Method and device for recycling waste materials containing valuable metals

Apparatus for recycling waste materials containing valuable metals in a continuous autothermal process, comprising a fluidized-bed furnace (100) which comprises

• a steel vessel (108) having a refractory lining (118), an inlet (101) for waste materials containing valuable metals, at least one outlet for discharge of material (110, 111), and at least one inlet for introduction of process air (102),
• a preheating device for preheating the process air to a temperature in the range of 45° C. –130° C.,
• at least one gas burner operated only for heating the fluidized-bed furnace (100) to temperature in the range of 720° C. to 730° C. during start-up,
• a fill level measuring device, preferably based on a differential pressure measurement between two measurement points (112, 113), of which one measurement point (113) is arranged above the bed of material and one measurement point (112) is arranged below the bed of material,
• at least one pressure meter (119) for measuring the pressure within the steel vessel (108), and
• at least one temperature sensor for measuring temperature in the fluidized-bed furnace (100).