Abstract
Autocatalyst is the largest demand sector for Platinum Group Metals (hereinafter referred to as PGMs). Therefore, promotion of recovering PGMs from scrapped autocatalysts is significant for supply of the metals.
In Japan, annual demand of platinum and palladium for autocatalysts was approximately 20 tons each in 2005, contrasting with small quantity recovered from scrapped autocatalysts. We had interviewed with auto recycling sectors, PGMs smelters & refineries and catalysts manufactures. Based on the research we estimate around 40% of used PGMs was recovered from catalysts of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) generated in Japan and the recovered quantity of platinum was 1.1 tons (palladium: 0.7 tons, rhodium: 0.2 tons). Principal factor in the outflow is export of secondhand vehicles and auto parts, and large part of them is shipped to Asian countries. Meanwhile, scrapped autocatalysts collected from foreign markets were more than those from domestic market. Adding quantity from the imported scraps, final recovered quantity of platinum in Japan was estimated to be 4.5 tons (palladium: 3.0 tons, rhodium: 0.7 tons). In the world, platinum and palladium consumed for autocatalysts were approximately 100 tons each in 2005. However, recovered quantity from scrapped autocatalysts was relatively small, around 20 tons per metal.
Accompanied with increase of PGMs demand for autocatalysts, recoverable quantity of PGMs from those scraps is definitely growing. Accordingly, how to advance recycling PGMs will be more and more important. Inefficiency of recovering PGMs is mainly due to incomplete social system of automobile recycling, especially in developing countries. It is expected that Japan, making use of latest technologies and experience, will take the leading role in Asia to establish multilateral recycling system of end-of-life vehicles and scrapped auto parts. Consequently, such efforts promote recovering PGMs from these expanding resources.
