A process for the incineration of activated coal-supported PGM catalysts, the process comprising a joint incineration of a multilayer arrangement, wherein the multilayer arrangement includes (i) a top layer of particulate activated coal-supported PGM catalyst, (ii) a layer of coarse charcoal located beneath said top layer and, optionally, (iii) a layer of particulate coke located beneath the charcoal layer, and wherein an upward flow of oxidizing gas is homogeneously passed through said multilayer arrangement during the incineration.

Disclosed is a method for the decomposition of SiC or SiC-containing materials in which the reaction is guided exclusively via gaseous products for achieving a conversion which is as complete as possible. A preferred application is a recycling process for catalyst materials containing platinum metals on a carrier material made of silicon carbide (SiC). In the thermal process, the catalyst materials are freed from the carrier material, and then they can further be refined. (FIG. 1)

Process for removing inorganically- and/or organically-bound carbon from a precious metal-containing composition inside an oven chamber comprising at least one direct burner and at least one exhaust gas conduit, characterised by the sequence of steps of: a) providing a precious metal-containing composition comprising fractions of inorganically- and/or organically-bound carbon inside the oven chamber; b) closing the oven chamber; c) heating the content of the oven chamber by means of at least one direct burner in order to establish a temperature T1 in the range of 450 C. to 1,000 C. and maintaining temperature T1 for 5 min-48 h; whereby, once the oven chamber is closed, any gas exchange between the oven chamber and the surroundings can take place only via the at least one direct burner and the at least one exhaust gas conduit.

A process for the production of a PGM-enriched alloy comprising 0 to 60 wt.-% of iron and 20 to 99 wt.-% of one or more PGMs selected from the group consisting of platinum, palladium and rhodium, the process comprising the steps of (1) providing a PGM collector alloy comprising 30 to 95 wt.-% of iron, less than 1 wt.-% of sulfur and 2 to 15 wt.-% of one or more PGMs selected from the group consisting of platinum, palladium and rhodium, (2) providing a copper- and sulfur-free material capable of forming a slag-like composition when molten, wherein the molten slag-like composition comprises 40 to 90 wt.-% of magnesium oxide and/or calcium oxide and 10 to 60 wt.-% of silicon dioxide, (3) melting the PGM collector alloy and the material capable of forming a slag-like composition when molten in a weight ratio of 1:0.2 to 1 within a converter until a multi- or two-phase system of a lower high-density molten mass comprising the molten PGM collector alloy and one or more upper low-density molten masses comprising the molten slag-like composition has formed, (4) contacting an oxidizing gas comprising 0 to 80 vol.-% of inert gas and 20 to 100 vol.-% of oxygen with the lower high-density molten mass obtained in step (3) until it has been converted into a lower high-density molten mass of the PGM-enriched alloy, (5) separating an upper low-density molten slag formed in the course of step (4) from the lower high-density molten mass of the PGM-enriched alloy making use of the difference in density, (6) letting the molten masses separated from one another cool down and solidify, and (7) collecting the solidified PGM-enriched alloy.

A platinum catalyst recycling device with multiple filtration structures is provided. The device includes a support base, a recycling housing, and a crushing housing. A top of the support base is fixedly connected to the recycling housing, a top surface of the recycling housing is fixedly connected to the crushing housing, and a feed port is provided on a top surface of the crushing housing. A feed tube is installed at the feed port of the crushing housing, and a crushing roller assembly is installed in an inner cavity of the crushing housing. The crushing roller assembly is disposed in an inner cavity of a crushing chamber, and the crushing chamber is fixedly connected to a sidewall of the inner cavity of the crushing housing. A bottom of the crushing chamber is fixedly connected to a guide plate. Uniform plates are disposed below the guide plate.

PGM converting process and jacketed rotary converter. The process can include low- or no-flux converting; partial pre-oxidation of PGM collector alloy; using a refractory protectant in the converter; magnetic separation of slag; recycling part of the slag to the converter; smelting catalyst material in a primary furnace to produce the collector alloy; and/or smelting the converter slag in a secondary furnace with slag from the primary furnace. The converter can include an inclined converter pot mounted for rotation; a refractory lining; an opening in a top of the pot to introduce converter feed; a lance for injecting oxygen-containing gas into the alloy pool; a heat transfer jacket adjacent the refractory lining; and a coolant system to circulate a heat transfer medium through the jacket to remove heat from the alloy pool in thermal communication with the refractory lining.

A process for production of a PGM (platinum group metal)-enriched alloy containing iron and PGM(s) (platinum, palladium and/or rhodium) includes steps of: (1) providing a sulfur-free PGM collector alloy, (2) providing a copper- and sulfur-free material capable of forming a molten slag-type composition including silicon dioxide and magnesium and/or calcium oxide, (3) melting the PGM collector alloy and slag-forming material within a converter until a multi-phase system of a lower high-density molten mass of PGM collector alloy and an upper low-density molten mass of slag-type composition has formed, (4) contacting an oxidizing gas with the lower high-density molten mass of step (3) until conversion of the PGM collector alloy into a PGM-enriched alloy, (5) separating an upper molten slag formed in step (4) from the PGM-enriched alloy by difference in density, (6) allowing the separated molten masses to cool down and solidify, and (7) collecting the solidified PGM-enriched alloy.

A method for comminuting spent, catalyst-coated PEM membranes from PEM fuel cells and/or PEM electrolysis cells by means of a cutting mill.

A method for producing a collector alloy comprising 25 to 100 wt % precious metal in total, comprising 0 to <97 wt % of the precious metal silver, 0 to 75 wt % of at least one precious metal selected from gold, platinum, rhodium and palladium, and 0 to 75 wt % of at least one non-precious metal selected from copper, iron, tin and nickel, or for producing pure silver, comprising the steps of: (1) providing precious metal sweeps; (2) providing a flux which, during collective melting with the refractory inorganic material from the precious metal sweeps provided in step (1); (3) collective melting of the materials provided in steps (1) and (2) at a temperature in the range of from 1300 to 1600 C., forming a melt comprising at least two phases of different densities arranged one above the other; and, (4) separating the upper phase and the lower phase.

A process for recycling and reusing supported Pd membranes includes the separation of the Pd (or Pd alloy) layer from the support by contacting the Pd membrane with hydrogen under pressure and at low temperature and then with a second gas that is different from hydrogen. The Pd layer separated from the support can then be treated to solubilize the Pd and, where appropriate, the alloy metal(s) to obtain salts that can be reused, for example in the preparation of new Pd membranes. The recovered supports are also reusable.