Deposit morphology of the zinc recovery by electrodeposition from the spent Zn-MnO2 batteries

Electrochemical recovery of zinc from spent Zn-MnO2 batteries has been developed. Deposit morphology and charge efficiency depends on current density. A smooth deposit is formed for a current density equal to 50.0 mA cm−2, while a porous deposit is formed for a current density equal to 10.0 mA cm−2. It was observed that pore size decreases with the increase in current density. In contrast, charge efficiency reaches up to 85.0% for a current density equal to 10.0 mA cm−2, and decreases with further increase in current density. Potassium, sulphur, and oxygen are adsorbed onto the zinc deposit. Zinc recovery was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX).