Electrolytic process for extracting high purity platinum from platinum alloys

Electrolytic process for obtaining a purified platinum-containing solution from a concentrated hydrochloric acid solution containing at least one platinum alloy and metal impurities, said process comprising the steps of:

• a) providing an electrolysis cell having an anode and a cathode and a cation exchanger membrane subdividing said electrolysis cell;
• b) placing in said electrolysis cell a concentrated hydrochloric acid solution containing not greater than 5000 ppm of the metal impurities in relation to a platinum metal content of said concentrated hydrochloric acid solution and 50 to 700 g/l of a platinum alloy selected from the group consisting of Platinum-Rhodium alloys, Platinum-Iridium alloys and Platinum-Palladium alloys, said metal impurities containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag, Cu, Fe, Co, Ni, Sb, As, Pb, Cd, Al, Mn, Mo, Si, Zn, Sn, Zr, W, Ti and Cr;
• c) applying a potential across said anode and said cathode of 8 V to 16 V to perform an electrolysis under voltage-controlled conditions at a current density of 12.5 to 37.5 A/dm.sup.2 so as to form the purified platinum-containing solution and at least one platinum alloy metal deposit;
• and
• d) recovering said at least one platinum alloy metal deposit.