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1. Introduction

In modern logistics and industrial production, forklifts, as key material handling equipment, are widely used in various fields. Lead-acid batteries have become one of the main sources of power for forklifts due to their advantages such as low cost, mature technology and good high-rate discharge performance. However, with the continuous increase in the number of forklifts in use, the number of lead-acid batteries in use is also rising sharply, resulting in a huge amount of used lead-acid batteries. From an environmental protection perspective, if used lead-acid batteries are not properly disposed of, they will cause serious harm to the environment, such as heavy metal lead polluting soil and water sources, and leakage of sulfuric acid electrolyte disrupting ecological balance. However, at the same time, used lead-acid batteries also contain huge resource value. The lead, plastic, sulfuric acid and other components in them can all be recycled and reused. Therefore, the research on the recycling and reuse of lead-acid batteries in forklifts has significant practical significance. It not only helps to reduce environmental pollution but also enables the recycling of resources and promotes the sustainable development of the economy.

2. Overview of Lead-Acid Batteries for Forklifts

2.1 Application Status

Forklift lead-acid batteries have taken a dominant position in the field of forklift power due to their significant advantages. In the logistics and warehousing industry, forklifts need to start and stop frequently and handle goods. The excellent instantaneous discharge performance of lead-acid batteries can meet the power requirements of forklifts and ensure the efficient handling of goods. In industrial production workshops, such as automobile manufacturing and food processing, forklift lead-acid batteries have become the preferred power source for enterprises due to their reliability and low cost. According to incomplete statistics, currently over 70% of forklifts on the market use lead-acid batteries as power sources, which shows the wide application of lead-acid batteries.

2.2 Scrapping Cycle

The scrapping cycle of forklift lead-acid batteries is influenced by multiple factors, including usage frequency, charge and discharge cycles, working environment, and maintenance conditions. Generally speaking, under normal usage conditions, the service life of lead-acid batteries in forklifts is about 2 to 3 years. If forklifts are frequently used, such as in large logistics hubs, with a long daily usage time and frequent charging and discharging, their scrapping cycle may be shortened to 1.5 to 2 years. In harsh working environments, such as high temperatures, high humidity or high dust levels, the performance of lead-acid batteries will deteriorate at an accelerated rate, and their scrapping cycle will also be shortened accordingly. In addition, the lack of regular maintenance and care, such as not replenishing the electrolyte in time and not performing equalization charging, can also lead to premature battery failure.

3. Environmental Hazards of Used Forklift Lead-Acid Batteries

3.1 Heavy Metal lead pollution

Lead is a heavy metal that poses serious harm to human health and the environment. The lead in used forklift lead-acid batteries mainly exists in the plates and lead paste. When a battery is scrapped, if it is discarded at will or disposed of improperly, the battery casing may break and lead will leak into the environment. Lead is difficult to degrade in the soil and will accumulate over a long period of time, leading to excessive lead content in the soil. Lead in the soil can affect the growth and development of plants, hindering the absorption of water and nutrients by plant roots, leading to slow plant growth, yellowing leaves and even death. Meanwhile, the lead absorbed by plants can be passed on to humans and animals through the food chain, posing a threat to their health. For instance, long-term exposure or intake of lead-containing foods by the human body can lead to damage in multiple aspects such as the nervous system, blood system, and digestive system, resulting in symptoms like decreased intelligence, anemia, and abdominal pain.

3.2 Acid contamination

The sulfuric acid electrolyte in forklift lead-acid batteries is highly acidic and corrosive. Once the battery leaks, the acid will directly enter the soil and water, changing the soil's pH level and acidifying the soil. Acidified soil can affect the activity of microorganisms in the soil, disrupt the ecological balance of the soil, and thereby influence the growth of plants. When acid enters water bodies, it will lower the pH value of the water, causing fatal harm to aquatic organisms. For instance, when the pH value of the water body drops below 6.5, the reproduction and survival of many fish species will be severely affected, and some sensitive aquatic organisms may even become extinct. In addition, acid solutions can also corrode underground pipelines, building foundations and other infrastructure, causing economic losses.

3.3 Other harmful substances

In addition to lead and sulfuric acid, used lead-acid batteries for forklifts may also contain other heavy metals such as antimony, cadmium and mercury, as well as some organic additives. These substances are also toxic and pose a potential threat to the environment and biological health. Antimony may transform into toxic antimony compounds in the environment, affecting the photosynthesis and respiration of plants. Cadmium is carcinogenic and can accumulate in living organisms, causing damage to the kidneys, bones and other parts. Mercury is a highly toxic substance. Its vapor and compounds can enter the human body through the respiratory tract, digestive tract and skin, damaging the nervous system, kidneys and immune system, etc. If these harmful substances are not properly handled during the disposal of used lead-acid batteries, they will be discharged into the environment along with wastewater, waste gas and waste residue, causing secondary pollution.

4. The Significance of Recycling and Reusing Lead-Acid Batteries in Forklifts

4.1 Resource Conservation

Lead is an important non-ferrous metal and is widely used in industrial production. Recovering lead from used lead-acid batteries of forklifts can significantly reduce the mining of primary lead mines. According to statistics, recycling one ton of recycled lead can save 2 to 3 tons of lead concentrate compared with producing one ton of primary lead, and at the same time, it can also significantly reduce the consumption of energy such as coal and electricity. In addition, the plastic casings and separators in used lead-acid batteries can also be recycled and reused to produce plastic products, thus saving plastic raw materials. After treatment, sulfuric acid electrolyte can be reused in the production of lead-acid batteries or other industrial fields, achieving the recycling of resources, reducing reliance on natural resources, and alleviating the pressure of resource shortage.

4.2 Environmental Protection

Effective recycling and reuse of lead-acid batteries for forklifts can reduce the pollution of used batteries to the environment from the source. Through professional recycling and processing, harmful substances such as lead and acid solutions are safely disposed of, preventing their leakage into the environment and the pollution they cause to soil, water sources and air. At the same time, the discharge of solid waste such as tailings and waste rocks caused by the mining of primary lead ores has been reduced, and the damage to the ecological environment caused by mining has been decreased. For instance, formal recycling enterprises adopt advanced technologies to increase the lead recovery rate to over 95%, significantly reducing lead emissions in the environment, protecting the ecological environment, and safeguarding the health of humans and living beings.

4.3 Economic Benefits

The recycling and reuse industry of lead-acid batteries for forklifts has huge potential for economic benefits. On the one hand, recycling enterprises can separate and purify the valuable components of used batteries through recycling and processing, and produce products such as recycled lead and recycled plastic. After selling them, they can obtain considerable economic benefits. On the other hand, for forklift user enterprises, participating in the recycling and reuse of used batteries can obtain certain economic compensation or preferential policies through cooperation with recycling enterprises, thereby reducing the operating costs of the enterprises. In addition, with the continuous development and improvement of recycling and reuse technologies, the industrial scale is gradually expanding, which can also drive the development of related industries, create more job opportunities and promote economic growth.

5. Current Situation of Recycling and Reusing Lead-Acid Batteries in ForkLifts

5.1 Recycling Channels

At present, the recycling channels for lead-acid batteries in forklifts are quite diverse. The first is the recycling network of the manufacturing enterprises. Some large lead-acid battery manufacturing enterprises have established a closed-loop system from production to recycling. They recycle the used batteries produced by their own enterprises through channels such as distributors and after-sales service outlets. The second category is professional recycling enterprises. These enterprises possess professional qualifications and equipment for recycling and processing. Through cooperation with forklift user enterprises, waste material recycling stations, etc., they widely collect used lead-acid batteries. The third type is individual recyclers. They are active in the market and purchase used batteries from forklift repair shops, small logistics enterprises, etc. with flexible recycling methods and relatively high recycling prices. However, the recycling behaviors of individual recyclers often lack standardization, which easily leads to used batteries flowing into illegal dismantling channels.

5.2 Processing Technology

In terms of the treatment technology for forklift lead-acid batteries, there are mainly pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy and bio-metallurgy, etc. Pyrometallurgy is a traditional processing method that extracts metals such as lead from batteries through high-temperature smelting. However, this method has high energy consumption and generates a large amount of waste gas and waste residue, causing certain pollution to the environment. Hydrometallurgy is a process that uses chemical reactions to separate and extract metals such as lead in solution. It has the advantages of low operating temperature and less environmental pollution, but it also has problems such as complex process flow and high cost. Bio-metallurgy is an emerging technology that utilizes the action of microorganisms to extract metals from batteries. It has advantages such as environmental friendliness and low energy consumption. However, the current technology is not yet mature and has not been widely applied.

5.3 Policy and Regulatory Support

To promote the development of the lead-acid battery recycling and reuse industry for forklifts, the national and local governments have introduced a series of policies and regulations. The National Hazardous Waste List clearly classifies used lead-acid batteries as hazardous waste and strengthens supervision over their recycling, transportation and disposal. The "Implementation Plan for the Extended Producer Responsibility System" requires lead-acid battery manufacturers to assume environmental responsibilities throughout the entire product life cycle, including the recycling and disposal of used batteries. Various regions have also successively formulated relevant detailed implementation rules, such as establishing subsidy policies for recycling outlets and increasing penalties for illegal recycling and disposal activities, providing policy guarantees for the standardized development of the recycling and reuse industry.

6. Challenges Faced in the Recycling and Reuse of Lead-Acid Batteries in Forklifts

6.1 The recycling system is not perfect

Although there are various recycling channels, the current recycling system for forklift lead-acid batteries is still not perfect. The recycling network coverage of manufacturing enterprises is limited, making it difficult to comprehensively recycle used batteries in the market. Professional recycling enterprises have difficulties in connecting with forklift user enterprises, and information asymmetry leads to low recycling efficiency. Although individual recyclers are active, due to the lack of standardized management, most of the used batteries they collect flow to illegal dismantling workshops, making it impossible to achieve effective resource recycling and environmentally friendly treatment. In addition, the layout of the recycling network is unreasonable. In some remote areas or small towns, there are few recycling outlets, and used batteries are difficult to be recycled in a timely manner.

6.2 The technical level needs to be improved

Although the existing technologies for handling lead-acid batteries in forklifts each have their own advantages, they all have certain limitations. The problems of high energy consumption and high pollution in pyrometallurgy have not been fundamentally solved. The cost of hydrometallurgy is relatively high, and the technology of bio-metallurgy is still in the research and development and experimental stage, making it difficult to meet the demands of large-scale industrial production. Meanwhile, during the battery disassembly process, the degree of automation is relatively low, and most operations rely on manual labor. This not only leads to low efficiency but also poses safety risks. Furthermore, the recycling technology for some trace but valuable metals and additives in batteries is not yet mature enough, resulting in a waste of resources.

6.3 High economic cost

The economic cost of recycling and reusing lead-acid batteries for forklifts is relatively high, which restricts the development of the industry. On the one hand, recycling enterprises need to invest a large amount of human, material and financial resources in the recycling process, including establishing recycling outlets, transportation equipment, storage facilities, etc., and the cost recovery cycle is relatively long. On the other hand, the technical costs, equipment maintenance costs and environmental protection costs in the processing stage are also relatively high. For instance, to meet environmental protection requirements, recycling enterprises need to purchase advanced waste gas and wastewater treatment equipment, which increases the operating costs of the enterprises. The market prices of recycled products fluctuate greatly. The prices of products such as recycled lead are significantly affected by the price of primary lead. When the market price is low, the profit margins of recycling enterprises are compressed, and even losses may occur, which dampened the enthusiasm of enterprises.

6.4 The public's environmental awareness is insufficient

Some forklift users and individuals have insufficient understanding of the environmental hazards of used lead-acid batteries and a weak sense of environmental protection. Some enterprises, in pursuit of short-term profits, sell used batteries at will to individual recyclers without considering whether they have the recycling qualifications and environmental protection treatment capabilities. When consumers replace forklift batteries, they often lack attention to the recycling of used batteries and do not hand them over to formal recycling channels. In addition, the publicity and education efforts on the recycling and reuse of lead-acid batteries for forklifts in society are insufficient. The public has little understanding of the significance and value of recycling and reuse, which leads to a low overall social participation and is not conducive to the development of the recycling and reuse industry.

7. Conclusion

The recycling and reuse of lead-acid batteries for forklifts is of non-negligible significance in terms of resource conservation, environmental protection and economic benefits. Despite the numerous challenges currently faced in terms of the recycling system, technological level, economic cost and public awareness, it is expected to promote the healthy and sustainable development of the forklift lead-acid battery recycling and reuse industry through the implementation of a series of measures such as establishing and improving the recycling system, strengthening technological research and development and innovation, optimizing economic incentive mechanisms and enhancing public environmental awareness. This not only helps solve the environmental pollution problems caused by used batteries and achieve the recycling of resources, but also creates new growth points for related enterprises and promotes the coordinated development of the economy and the environment. Today, with increasingly strict environmental protection requirements, the industry of recycling and reusing lead-acid batteries for forklifts has a broad prospect and deserves the joint attention and efforts of all parties.