Nexus Battery Recycling Plant WA

Warehouse protection for WA's first battery recycling plant

Western Australia generates 16,000 to 20,000 metric tonnes of used lead acid automotive batteries every year, according to Battery Rescue collection service. Until now, the only way to recycle these batteries was to send them to processors in the eastern states, triggering the financial and environmental cost of long haul shipping. The other option was landfill.

In an exciting step forward for sustainable battery use, Western Australia’s first lead acid battery recycling plant opened in May 2021. Fosroc ANZ’s specialist protective coatings played a critical role in this new initiative from Nexus Recycling. The expansive Bibra Lake facility is licensed to process more than 30,000 tonnes per annum of used automotive batteries. Batteries are crushed, separated and repackaged using specialist concrete equipment that can safely contain the highly caustic materials and liquids that are released in the process.

The project managers at Turnkey Industrial Engineering identified the need for robust barrier protection for all equipment surfaces. They sought the expert advice of Fosroc ANZ Account Manager Ron Ierino.

Industry-leading coatings technology for bunds and tanks
The concrete tanks and bunds are highly vulnerable to chemical spills and splashes. “If the host concrete was left unprotected, potential acid spills would just eat up the surface, possibly down to the structural steel which would also corrode quickly,” explains Ron.

Ron and our specifications team recommended a vigorous system starting with two coats of Nitocote EP410. This is a high build, two pack epoxy with excellent abrasion and chemical resistance. This was followed by two coats of Nitoflor N, a two part, solvent free epoxy that produces a high wear finish that resists even the most aggressive acids.

Ron explains the process: “In the preparation stage, they ground down the surface to provide a good mechanical key for the epoxies to grab. Then they applied the Nitocote EP410 in mid grey for chemical resistance and uniformity of colour. They finished with the Nitoflor N, which is a clear coating with powerful chemical resistance. This is a specialist product that requires a higher initial budget outlay, but it is easily the best choice for long term protection and lower maintenance costs.”

Hard wearing protection for the warehouse floors
Over 1000 square metres of concrete flooring was primed with one coat of Nitomortar 903, a solvent free epoxy resin that will resist industrial chemicals. This created a vital protective layer over the porous concrete surface. Two coats of Nitocote EP410 followed, giving the floor a gleaming, uniform grey finish that can withstand spills and exposure to aggressive chemicals.

“Initially, the project team were unsure if they wanted to use the same high performance coatings for the floors,” Ron recalls. “But once they saw the finished bunds, they had no qualms about going ahead because they came up so well.”

Now fully operational, the recycling plant is churning through the old automotive batteries at an impressive speed and recovering the lead, plastic and other components for future re-use. Fosroc ANZ is proud to have been involved in this important initiative driving environmental sustainability in Australia.

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