Abstract
Platinum group metals (PGMs: Pt, Pd, and Rh) are used extensively by the industry, while the natural resources are limited. The PGM concentration in spent catalytic converters is 100 times larger than in natural occurring ores. Traditional PGM methods use high temperature furnaces and strong oxidants, thus polluting the environment. Electrochemical studies showed that platinum can be converted to their chloride form. The amount of dissolved PGM was monitored by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy and the structure was identified by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. An electrochemistry protocol was designed to maximize platinum dissolution, which was then used for a spent catalytic converter. A key finding is the use of potential step that enhances the dissolution rate by a factor of 4. Recycling rates as high as 50% were achieved in 24 h without any pretreatment of the catalyst. The method developed herein is part of a current need to make the PGM recycling process more sustainable.
Highlights
Sustainable societies must strike a balance between economy, society, and the environment.Climate change, if left unaddressed, will have a negative impact on the environment that will cause large societal changes and threaten the current economic model
The potential window was tuned in such a way to cover the main reactions distinguished in the cyclic voltammogram (CV) of Figure 1
Increasing the Electrochemical dissolution of spent automotive catalyst in 1 M HCl with temperature is a simple way, not desirable owing to issues of handling hot corrosive liquids
Summary
Sustainable societies must strike a balance between economy, society, and the environment.Climate change, if left unaddressed, will have a negative impact on the environment that will cause large societal changes and threaten the current economic model. Sustainable societies must strike a balance between economy, society, and the environment. Metals are paramount in delivering sustainable solutions to tackle future challenges. Platinum group metals (PGMs) are used in catalysis, renewable energy, and pharmaceutical sectors, which are central to industrialized societies. The European Union (EU) released the list of Critical Raw Materials in order to bolster mining and recycling activities in line with circular economy principles and to assure the supply of crucial materials [1]. PGMs, such as platinum and palladium, are widely used in cars [2,3]. The sheer difference in concentrations between urban wastes and ores established a new concept, that is, urban mining [4]. Extracting PGMs from urban wastes without damaging the environment sits at the forefront of future recycling policies
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