Patent ID: 8246717

Claim:
A process for the recovery of metals from spent NiMH batteries selected from the group thereof consisting of hydrogen-storage alloy AB 5 type, AB 2 intermetallic compound and mixtures thereof which comprises the steps of: A) reducing spent battery pieces to small particles under an aqueous spray to produce a slurry; B) screening the slurry from step A) through a coarse mesh to remove any large particles and plastic material; C) screening the filtrate from step B) through at least one screen to remove any nickel, nickel plated steel particles or nickel alloys; D) passing the filtrate from step C) through a magnetic stripping device to remove metals selected from the group consisting of nickel and iron; E) passing the filtrate from step D) into a froth or foam flotation device whereby the froth or foam retains residual light matter and the denser metals selected from the group consisting of AB 5 , AB 2 and a mixture thereof sink to the bottom of the filtrate, and then; F) recovering the metals from the filtrate of step E) whereby the AB 5 and AB 2 particles are not dissolved in the process and recovered in step F).