PGMs Recovery from Spent Auto Catalyst Recycling-Plant-Changsha Metalcess Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd.-Metallurgical Equipment Design and Manufacturing, Process Technology Package Delivery, and Automation Integration

PGMs Recovery from Spent Auto Catalyst Recycling

The pyrometallurgical extraction process of platinum group metals(PGMs) from spent automobile catalyst supplied by Metalcess in China is using electric furnace smelting combined with TBRC furnace blowing. After electric furnace smelting, the platinum group metals can be enriched from 0.2-0.3% to 2-3%.By TBRC furnace blowing, the platinum group metals can be further enriched by 10-20times to 20-30%. This process can reduce industrial wastewater output by 90% compared to directly entering the hydrometallurgical process after electric furnace treatment. The hydrometallurgical wastewater for platinum group metals cannot be recycled and must be treated before discharge. Therefore, using the TBRC furnace for catalyst secondary enrichment can significantly reduce wastewater treatment costs for platinum group metal recycling enterprises.

General Introduction for Catalyst Recycling

Platinum group metals have an extremely low abundance in the Earth's crust, only in PPM level, which is much lower than that of rare earth elements and some other dispersed metals. Besides their physical properties such as high melting point, high hardness and low coefficient of thermal expansion, platinum group metals also possess high chemical stability, resistance to acids and alkalis, and oxidation resistance. They play a very important role in fields such as automotive exhaust catalysts, chemical industry, investment, and medical care, widly known as "rare precious metals" and "industrial vitamins".

The PGMs (platinum group metals) mainly include: platinum (Pt), palladium (Pa), rhodium (Rd), iridium (Ir), osmium (Os), etc. Among them, about 60% of platinum, palladium and rhodium are applied in the field of spent automotive catalysts(car catalytic converter). (SACs recycling)

The technology for recycling automotive exhaust catalysts mainly includes catalyst pretreatment, platinum group metals enrichment, refining of platinum group metals, and recycling of waste residues after platinum group metal recovery.

The concentration of platinum group metals mainly involves two major processes: pyrometallurgical process and hydrometallurgical process.

Pyrometallurgical processes include technologies such as plasma smelting, metal capture, and dry chlorination; hydrometallurgical processes include carrier dissolution, active component dissolution, total dissolution, and pressurized chlorination.

The refining of platinum group metals mainly includes reduction precipitation, ion exchange, and solvent extraction.

Metalcess PGMs Extraction Technology from Catalyst

Metalcess PGMs Extraction Technology from Catalyst

Technological process suggested by Metalcess:

EAF furnace-TBRC furnace Two-stage Concentration process: Crushing-Electric Arc Furnace Smelting-TBRC furnace converting(blowing)-Water Atomization-Leaching

Electric arc furnace and TBRC furnace designed and manufactured by Metalcess are two key PGMs enrichment furnace for spent automotive Catalyst recycling.

Platinum group metals in catalyst are enriched from the PPM level to 2-5% through high-temperature smelting in the electric furnace. By precisely controlling the slag during this process, a recovery rate of up to 99% for platinum group metals can be achieved.

Subsequently, the material is transferred to the TBRC furnace for blowing, where the PGMs are further enriched by 10~20 times, achieving a PGMs concentration of 20-30%.

The enriched PGMs alloy is then subjected to water atomization before entering the subsequent hydrometallurgical refining and separation treatment (leaching and solvent extraction). The slag generated from the TBRC furnace is sent back into the electric furnace to recover residual metals, ensuring minimal loss.

Advantages of EAF Furnace-TBRC Furnace Process

High recovery rate: PGMs recovery rate: ≥99%.

Environmental and economic: As PGMs are enriched 10 times in the TBRC furnace prior to the afterwards hydrometallurgical process, the volume of industrial wastewater is reduced by 90% compared to direct sending into hydrometallurgical treatment following electric furnace concentration.

Given that hydrometallurgical wastewater generated during platinum group metal processing cannot be reused and must be treated before discharge, adopting TBRC furnace for secondary stage of concentration can significantly reduces wastewater treatment costs for platinum group metal recycling enterprises.

WHY Metalcess for Your Catalyst Recycling Project

Metalcess possesses extensive expertise in the field of catalyst recycling.

Intergration system provider: Metalcess can tailor design the entire catalyst recycling system for customers based on specific materials sources, capacity, automation level and budget control. A comprehensive and complete PGMs extraction system can be offered from the crushing, smelting, coverting, PGMs refining and separation system.

Core equipment manufacturer: Electric furnace, TBRC furnaces, atomization furnace, blast furnaces, TSL furnace, anode furnaces, tilting reverberatory furnaces can be tailor designed and fabricated by Metalcess.

Whole-Process Engineering service: Our service will start from the engineering consulting, designing, fabrication, installation and commissioning guide till the qualified product produced.