Figure 1.
Result for the LCA for the secondary production of 1g of Platinium Group Metals
| Impact Category | Unit | Platinum | Palladium | Rhodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Warming Potential | kg CO2-eq/g | 0.63 | 0.72 | 0.84 |
| Primary Energy Demand | MJ/g | 10.1 | 11.7 | 12.6 |
| Acidification Potential | kg SO2-eq/g | 0.0029 | 0.0035 | 0.0043 |
| Eutrophication Potential | kg PO4-eq/g | 0.00035 | 0.00039 | 0.00046 |
| Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential | kg Ethene-eq/g | 0.00013 | 0.00016 | 0.00018 |
| Blue Water Consumption | kg/g | 6.039 | 7.035 | 8.622 |
The recovery efficiencies of PGMs by different kinds of melting methods
| Collector | Temperature | Recovery Efficiencies | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | 1 130°C | Pt/Pd>98%, Rh>95% | Industrial |
| Copper | 1 130°C | PGMs>95% | Industrial |
| Copper | 1 150°C | Pt 90%, Pd, Rh 82% | Lab |
| Copper | 1 150°C | PGMs>84% | Lab |
| Copper | 1 150°C | Pd>97% | Lab |
| Iron plasma melting | >1 600°C | Pt, Pd>98%, Rh>97% | Industrial |
| Iron | 1 560°C | PGMs>90% | Industrial |
| Ni2S3-CuS | 1 200°C | Rh 94% | Lab |
| Ni2S3-CuS | 1 050°C | Pt 90%, Pd 93%, Rh 88% | Lab |
The profile of chosen recycling companies
| Company name | Scope | Range | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elemental Holding | Elemental Holding S.A. invests in entities dealing with urban mining and recycling. Companies belonging to the company operate within the framework of four business areas: recycling of spent automotive catalysts (SAC), recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), recycling of printed circuit boards (PCB), recycling of non-ferrous metal scrap (non- ferrous). | Worldwide | https://elemental.biz/en/ |
| 2 | Umicore | It is a global materials technology and recycling Group. Activities are organized in three business groups: Catalysis, Energy and Surface Technologies and Recycling. | Worldwide | https://www.umicore.com/ |
| 3 | Johnson Matthey | They are organized into four areas, aligned to the needs of customers and the global challenges. They are structured into the groups of Clean Air, Efficient Natural Resources, Health, New Markets. | Worldwide | www.matthey.com |
| 4 | Remondis PMR B.V. | It is divided into three main groups – recycling, services and water. Many of REMONDIS’ companies, therefore, provide services from two or even all three areas. | Worldwide | https://www.remondis-katalysator-recycling.de/en/ |
| 5 | MONOLITHOS | In addition to recycling, the company deals with the production of catalysts. | Greece | https://www.monolithos-catalysts.gr/en/ |
Result for the LCA of the primary production of 1g of Platinium Group Metals
| Impact Category | Unit | Platinum | Palladium | Rhodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Warming Potential | kg CO2-eq/g | 41.8 | 25.3 | 36.9 |
| Primary Energy Demand | MJ/g | 464.6 | 318.9 | 414.2 |
| Acidification Potential | kg SO2-eq/g | 0.934 | 1,595 | 0.412 |
| Eutrophication Potential | kg PO4-eq/g | 0.025 | 0.013 | 0.020 |
| Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential | kg Ethene-eq/g | 0.041 | 0.066 | 0.02 |
| Blue Water Consumption | kg/g | 265.1 | 172.5 | 242.8 |