Integrated PGM converting process. The process includes smelting a catalyst material in a primary furnace, smelting the primary furnace slag in a secondary furnace, converting the collector alloys from the primary and secondary furnaces in a converter to recover PGM enriched alloy and converter slag, separating the recovered converter slag into first and second converter slag portions, and supplying the first converter slag portion to the secondary furnace for smelting with the primary furnace slag. The process can also include low- or no-flux converting; refractory protectant addition; magnetic slag separation; partial feed pre-oxidation; staged slagging; and/or jacketing the converter.

Converting process with slag separation and recycle to the converter. The process includes introducing converter feed into the pot holding a molten alloy pool, oxygen injection into the pool, tapping the slag, and tapping the PGM-enriched alloy. The collector alloy contains no less than 0.5 wt % PGM, 40 wt % iron, and 0.5 wt % nickel, and no more than 3 wt % sulfur and 3 wt % copper, and the recovered slag is separated into recycle and non-recycle portions. The recycle slag portion preferably contains more PGM than the non-recycle portion. The process can also include low- or no-flux converting; using a refractory protectant in the converter; magnetic separation of slag; partial pre-oxidation of the converter feed; 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 present invention belongs to the field of recovery of secondary resources of noble metals, and discloses a method for leaching platinum group metals from spent catalyst by UV-vis, which uses ferric oxalate complex/hydrogen peroxide-chloride salt solution as a solvent for extracting platinum group metals under the condition of UV-vis, converts the platinum group metals from metallic state to platinum group metal complex, and obtains platinum group metal lixivium to realize the leaching of the platinum group metals. The platinum leaching rate of the method of the present invention can reach more than 97%. The present invention has mild reaction conditions, realizes the green recovery of platinum group metals from spent catalyst, avoids the use of strong acids and bases and toxic substances and avoids the production of toxic gases in the leaching process, so as to reduce the environmental hazards of the spent catalyst.

Converting process with partial pre-oxidation of PGM collector alloy. The process includes partially pre-oxidizing a raw alloy, introducing an initial charge of the partially pre-oxidized alloy into a converter pot, melting the initial charge, introducing converter feed to the pool, oxygen injection into the pool, tapping the slag, and tapping the PGM-enriched alloy. The collector alloy contains no less than 0.5 wt % PGM, 40 wt % iron, and 0.5 wt % nickel, and no more than 3 wt % sulfur and 3 wt % copper. The process can also include low- or no-flux converting; 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.

A method for recovery of platinum group metals from a spent catalyst is described. The method includes crushing the spent catalyst to obtain a catalyst particulate material including particles having a predetermined grain size. The method includes subjecting the catalyst particulate material to a chlorinating treatment in the reaction zone at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time period by putting the catalyst particulate material in contact with the chlorine containing gas. The method also includes applying an electromagnetic field to the chlorine-containing gas in the reaction zone to provide ionization of chlorine; thereby to cause a chemical reaction between platinum group metals and chlorine ions and provide a volatile platinum group metal-containing chloride product in the reaction zone. Following this, the volatile platinum group metal-containing chloride product is cooled to convert the product into solid phase platinum group metal-containing materials.

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.

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.

Provided are a platinum-group metal recovery agent represented by the following general Formula (1) and a platinum-group metal recovery method, which is a method of recovering platinum or rhodium from a hydrochloric acid solution containing platinum or rhodium using the platinum-group metal recovery agent, in which the platinum-group metal recovery agent and the hydrochloric acid solution are mixed to precipitate platinum or rhodium.

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Methods for leaching and extraction of precious metals. For example, methods of leaching palladium, rhodium, platinum from a substance comprising palladium, rhodium, and/or platinum (such as a platinum group metal (PGM) concentrate, and a catalytic converter) using an organic solvent that is water-miscible

Process for removing precious metal from precious metal-containing catalyst form bodies comprising form bodies and precious metal, whereby the precious metal to be removed is at least one precious metal selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag, Pd, Pt, Ir, Rh, Ru, Os, and Re, comprising the steps of: (a) producing a mixture of precious metal-containing catalyst form bodies in at least one mineral acid that is at least 1N; (b) supplying inert or oxidizing gas into the mixture containing noble metal-containing catalyst form bodies and mineral acid; (c) introducing at least one oxidation agent, in solid or liquid form, into the mixture containing noble metal-containing catalyst form body and mineral acid; and (d) separating the form bodies from the liquid.