Abstract: A process for the recovery of precious metal (PM) from PM oil, the process including combustion of PM oil within a furnace, where the PM oil is burned in atomized form.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of precious metal (PM) from PM oil, the process including combustion of PM oil within a furnace, where the PM oil is burned in atomized form.

Abstract: Processes for the production of platinum group metal (PGM)-enriched alloys are described. The PGM enriched-alloys can have 0 to 60 wt.-% of iron and 20 to 99 wt.-% of one or more PGMs selected from the group consisting of platinum, palladium and rhodium. The described processes exhibit remarkably low PGM losses during production of PGM-enriched alloys therefore yield alloys having considerably high PGM levels.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A gas-coolable gas lance comprising an inner tube for a supply of a gas A, wherein the inner tube is surrounded by an outer tube, wherein the inner and the outer tube form a hollow space between themselves, wherein the inner tube has a bottom opening and a top opening, wherein the bottom opening comprises or is an exhaust for the gas A, wherein the hollow space is open at its bottom and has at least one inlet for a gas B, wherein the outer tube and the oxidizing gas exhaust are made of stainless steel. The gas lance can be used in a pyrometallurgical process for the production of a PGM-enriched alloy.

Abstract: A process for the production of a PGM-enriched alloy comprising 0 to 60 wt.-% of iron and 20 to 99 wt.-% of one or more PGMs selected from the group consisting of platinum, palladium and rhodium, the process comprising the steps of (1) providing a PGM collector alloy comprising 30 to 95 wt.-% of iron, less than 1 wt.-% of sulfur and 2 to 15 wt.-% of one or more PGMs selected from the group consisting of platinum, palladium and rhodium, (2) providing a copper- and sulfur-free material capable of forming a slag-like composition when molten, wherein the molten slag-like composition comprises 40 to 90 wt.-% of magnesium oxide and/or calcium oxide and 10 to 60 wt.-% of silicon dioxide, (3) melting the PGM collector alloy and the material capable of forming a slag-like composition when molten in a weight ratio of 1:0.

Abstract: A gas-coolable gas lance comprising an inner tube for a supply of a gas A, wherein the inner tube is surrounded by an outer tube, wherein the inner and the outer tube form a hollow space between themselves, wherein the inner tube has a bottom opening and a top opening, wherein the bottom opening comprises or is an exhaust for the gas A, wherein the hollow space is closed at its bottom and has a top opening, wherein the hollow space comprises an arrangement of tubes for a supply of a gas B to the bottom region of the hollow space, wherein the outer tube, the hollow space's bottom and the exhaust for the gas A are made of stainless steel. The gas lance can be used in a pyrometallurgical process for the production of a PGM-enriched alloy.

Abstract: A gas lance which can be used in a process of any one of the preceding claims, said gas lance comprising or consisting of a rod having inner channels along its length axis, wherein the rod is made of a non-oxidizable ceramic material having a melting point above 1800° C. The gas lance can be used in a pyrometallurgical process for the production of a PGM-enriched alloy.

Abstract: 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.