Process for removal of the catalytic coating material from spent, defective or unused metal support catalytic converters
AssigneeR.O. Processing, Inc.
InventorJames Dennis Holgersen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Process for recovering catalyst coating material from a supporting structure, such as, for example, a catalytic converter assembly having a metal mantle, including contacting the catalytic coating material with a sodium, potassium or ammonium hydroxide-containing compound at an elevated temperature; and rinsing with a liquid and filtering the solid catalyst coating material from the solution.
Claims24
A process for recovering catalyst coating metals from a catalytic converter assembly where a catalyst coating material is bonded to a metal supporting structure, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) contacting the catalyst coating material supported on the metal supporting structure of the catalytic converter assembly with a liquid sodium hydroxide solution consisting of about 51 percent water and about 49 percent sodium hydroxide for a period of time sufficient to allow penetration of the solution;
- b) removing the catalytic converter assembly from the liquid sodium hydroxide solution;
- c) draining excess solution from the converter assembly;
- d) heating the catalytic converter assembly in a furnace at approximately 600 C for at least about one hour;
- e) removing the catalytic converter assembly from the furnace;
- f) cooling the catalytic converter assembly;
- and
- g) removing the catalyst coating material from the converter assembly, wherein the process breaks a bond between the catalytic coating material and the metal in the supporting structure.
A process for recovering catalytic material from a supporting structure, comprising the steps of:
- a) contacting the catalytic coating material supported on the supporting structure with a strong basic compound of pH of 12 or greater, at an elevated temperature;
- b) removing the catalytic coating material supported on the supporting structure from further contact with the basic compound of pH of 12 or greater;
- c) removing excess strong basic compound of pH of 12 or greater;
- d) heating the catalytic coating material and the supporting structure;
- and
- e) removing the catalytic coating material from the supporting structure, wherein the supporting structure is comprised of metal, and the process breaks a bond between the catalytic coating material and the metal in the supporting structure.
A process for recovering catalytic material from a supporting structure, comprising the steps of:
- a) contacting the catalytic coating material supported on the supporting structure with a strong basic compound of pH of 12 or greater, at an elevated temperature;
- b) removing the catalytic coating material supported on the supporting structure from further contact with the basic compound of pH of 12 or greater;
- c) removing excess strong basic compound of pH of 12 or greater;
- d) heating the catalytic coating material and the supporting structure;
- and
- e) removing the catalytic coating material from the supporting structure, wherein the step of heating in step d) is followed by immersing the catalytic converter assembly in a mild acidic solution having a pH of about 2.5 to about 3.3, and agitating the solution.
A process for recovering catalyst coating material containing platinum group metals from a catalytic converter assembly having a metal supporting structure comprising the steps of:
- a) contacting the catalyst coating material with a material containing sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide or ammonium hydroxide at a temperature of at least 50 C or greater;
- b) heating the catalytic converter assembly in an oven at an elevated temperature;
- c) removing the catalytic converter assembly from the oven;
- d) immersing the catalytic converter assembly in an acidic solution;
- and
- e) removing the catalyst coating material from the acidic solution.
A process for recovering catalyst coating metals from a catalytic converter assembly where a catalyst coating material is bonded to a metal supporting structure, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) contacting the catalyst coating material supported on the metal supporting structure of the catalytic converter assembly with a chemical or material containing sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide or ammonium hydroxide for at least about 1 hour;
- b) heating the catalytic converter assembly with heating means;
- c) removing the catalytic converter assembly from further contact with the chemical or material containing the sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide or ammonium hydroxide;
- d) removing the catalytic converter assembly from the heating means;
- e) cooling the catalytic converter assembly;
- and
- f) separating the catalyst coating material from the converter assembly, wherein the step of separating the catalyst material from the converter assembly in step f) further comprises immersing the catalytic converter assembly in a mild acidic solution containing water and hydrochloric or citric acid for about 24 hours or longer.
A process for recovering catalyst coating material from a catalytic converter assembly where a catalyst coating material is bonded to a metal supporting structure, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) contacting the catalyst coating material supported on the metal supporting structure of the catalytic converter assembly with a chemical or material containing sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide or ammonium hydroxide for at least about 1 hour;
- b) heating the catalytic converter assembly with heating means;
- c) removing the catalytic converter assembly from further contact with the chemical or material containing the sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide or ammonium hydroxide;
- d) removing the catalytic converter assembly from the heating means;
- e) cooling the catalytic converter assembly;
- and
- f) separating the catalyst coating material from the converter assembly, wherein the step of separating the catalyst coating material from the converter assembly in step f) further comprises mechanical agitation of the converter assembly in a liquid bath.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.