JPH0348624B

PURPOSE:To recover mercury, iron and a zinc material without causing pollution, by sorting run-down dry cells in terms of their form, size and weight, and using a rotary kiln as a roaster. CONSTITUTION:Run-down dry cells are sorted into unit-1 dry cells, unit-2 dry cells, unit-3 dry cells, manganese dry cells, alkali manganese dry cells and the like, in terms of their form, size and weight, by a form sorter 12 and a weight sorter 13 before the iron sheath of each dry cell is removed by a disassembly machine 14 and recovered as iron scrap by magnetic sorting. The remaining body of the dry cell is crushed by a crush/mix machine 15 so that contained substances such as the positive electrode depolarizing mix in the remaining body are separated and pulverised. The remaining substances are then charged into a rotary kiln 31 through a substance storage bin 16 so that mercury is evaporated below the melting point of zinc. the mercury is then treated by a condensation and waste gas disposal equipment and a waste water disposal equipment including a cyclone 41. Burnt remains are cooled by a cooler 32 so that iron scraps are recovered by a crusher 62 and a magnetic sorter 63, weighing is performed by a weighing bin 64 and zinc remains are recovered.