Low pressure drop, high surface area platinum recovery system in a nitric acid plant.

摘要

This invention is a method and an element for the recovery of precious metal selected from the group consisting of platinum and rhodium lost from a platinum-containing catalyst during ammonia oxidation processes wherein the element has non-planar configuration whereby the initial product of the formula: curve to flat ratio (C/F) multiplied by mesh size (N) and wire diameter (dw), for the element is greater than at least about 0.9 and (b) where, for a given nitrogen throughput, the weight recovery efficiency is a function of the curve to flat ratio (C/F), wire diameter (dw) and mesh size (N) combination and weight recovery efficiency is improved by increasing the mesh size (N) for a given wire diameter, increasing the wire diameter (dw) for a given mesh size, and increasing the curve to flat ratio (C/F) to a ratio of above about pi /2.