I am in need of the physical process of recycling catalytic
converters, specifically refining the Platinum, Rhodium, and Palladium
inside. I need information on a process that can separate all three to
99.9% purity or better? The problem I've noticed is that the cyanide
method tends to work for Platinum, but makes the Rhodium and Palladium
unrefinable. There is a method using halogen salts (I don't know what
they are) that I can find very little information on, but is supposed
to work for all three metals (I have no idea whether or not this is
cost effective on anything but a large scale - I will be working on a
small scale).
The question:
I need to understand a method other than cyanide to recycle catalytic
innards: how the method is performed, the chemicals and equipment
involved (& where to get them if they are fairly hard to obtain), an
explanation of the chemical reaction taking place, and legal
information on EPA Standards, dumping and disposal, et cetera of all
chemicals involved as well as any licenses or other documentation
required for this type of recycling in Kansas. If no one answers the
question regarding an alternative chemical, I will accept the cyanide
method as an answer (in the same amount of detail). |