While the lithium-ion battery is currently a hot topic in the battery space, the lead-acid battery is still in high demand. In fact, according to a report, the global lead-acid battery market is expected to reach US$84.46 billion by 2025.
That`s a huge increase from the market`s 2015 valuation of US$46.6 billion, and one of famous Research firm that authored the report, says growth will be driven by the expansion of the automotive industries in China, India, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Indonesia and Germany.
Cars are one of the main use cases for the lead-acid battery, and as demand for these vehicles goes up, lead-acid battery use will rise in tandem. Higher e-bike sales across the globe will also contribute.
As lead-acid battery use rises, recycled lead is expected to account for a larger portion of global lead supply. Lead is one of the world`s most recycled metals, and in February 2018, the International Lead and Zinc Study Group issued a press release claiming that production of refined lead metal from recycled raw material accounted for 59.8% of global output in 2017.
Lead is recycled at such a high rate in large part because it`s [straightforward and cost-effective" to recycle lead-acid batteries. Indeed, Battery University notes that 97% of all lead-acid batteries in the US are recycled.
The recycling process involves breaking exhausted batteries into pieces and immersing them in water; after that, the lead in the batteries sinks to the bottom and the plastic rises to the top. The lead is then melted and poured into ingot molds. Impurities are removed, and the lead is sent to manufacturing plants for use in new batteries. Battery acid can also be converted into water and treated, or can be turned into sodium sulfate, which is used in laundry detergent, and in glass and textile manufacturing.
There are four famous companies that both make and recycle lead-acid batteries.
1)Johnson Controls International (NYSE:JCI)
2)EnerSys (NYSE:ENS)
3)Aqua Metals (NASDAQ:AQMS)
4)Exide Industries (NSE:EXIDEIND,BOM:500086)