The practice of reclaiming precious metals from end-of-life automotive catalytic converters, specifically in localized geographic areas, involves a multi-stage process. This process generally begins with the collection of converters, followed by shredding and grinding. The resultant material undergoes a thermal treatment, referred to as smelting, to concentrate the valuable platinum group metals (PGMs). Refining further purifies these metals, separating them from base metals and other impurities. Operations that handle smaller volumes of material, compared to large industrial facilities, often utilize specialized techniques to maximize recovery efficiency.
Recovering PGMs from catalytic converters presents both economic and environmental advantages. From an economic standpoint, the process offers an alternative supply of platinum, palladium, and rhodium, reducing reliance on mining operations. Environmentally, recycling these materials minimizes the need for new mining activities, which can have significant ecological impacts. Historically, the recovery of PGMs from catalytic converters has grown in importance as stricter emissions regulations have driven increased PGM usage in automotive exhaust systems.
