Abstract: Processes produce catalytically highly effective noble metal carboxylate compounds or their solutions that comprise A) a noble metal carboxylate, wherein the noble metal is selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold, and B) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of oxalic acid, a salt of oxalic acid, a derivative of oxalic acid and a salt of the derivative of oxalic acid. The process digests the noble metal with alkaline earth peroxide to produce a digestion mass and dissolves the digestion mass in a carboxylic acid or a carboxylic acid diluted with a protic solvent to produce a resulting solution, whereby alkaline earth ions are separated off as salt of an oxalic acid or salt of oxalic acid derivatives, and the processes do not include any BaSO4 precipitation and filtration of barium sulphate.

Abstract: Process for removing inorganically— and/or organically-bound carbon from a precious metal-containing composition inside an oven chamber comprising at least one direct burner and at least one exhaust gas conduit, characterised by the sequence of steps of: a) providing a precious metal-containing composition comprising fractions of inorganically— and/or organically-bound carbon inside the oven chamber; b) closing the oven chamber; c) heating the content of the oven chamber by means of at least one direct burner in order to establish a temperature T1 in the range of 450° C. to 1,000° C. and maintaining temperature T1 for 5 min-48 h; whereby, once the oven chamber is closed, any gas exchange between the oven chamber and the surroundings can take place only via the at least one direct burner and the at least one exhaust gas conduit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the production of palladium(0) powder in which a palladium(0) starting powder is subjected to a thermal treatment in a furnace at a temperature of no more than 370° C. in a hydrogen gas atmosphere.

Abstract: A process for digestion of fine iridium includes (a) alkaline oxidative digestion of 1 part by weight fine iridium and 3 to 20 parts by weight of a combination comprising 40 to 70 parts by weight sodium hydroxide, 15 to 30 parts by weight sodium nitrate, and 10 to 40 parts by weight sodium peroxide in the melt, whereby the sum of the weight fractions equals 100 parts by weight; (b) cooling the digestion material formed in step (a) to 20 to 70° C.; (c) dissolving the acid-soluble fractions of the cooled digestion material in water/halogen hydracid until an acidic aqueous solution with a pH value of ?1 to +1 is obtained; and (d) boiling the acidic aqueous solution obtained in step (c) until the formation of nitrous gases is completed. Insoluble ingredients can be separated from the acidic aqueous solution before or after step (d), if needed.

Abstract: Process for removing precious metal from precious metal-containing catalyst form bodies comprising form bodies and precious metal, whereby the precious metal to be removed is at least one precious metal selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag, Pd, Pt, Ir, Rh, Ru, Os, and Re, comprising the steps of: (a) producing a mixture of precious metal-containing catalyst form bodies in at least one mineral acid that is at least 1N; (b) supplying inert or oxidizing gas into the mixture containing noble metal-containing catalyst form bodies and mineral acid; (c) introducing at least one oxidation agent, in solid or liquid form, into the mixture containing noble metal-containing catalyst form body and mineral acid; and (d) separating the form bodies from the liquid.

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: Process for removing inorganically- and/or organically-bound carbon from a precious metal-containing composition inside an oven chamber comprising at least one direct burner and at least one exhaust gas conduit, characterised by the sequence of steps of: a) providing a precious metal-containing composition comprising fractions of inorganically- and/or organically-bound carbon inside the oven chamber; b) closing the oven chamber; c) heating the content of the oven chamber by means of at least one direct burner in order to establish a temperature T1 in the range of 450° C. to 1,000° C. and maintaining temperature T1 for 5 min-48 h; whereby, once the oven chamber is closed, any gas exchange between the oven chamber and the surroundings can take place only via the at least one direct burner and the at least one exhaust gas conduit.

Abstract: Processes produce catalytically highly effective noble metal carboxylate compounds or their solutions that comprise A) a noble metal carboxylate, wherein the noble metal is selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold, and B) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of oxalic acid, a salt of oxalic acid, a derivative of oxalic acid and a salt of the derivative of oxalic acid. The process digests the noble metal with alkaline earth peroxide to produce a digestion mass and dissolves the digestion mass in a carboxylic acid or a carboxylic acid diluted with a protic solvent to produce a resulting solution, whereby alkaline earth ions are separated off as salt of an oxalic acid or salt of oxalic acid derivatives, and the processes do not include any BaSO4 precipitation and filtration of barium sulphate.

Abstract: Process for digestion of fine iridium, comprising the steps of: (a) alkaline oxidative digestion of 1 part by weight fine iridium and 3 to 20 parts by weight of a combination comprising 40 to 70 parts by weight sodium hydroxide, 15 to 30 parts by weight sodium nitrate, and 10 to 40 parts by weight sodium peroxide in the melt, whereby the sum of the weight fractions adds up to 100 parts by weight; (b) cooling the digestion material formed in step (a) to 20 to 70° C.; (c) dissolving the acid-soluble fractions of the cooled digestion material in water/halogen hydracid until an acidic aqueous solution with a pH value in the range of ?1 to +1 is obtained; and (d) boiling the acidic aqueous solution obtained in step (c) until the formation of nitrous gases is completed; whereby a step (e) of separating insoluble ingredients from the acidic aqueous solution can take place before or after step (d), if needed.

Abstract: Method for producing elemental rhodium, comprising the steps of: (1) providing an aqueous suspension of diethylene triammonium hexahalogenorhodate adjusted with hydrohalic acid to a pH value of ?1 to +2; (2) adding a sufficient quantity of reducing agent for complete conversion of the diethylene triammonium hexahalogenorhodate to the suspension provided in step (1) and allowing the reaction to proceed until the formation of elemental rhodium is completed; and (3) separating the elemental rhodium formed in step (2) from the hydrohalic aqueous composition formed in step (2); whereby halogen is bromine and/or chlorine.

Abstract: Process for removing precious metal from precious metal-containing catalyst form bodies comprising form bodies and precious metal, whereby the precious metal to be removed is at least one precious metal selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag, Pd, Pt, Ir, Rh, Ru, Os, and Re, comprising the steps of: (a) producing a mixture of precious metal-containing catalyst form bodies in at least one mineral acid that is at least 1N; (b) supplying inert or oxidising gas into the mixture containing noble metal-containing catalyst form bodies and mineral acid; (c) introducing at least one oxidation agent, in solid or liquid form, into the mixture containing noble metal-containing catalyst form body and mineral acid; and (d) separating the form bodies from the liquid.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the production of palladium(0) powder in which a palladium(0) starting powder is subjected to a thermal treatment in a furnace at a temperature of no more than 370° C. in a hydrogen gas atmosphere.

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: The invention relates to a process for the production of noble metal carboxylate compounds, in which a noble metal is digested with at least one metal salt in a container and the digestion mass is dissolved in a carboxylic acid and the metallic ions introduced by the metal salt are separated from the resulting solution by means of oxalate or an oxalate derivative.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ashing plant for enriching noble metals from fluorine-containing materials, comprising a thermal treatment chamber (1) having a refractory insulating lining on the inside of the chamber and an exhaust gas cleaning system, whereby the refractory insulating lining is resistant to hydrofluoric acid and the exhaust gas cleaning system comprises at least one thermal after-incineration chamber (2), at least one or more acid scrubber(s) (3, 4) and at least one alkaline scrubber (5).

Abstract: Palladium(0)-dibenzylidene acetone complexes Pdx(dba)y, with y/x being from 1.5 to 3, are provided according to the invention at a purity of at least 99.5 wt. %. The use of said Pdx(dba)y complexes according to the invention is for determining their stoichiometry by means of elemental analysis. In the method for the production of Pdx(dba)y complexes from a Pd-containing educt and dibenzylidene acetone (dba) in alcohol, according to the invention a solution of the dba in alcohol pre-heated to more than 40° C. is provided first and then the Pd-containing educt is added to the pre-heated solution upon which the complexes are precipitated by a base.

Abstract: Palladium(0)-dibenzylidene acetone complexes Pdx(dba)y, with y/x being from 1.5 to 3, are provided according to the invention at a purity of at least 99.5 wt. %. The use of said Pdx(dba)y complexes according to the invention is for determining their stoichiometry by means of elemental analysis. In the method for the production of Pdx(dba)y complexes from a Pd-containing educt and dibenzylidene acetone (dba) in alcohol, according to the invention a solution of the dba in alcohol pre-heated to more than 40° C. is provided first and then the Pd-containing educt is added to the pre-heated solution upon which the complexes are precipitated by a base.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of noble metal carboxylate compounds, in which a noble metal is digested with at least one metal salt in a container and the digestion mass is dissolved in a carboxylic acid and the metallic ions introduced by the metal salt are separated from the resulting solution by means of oxalate or an oxalate derivative.

Abstract: Preparation of halogenide-free Platinum(II)acetylacetonate [Pt(acac)2] Platinum(II) hexafluoroacetylacetonate [Pt(hfac)2], Platinum(II) trifluoroacetylacetonate [Pt(tfac)2] or Platinum(II)-alkylsubstituted acetylacetonates by the reaction of a halogen free platinum (IV) oxo- or hydroxo-compound, such as PtO2.nH2O (n being an integer from 1 to 4) or H2Pt(OH)6 or Na2Pt(OH)6 or K2Pt(OH)6, with a reducing agent in aqueous solution in the presence of a stoichiometric or higher amount of acetylacetone (acac), potassium acetylacetoante (Kacac) sodium acetylacetonate (Naacac), hexafluoroacetylacetone (hfac), trifluoroacetylacetone (tfac) or alkyl substituted acetylacetones or their salts and an H+ donor.