxide pellet.You can add some hydrogen peroxide or wash nitric oxide gases with lye solution.

Be careful about selecting the batteries...I see in you bag some lithium and manganese dioxide type,remember,small batteries are silver type.

Best Regards.

Manuel
 
baguskd said:
I've read your PDF but I'd like to ask about the nitric process, can use diluted nitric acid (1:1) to dissolve the silver? because honesly I don't like the way nitric boiled when dissolving metal?
Bagus,

The electrolyte in a silver oxide battery is alkaline, potassium or sodium hydroxide.

I wonder if boiling the opened batteries first in water to remove the hydroxide might be beneficial? It would certainly reduce the nitric acid consumption.
 
I noticed the small watch batteries in the bag,

note the larger lithium type batteries (computer type batteries) have enough current capability to short out and explode if put in a bag like that.
 
butcher said:
I noticed the small watch batteries in the bag,

note the larger lithium type batteries (computer type batteries) have enough current capability to short out and explode if put in a bag like that.

There are no lithium batteries in the bag, I've sorted it out and the remaining are silver button batteries only (most of it are SR types).
 
yes I noticed You had all watch type battery's in your bag, my comment was for other members who may collect or save battery's and as a safety suggestion, Ni cads and other high current battery's can also be a danger, putting a piece of tape to keep them from shorting out is a good idea.
 
Hi. This is the great forum. Thanks for to everyone
ı buying to 5 pound watch batteries in my city. İs batteries is % 40-50 silver button batteries.
So 2-2.5 pound silver button batteries dissolved = 300 - 350 grams Silver Nitrate. ( % 28-30 )
Total watch button batteries % 12 - 15 Silver.
( Sorry my english very bad )
 
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