DISSOLUTION OF CERAMIC MONOLITH OF SPENT CATALYTIC CONVERTERS BY USING HYDROMETALLURGICAL METHODS

Catalytic converters contain the catalytic substance in their structure, which is a mixture of Platinum Group Metals (PGMs): platinum, palladium and rhodium. The prices of these metals and a growing demand for them in the market, make it necessary to recycle spent catalytic converters and recovery of PGMs. The ceramic monolith of catalytic converters is still a predominant material in its construction among of multitude of catalytic converters which are in circulation. In this work attempts were made to leach additional metals (excluding Pt) from comminuted ceramic monolith. Classic leachant oxidizing media 10MH(2)SO(4), HCl and H3PO4 were used considering the possibility of dissolution of the ceramic monolith.