Old catalysts can be sold to a number of companies associated with refineries with contracts for the recycling of their enriched raw materials. The scope of activity of such companies includes the purchase of spent catalysts from private and legal entities.
Before concluding a contract of sale, the company analyzes the catalyst which valuable element it contains, and in what quantity.
Based on the analysis, the transaction value is determined. On average, for foreign cars prices are per 1 kg of catalyst vary from 50 to 150 USD, depending on the car brand.
When using the pyrometallurgical method for Converters Unlimited waste processing occurs in the following several stages:
- Crushing and sorting its particles by size.
- Preparation of the initial charge.
- Melting of crushed product at a temperature of 3000 ° C in a plasma-arc furnace with the formation of melts of precious metals, ceramics, and metal carriers.
- Periodic discharge of slag melts, stratified due to the difference in densities of metals and ceramics: the ceramic melt remains at a top, precious metal melt in collector (copper, iron) is drained from the furnace.
- Granulation of a liquid melt.
- The heal granulation product, enriched with precious metals by 3-15%, is a suitable raw material for refining plants, which further produce precious metals with the highest degree of purity