Recovery of precious metals from spent homogeneous catalysts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9249477-B2
Application number	US-201013319737-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2010
Priority date	May 14, 2009
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

This disclosure concerns the recovery of PGM (platinum group metals) from spent homogeneous catalysts present in an organic phase. Specifically, a pyrometallurgical process is provided whereby the PGM, and Rh in particular, are concentrated in a metallurgical phases, rendering them accessible for refining according to known processes. To this end, a process is disclosed comprising the steps of: —providing a molten bath furnace, having a submerged injector equipped for liquid fuel firing; —providing a molten bath comprising a metallic and/or matte phase, and a slag phase; —feeding the spent homogeneous catalyst and an O 2 bearing gas through the injector, a major part of the PGM being recovered in the metallic and/or matte phase; —separating the PGM-bearing metallic and/or matte phase from the slag phase. The energy content of the organic waste can be effectively used for heating and/or reduction of the metallurgical charge in the furnace. Valuable metals are recovered with high yield, and the environmentally harmful organic waste is destructed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for recovering platinum group metals (PGM) from a liquid spent homogeneous catalyst in an organic phase, comprising:
providing a molten bath furnace, having a submerged injector comprising a spraying nozzle at its tip thereby being equipped for liquid fuel firing;
providing a molten bath in the molten bath furnace, the molten bath comprising a metallic and/or matte phase and a slag phase;
feeding the liquid spent homogeneous catalyst and an O 2 bearing gas through the submerged injector, whereby the liquid spent homogeneous catalyst and the O 2 burn within the molten bath, and whereby a portion of the PGM is recovered in the metallic and/or matte phase; and
separating the PGM-bearing metallic and/or matte phase from the slag phase.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the liquid spent homogeneous catalyst contains more than 10 ppm of PGM.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the PGM is Rh.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the molten metallic and/or matte phase comprises a total of at least 50% by weight of one or more of a metal selected from the group of Cu, Ni, Co, Fe and Pb.

5. The process of claim 4 , wherein the molten metallic and/or matte phase comprises at least 50% by weight of Cu.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the liquid spent homogeneous catalyst completely replaces the liquid fuel.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein, during the step of feeding the liquid spent homogeneous catalyst and the O 2 bearing gas through the injector, a complex metallurgical charge is introduced into the furnace and smelted, thereby producing a metallic and/or matte phase, slag and flue dust.

8. The process of claim 7 , wherein at least a major part of the flue dust is recycled as part of said complex charge to said furnace.

Assignees

• Dobbelaere Wim
• Crauwels Dirk
• Umicore Nv

Inventors

• Dobbelaere Wim
• Crauwels Dirk

Classifications

• C22B11/026 Primary

  from spent catalysts · CPC title

• C22B7/00

  Working up raw materials other than ores, e.g. scrap, to produce non-ferrous metals and compounds thereof; {Methods of a general interest or applied to the winning of more than two metals (briquetting of scrap C22B1/248; preliminary treatment of scrap C22B1/005)} · CPC title

• C22B11/00

  Obtaining noble metals · CPC title

• C22B7/009

  General processes for recovering metals or metallic compounds from spent catalysts (for recovering specific metals C22B11/00 - C22B61/00) · CPC title

• C22B11/02

  by dry processes · CPC title