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8132019 Recoup Money From Your Spent Catalyst
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullrecoup-money-from-your-spent-catalyst 12
Recoup money from your spent catalyst
Virtually all rening petrochemical and
chemical processors throughout the
Middle East use precious metal-bearing
catalysts to facilitate reactions and for
controlling or abating toxic or noxious
emissions
Metal-bearing catalysts typically contain plati-num group metals (PGMs) which include
platinum palladium ruthenium and rhodium
although some catalytic processes also employ
other precious metals such as rhenium gold and
silver
Precious metal-bearing catalysts are cong-
ured in many different forms including
monolithic structures beads pellets powders or
extrudates (Figure 1) no matter what their
composition process catalysts have limited
productive lives before they lose their efcacyand must be replaced with fresh stock
Useful lives of precious metal-bearing cata-
lysts vary depending upon how and where they
are employed When these catalysts can no
longer function effectively users send them to a
precious metals rener to recover and rene
their remaining precious metals Precious
metals reners use a number of different tech-
niques to recover PGMs and other precious
metals from spent catalysts some are different
than others depending upon specic chemistryapplication and other factors However all
reners must address certain key issues such as
point-to-point logistics and transportation
(many times across oceans and continents)
accurate materials documentation process ef-
ciencies environmental compliance process
turnaround times and many other considera-
tions that have a direct affect on returned
values to catalyst owners
While each of these functions is important in
Kevin Beirne Sabin Metal Corp
the overall recoveryrening process samplingspent catalysts is the most critical element in the
entire process since it requires achieving a
virtually homogenous mass from a spent catalyst
lot from which individual samples are subse-
quently removed for laboratory analysis
Without accurate sampling methods it is
virtually impossible for any precious metals
rener to determine the precious metals content
remaining in a spent catalyst lot However
generating a homogenous mass for sampling is
much easier said than done spent processingcatalysts and their carriers (these typically
include soluble or insoluble alumina silica
alumina or zeolites) are far from homogenous
because of accumulated process contaminants of
various densities such as sulphur carbon
solvents and water
Because sampling is such a critical element in
the overall reningrecovery process catalyst
owners should look carefully at a prospective
renerrsquos procedures policies and equipment
wwwdigitalrefiningcomarticle1000660 July 2012 1
How you can reap additional revenues from spent platinum process catalysts
Figure 1 Precious metal-bearing catalysts can takeseveral forms
8132019 Recoup Money From Your Spent Catalyst
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullrecoup-money-from-your-spent-catalyst 22
100 sampling is essentialOne such policy (absolutely essential to help
maximise returns) is the sampling of 100 of a
spent PGM-bearing catalyst lot vs sampling a
representative quantity only Ideally a continuous
catalyst sampling system (Figure 2) that producesconsistent reproducible statistically valid
samples should be located at the renerrsquos facility
The system should generate samples that
represent mdash as accurately as possible mdash multi-
ton lots of spent catalysts that are typical for
hydrocarbon and petrochemical plants Even
specialised equipment for capturing dust should
be available for subsequent sampling of remain-
ing dust from this process The sampling system
should generate individual lot samples for the
catalyst owner the rener an umpire (a media-tor to settle disputes) and reserve samples
The rener should also permit the catalyst
owner or its representative to observe the
sampling process at all times
Once sampling procedures are completed
representative samples must be assayed to meas-
ure their precious metals content Precious metals
2 July 2012 wwwdigitalrefiningcomarticle1000660
reners must perform assays with state-of-the-art
laboratory instruments and procedures in order
to achieve the highest possible level of accuracy
Typical assaying equipment and techniques
include atomic absorption spectroscopy and
inductively coupled plasma (ICP) emission spec-
troscopy (Figure 3) x-ray uorescence
volumetric gravimetric and re assay techniques
Determination as to which combination of equip-
ment and techniques should be used is based
upon the types of materials being assayed
Many organisations recover and rene PGMs
and other precious metals from spent catalysts
While they all essentially perform the same func-
tion it is important to be aware of some
considerable differences between them as these
can have a signicant impact on returns and crit-
ically affect the risk of litigation through exposure
to local or foreign environmental and regulatory
governing authorities Therefore it is in the cata-lyst ownerrsquos best interest to learn as much as
possible about the precious metals rener under
consideration For example information regard-
ing how the rener processes spent catalysts and
what equipment and procedures it uses should be
on hand Particular areas of interest include the
renerrsquos process contamination removal methods
material sampling and assaying methods envi-
ronmental protection policies and procedures
compliance with international trade and logistics
policies and (perhaps most important) the ren-errsquos reputation with its long-term customers All
of these issues and more will have an impact on
the relationship established with the precious
metal rener
As a rening petrochemical or chemical
processor determining which precious metals
rener might best serve their interests is not
complex Following the rules and adhering to
fundamental logic with regard to a renerrsquos poli-
cies and procedures would serve them well to
start Other than the obvious issues of how where and when their materials will be
processed it is always wise to seek out other
renersrsquo customers for candid opinions as well
Figure 2 Continuous sampling is essential to helpmaximise returns
Figure 3 Atomic absorption and ICP emissionspectroscopy
LINKS
More articles from Sabin Metal Corporation
More articles from the following category
Catalysts amp Additives
8132019 Recoup Money From Your Spent Catalyst
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullrecoup-money-from-your-spent-catalyst 22
100 sampling is essentialOne such policy (absolutely essential to help
maximise returns) is the sampling of 100 of a
spent PGM-bearing catalyst lot vs sampling a
representative quantity only Ideally a continuous
catalyst sampling system (Figure 2) that producesconsistent reproducible statistically valid
samples should be located at the renerrsquos facility
The system should generate samples that
represent mdash as accurately as possible mdash multi-
ton lots of spent catalysts that are typical for
hydrocarbon and petrochemical plants Even
specialised equipment for capturing dust should
be available for subsequent sampling of remain-
ing dust from this process The sampling system
should generate individual lot samples for the
catalyst owner the rener an umpire (a media-tor to settle disputes) and reserve samples
The rener should also permit the catalyst
owner or its representative to observe the
sampling process at all times
Once sampling procedures are completed
representative samples must be assayed to meas-
ure their precious metals content Precious metals
2 July 2012 wwwdigitalrefiningcomarticle1000660
reners must perform assays with state-of-the-art
laboratory instruments and procedures in order
to achieve the highest possible level of accuracy
Typical assaying equipment and techniques
include atomic absorption spectroscopy and
inductively coupled plasma (ICP) emission spec-
troscopy (Figure 3) x-ray uorescence
volumetric gravimetric and re assay techniques
Determination as to which combination of equip-
ment and techniques should be used is based
upon the types of materials being assayed
Many organisations recover and rene PGMs
and other precious metals from spent catalysts
While they all essentially perform the same func-
tion it is important to be aware of some
considerable differences between them as these
can have a signicant impact on returns and crit-
ically affect the risk of litigation through exposure
to local or foreign environmental and regulatory
governing authorities Therefore it is in the cata-lyst ownerrsquos best interest to learn as much as
possible about the precious metals rener under
consideration For example information regard-
ing how the rener processes spent catalysts and
what equipment and procedures it uses should be
on hand Particular areas of interest include the
renerrsquos process contamination removal methods
material sampling and assaying methods envi-
ronmental protection policies and procedures
compliance with international trade and logistics
policies and (perhaps most important) the ren-errsquos reputation with its long-term customers All
of these issues and more will have an impact on
the relationship established with the precious
metal rener
As a rening petrochemical or chemical
processor determining which precious metals
rener might best serve their interests is not
complex Following the rules and adhering to
fundamental logic with regard to a renerrsquos poli-
cies and procedures would serve them well to
start Other than the obvious issues of how where and when their materials will be
processed it is always wise to seek out other
renersrsquo customers for candid opinions as well
Figure 2 Continuous sampling is essential to helpmaximise returns
Figure 3 Atomic absorption and ICP emissionspectroscopy
LINKS
More articles from Sabin Metal Corporation
More articles from the following category
Catalysts amp Additives