Becoming Aware of Endangered and Critical Elements: Spent Batteries as Metal Mines

Maria Paola Botta; Bruno Attinà; Mauro Ravera; Elisabetta Gabano

doi:10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c01535

Becoming Aware of Endangered and Critical Elements: Spent Batteries as Metal Mines

Maria Paola Botta
, Bruno Attinà
, Mauro Ravera
, Elisabetta Gabano

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The importance of spent battery collection and related treatments in terms of circular economy is the starting point for a laboratory education path focusing on alkaline batteries. While using a project-based learning approach, students at a high school or university are made more aware of critical raw materials, learn about the chemistry of batteries, and investigate the composition of the black mass from spent alkaline batteries. They also investigate the methods used to extract and analyze critical raw materials such as zinc and manganese.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2103-2111
Number of pages	9
Journal	Journal of Chemical Education
Volume	102
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c01535
Publication status	Published - 13 May 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

Keywords

First-Year Undergraduate/General
Hands-On Learning/Manipulatives
High School/Introductory Chemistry
Inorganic Chemistry
Inquiry-Based/Discovery Learning
Laboratory Instruction
Problem Solving/Decision Making

Access to Document

10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c01535

Cite this

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title = "Becoming Aware of Endangered and Critical Elements: Spent Batteries as Metal Mines",

abstract = "The importance of spent battery collection and related treatments in terms of circular economy is the starting point for a laboratory education path focusing on alkaline batteries. While using a project-based learning approach, students at a high school or university are made more aware of critical raw materials, learn about the chemistry of batteries, and investigate the composition of the black mass from spent alkaline batteries. They also investigate the methods used to extract and analyze critical raw materials such as zinc and manganese.",

keywords = "First-Year Undergraduate/General, Hands-On Learning/Manipulatives, High School/Introductory Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Inquiry-Based/Discovery Learning, Laboratory Instruction, Problem Solving/Decision Making",

author = "Botta, \{Maria Paola\} and Bruno Attin{\`a} and Mauro Ravera and Elisabetta Gabano",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.",

year = "2025",

month = may,

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doi = "10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c01535",

language = "English",

volume = "102",

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journal = "Journal of Chemical Education",

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T2 - Spent Batteries as Metal Mines

AU - Botta, Maria Paola

AU - Attinà, Bruno

AU - Ravera, Mauro

AU - Gabano, Elisabetta

PY - 2025/5/13

Y1 - 2025/5/13

N2 - The importance of spent battery collection and related treatments in terms of circular economy is the starting point for a laboratory education path focusing on alkaline batteries. While using a project-based learning approach, students at a high school or university are made more aware of critical raw materials, learn about the chemistry of batteries, and investigate the composition of the black mass from spent alkaline batteries. They also investigate the methods used to extract and analyze critical raw materials such as zinc and manganese.

AB - The importance of spent battery collection and related treatments in terms of circular economy is the starting point for a laboratory education path focusing on alkaline batteries. While using a project-based learning approach, students at a high school or university are made more aware of critical raw materials, learn about the chemistry of batteries, and investigate the composition of the black mass from spent alkaline batteries. They also investigate the methods used to extract and analyze critical raw materials such as zinc and manganese.

KW - First-Year Undergraduate/General

KW - Hands-On Learning/Manipulatives

KW - High School/Introductory Chemistry

KW - Inorganic Chemistry

KW - Inquiry-Based/Discovery Learning

KW - Laboratory Instruction

KW - Problem Solving/Decision Making

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105001939095

U2 - 10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c01535

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M3 - Article

SN - 0021-9584

VL - 102

SP - 2103

EP - 2111

JO - Journal of Chemical Education

JF - Journal of Chemical Education

IS - 5

ER -

Becoming Aware of Endangered and Critical Elements: Spent Batteries as Metal Mines

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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