Method of Recycling Catalytic Converters
Catalytic converters contain precious platinum group metals which are becoming scarce. Only half of the metals used to make catalytic converters are now being recovered, yet 34 percent of the global supply of platinum and 87 percent of rhodium are used to manufacture them. As a result, serious worldwide attention is being focused on catalytic converter recycling.
Other People Are Reading
-
Refurbishing vs. Recycling
-
Refurbishing catalytic converters rather than recycling them prevents the loss of precious metals. Less metal is needed to refurbish than to manufacture new converters, and no metal is lost in the process. In industry, worn catalysts are returned and replaced. This closed loop method does not work for vehicle catalysts, however, because of ownership changes and end-of-life vehicle handling.
Milling Metal for Recycling
-
Catalytic converters are milled in impact pulverizers before processing takes place, and much of the metal lost during the recovery process is lost during milling. Manufacturers are studying ways to make precious metals easier to recover. One innovation being studied is a metal casing which can be heated to separate the metals and then filtered.
-
Processing Recycled Metals
-
The best current processing system uses extreme temperatures of up to 2192 degrees Fahrenheit, chemicals and off-gas treatments to precipitate metals from sludge. Only 6 to 13 percent of the metals are lost through this processing method. New procedures are being studied that may further reduce the loss of these vital precious metals.
-
References
- Photo Credit recycling image by Thomas Franck from Fotolia.com
More Like This
Comments
-
I feel like a galengah.
