Automotive Catalyst Recycling
EDXRF for Precious Metal Recovery in Used Catalytic Converters
Elemental Analysis for Precious Metals Assay
Used catalytic converters are collected and recycled to reclaim the precious metals Pt, Rh, and Pd. Typically, the entire honeycomb core is removed and ground into fine powder. Once in powder form, the precious metal catalysts can be extracted or sold to a refiner. The honeycomb core is typically ceramic, containing combinations of Al, Si, Fe, Zn, Sr, Zr, Ba, La, and Ce. Some cores can be made of a stainless steel honeycomb and contain higher Fe and other metals. The catalyst material may also be high in Pb content in regions where leaded gasoline is still used. Because all of these matrix elements can occur at various levels, Rigaku’s fundamental parameters software with matching library offers quick, direct analysis, of powdered catalytic converter cores, without the need for a large suite of calibration standards.
Rigaku NEX CG II Series and NEX QC+ QuantEZ are especially recommended for this application.
Quantitative Elemental Analysis
Rigaku NEX CG II Series EDXRF analyzers are powered by qualitative and quantitative analytical software, RPF-SQX, that features Rigaku Profile Fitting (RPF) technology. This XRF software allows semi-quantitative analysis of almost all sample types without standards – and rigorous quantitative analysis with standards. Featuring Rigaku’s Scattering FP XRF method, the software automatically estimates the concentration of unmeasurable low atomic number elements (H to F) and provides appropriate corrections.
RPF-SQX greatly reduces the number of required standards for a given level of calibration fit compared to conventional EDXRF (XRF) analytical software. As standards are expensive and can be difficult to obtain for newly developed materials, the utility of having a Rigaku NEX CG II Series EDXRF spectrometer can significantly lower costs and reduce workload requirements for routine elemental analysis needs.
Catalyst Information & Resources
- Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI)
- North American Catalysis Society (NACS)
- Science Aid: Introduction to Catalysts
- Catalysis Overview (PDF): W.A. Herrmann Technische Universität (Germany)
- Alumite Catalyst, Kameyama-Sakurai Laboratory, Japan
- Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis Group, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
- Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis
- Center for Enabling New Technologies Through Catalysis, NSF Center (USA)
- 50 Years of Catalysis
- Cracking of Crude Petroleum to Gasoline
- Early Automotive Exhaust Catalysts
- Dutch Institute for Catalysis Research, NIOK
- European Federation of Catalysis Societies
- IACS: International Association of Catalysis Societies
- Industrial Research Institute
- International Zeolite Association
- Organic Reactions Catalysis Society
- Surface Reactivity and Catalysis Group of the Royal Society of Chemistry
- Catalysis Society of Japan – ホーム | 触媒学会
- Wikipedia: Catalysts
