The availability of finite resources is uncertain due to the worldwide increase in population growth and global industrialisation. Consequently, there is a pressing need for substitutive replacements and methods of replenishing stocks by recycling. The platinum group metals (PGMs) are rare, expensive elements with an unpredictable supply chain and a wide range of industrial applications for which there are often no substitutes. Mining from primary ores is environmentally damaging; hence recycling is vital to minimise losses and maintain stock at sustainable levels. This work investigates the feasibility of recovering PGMs from secondary waste sources and bioconverting them into new catalysts, circumventing the current environmentally polluting and energy expensive pyrometallurgical processing. Two secondary sources of PGMs were examined: scrap automotive catalysts and spent furnace refractory lining. This study shows a route to improve PGM recycling from secondary waste sources and, further, the potential to produce a catalytically active end product without the need for traditional refining.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:725410 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Murray, Angela Janet |
| Publisher | University of Birmingham |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/7210/ |
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