A recycling process that facilitates separation of materials from metallic substrates by cryogenically cooling the recyclable items to induce embrittlement of the metals. Embrittled metals may be shattered more efficiently and with a higher yield of materials bound to the metallic substrates. Metal embrittlement may be induced by mixing the source stream with liquid nitrogen, and cooling the stream to approximately minus 200° F. Multiple recovery stages may be employed to maximize the yield of the target materials. Embodiments may enable recovery of platinum group metals (PGMs) from catalytic converters with metallic foil substrates. Yield of PGMs may be enhanced by employing a primary recovery stage and a secondary recovery stage, by cryogenically cooling input materials for each stage, by mixing the pulverized material in secondary recovery with an aqueous solution to dissipate attractive charges, and by wet screening the pulverized material slurry to obtain the PGM particles.

A method for recovering ruthenium from a spent ruthenium-based catalyst carried on aluminum oxide includes: drying, calcining, and cooling a spent catalyst; grinding the spent catalyst into black powder; placing the black powder in a fluidized bed reactor, purging the reactor with hydrogen and heating the black powder to obtain ruthenium metal, then heating the black powder in a mixed atmosphere of oxygen and ozone to obtain RuO.sub.4 gas; absorbing the RuO.sub.4 gas with a sufficient amount of hydrochloric acid to obtain a H.sub.3RuCl.sub.6 solution; adding an excess oxidant to the H.sub.3RuCl.sub.6 solution to oxidize the H.sub.3RuCl.sub.6 into H.sub.2RuCl.sub.6; adding excess NH.sub.4Cl to the H.sub.2RuCl.sub.6 and then filtering, and washing the filter cake to obtain solid (NH.sub.4).sub.2RuCl.sub.6; and reducing the solid (NH.sub.4).sub.2RuCl.sub.6 by hydrogen to obtain ruthenium metal.

Method of selective extraction of a metal of the family of platinoids, from a ceramic support containing said metal, comprising the following successive steps: a) said ceramic support containing said metal is brought into contact, in an extraction chamber, with an extraction medium consisting of a pressurized dense fluid containing an organic ligand that is selective for the metal and that is capable of forming a complex with said metal in the 0 state; whereby are obtained, on the one hand, a ceramic support depleted in said metal, or even free of said metal, and, on the other hand, a medium consisting of the pressurized dense fluid containing the complex of the organic ligand with the metal in the 0 state; b) said pressurized dense fluid containing the complex of the organic ligand with the metal in the 0 state is brought back to atmospheric pressure and to ambient temperature, whereby the complex of the organic ligand with the metal in the 0 state separates from the fluid; c) the ceramic support depleted in said metal, or even free of said metal, and the complex of the organic ligand with the metal in the 0 state, are recovered.

A recycling process that facilitates separation of materials from metallic substrates by cryogenically cooling the recyclable items to induce embrittlement of the metals. Embrittled metals may be shattered more efficiently and with a higher yield of materials bound to the metallic substrates. Metal embrittlement may be induced by mixing the source stream with liquid nitrogen, and cooling the stream to approximately minus 200° F. Multiple recovery stages may be employed to maximize the yield of the target materials. Embodiments may enable recovery of platinum group metals (PGMs) from catalytic converters with metallic foil substrates. Yield of PGMs may be enhanced by employing a primary recovery stage and a secondary recovery stage, by cryogenically cooling input materials for each stage, by mixing the pulverized material in secondary recovery with an aqueous solution to dissipate attractive charges, and by wet screening the pulverized material slurry to obtain the PGM particles.

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.

An integrated refinery process for the disposal of metal-containing spent coked catalyst from hydrotreating and/or hydrocracking unit operations includes introducing the spent coked catalyst into a membrane wall gasification reactor in the form of flowable particles along with predetermined amounts of oxygen and steam based upon an analysis of the hydrocarbon content of the coke, and optionally, a liquid hydrocarbon; gasifying the feed to produce synthesis gas and a slag material; recovering and subjecting the slag material to further processes in preparation for a leaching step to solubilize and form one or more active phase metal compounds that are recovered from the leaching solution, either separately by sequential processing, or together. The recovered active metal compounds can be used, e.g., in preparing fresh catalyst for use in the refinery's hydroprocessing units.

Disclosed is a method for preparing a solid material including manganese, the method including the following steps: a. bringing into contact an aqueous effluent including manganese, for example at least 5 mg/L, typically at least 5 to 50 mg/L, and preferably 7 to 25 mg/L of manganese, with an oxidizing agent, manganese, preferably at a temperature between 10° C. and 50° C., and obtaining an oxidized aqueous solution; b. adding a base to the oxidized aqueous solution obtained at the end of step a) until a pH of between 8 and 12, preferably greater than 9, and preferably from 9 to 10.5, and obtaining a solution including a precipitate; c. filtration of the solution obtained at the end of step b); and d. obtaining a solid material including manganese, and especially manganese (IV) and/or Mn (III).

The disclosed methods are utilized for recovering a high percent of platinum group metals from spent catalytic converters. The methods use an aqua regia bath and ultrasonic agitation to liberate the metals from the carrier material of the washcoat, while leaving the metal supporting structure largely intact.

A method for cleanly extracting metallic silver includes: mixing an acidic solution containing Ce.sup.4+ and NO.sub.3.sup.− with a silver-containing material for leaching; after the leaching is completed, carrying out a solid-liquid separation to obtain a leaching solution containing Ce.sup.3+ and Ag.sup.+; and electrolyzing the leaching solution, wherein an oxidation reaction of Ce.sup.3+ occurs at an anode to realize a regeneration of Ce.sup.4+ and an electrolytic reduction occurs at a cathode to reduce Ag.sup.+ to obtain the metallic silver. Ce.sup.4+ is used as a leaching agent and an intermediate oxidant to implement a cyclic operation of solution leaching and electrolytic regeneration on the silver-containing material. Almost no NO.sub.x and waste liquid are caused by the extraction process, and the invention is clean and environmentally friendly.

A method for cleanly extracting metallic silver includes: mixing an acidic solution containing Ce.sup.4+ and NO.sub.3.sup.− with a silver-containing material for leaching; after the leaching is completed, carrying out a solid-liquid separation to obtain a leaching solution containing Ce.sup.3+ and Ag.sup.+; and electrolyzing the leaching solution, wherein an oxidation reaction of Ce′ occurs at an anode to realize a regeneration of Ce.sup.4+ and an electrolytic reduction occurs at a cathode to reduce Ag.sup.+ to obtain the metallic silver. Ce.sup.4+ is used as a leaching agent and an intermediate oxidant to implement a cyclic operation of solution leaching and electrolytic regeneration on the silver-containing material. Almost no NO.sub.x and waste liquid are caused by the extraction process, and the invention is clean and environmentally friendly.