PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A PGM-ENRICHED ALLOY

摘要

A process for production of a PGM (platinum group metal)-enriched alloy containing iron and PGM(s) (platinum, palladium and/or rhodium) includes steps of: (1) providing a sulfur-free PGM collector alloy, (2) providing a copper- and sulfur-free material capable of forming a molten slag-type composition including silicon dioxide and magnesium and/or calcium oxide, (3) melting the PGM collector alloy and slag-forming material within a converter until a multi-phase system of a lower high-density molten mass of PGM collector alloy and an upper low-density molten mass of slag-type composition has formed, (4) contacting an oxidizing gas with the lower high-density molten mass of step (3) until conversion of the PGM collector alloy into a PGM-enriched alloy, (5) separating an upper molten slag formed in step (4) from the PGM-enriched alloy by difference in density, (6) allowing the separated molten masses to cool down and solidify, and (7) collecting the solidified PGM-enriched alloy.

主权项

1. A process for production of a platinum group metal (PGM)-enriched alloy comprising 0 to 60 wt. % of iron and 20 to 99 wt. % of at least one PGM selected from the group consisting of platinum, palladium and rhodium, the process comprising steps of:
(1) providing a sulfur-free PGM collector alloy comprising 30 to 95 wt. % of iron and 2 to 15 wt. % of the at least one PGM; (2) providing a copper- and sulfur-free material capable of forming a slag-type composition when molten, wherein the molten slag-type composition comprises 10 to 30 wt. % of magnesium oxide and/or calcium oxide and 70 to 90 wt. % of silicon dioxide; (3) melting the PGM collector alloy and the material capable of forming a slag-type composition when molten in a weight ratio of 1:0.75 to 5 within a converter until a multi-phase system of a lower high-density molten mass comprising the molten PGM collector alloy and at least one upper low-density molten mass comprising the molten slag-type composition has formed; (4) contacting an oxidizing gas comprising 0 to 80 vol. % of inert gas and 20 to 100 vol. % of oxygen with the lower high-density molten mass obtained in step (3) until it has been converted into a lower high-density molten mass of the PGM-enriched alloy; (5) separating an upper low-density molten slag mass formed during step (4) from the lower high-density molten mass of the PGM-enriched alloy by difference in density; (6) allowing the molten masses separated from one another in step (5) to cool down and solidify; and (7) collecting the solidified PGM-enriched alloy.