Ruthenium Recovery_The Process of Ruthenium Recycling

The process of ruthenium recycling is a series of complex steps designed to recover ruthenium efficiently and in a high-purity form. Due to its high value, the recovery process is often cost-effective despite requiring specialized techniques and equipment. Below are the primary steps involved in ruthenium recycling:

1. Collection and Sorting of Ruthenium-Containing Materials

• Identification of Sources: Ruthenium-containing components, such as spent catalysts, electronics, and industrial coatings, are collected. Items are sorted based on ruthenium concentration and the type of materials mixed with ruthenium.
• Disassembly and Separation: In cases like electronics, devices are disassembled to separate ruthenium-containing parts from other materials, optimizing recovery efficiency.

2. Mechanical Processing

• Crushing and Grinding: Larger components, like catalysts and electronics, are crushed and ground to increase surface area, facilitating further extraction processes.
• Physical Separation: Techniques like magnetic separation or density-based methods may be applied to separate ruthenium from other metals or materials.

3. Chemical Leaching

• Acid Leaching: Strong acids, such as hydrochloric or sulfuric acid, are used to dissolve ruthenium and other metals from the processed scrap. This step allows for selective recovery by bringing ruthenium into a solution.
• Oxidative Leaching: In some cases, oxidizing agents like chlorine or nitric acid are used to assist in dissolving ruthenium, especially if it's present in mixed metal alloys or coated materials.

4. Precipitation and Solvent Extraction

• Precipitation of Ruthenium Compounds: Once ruthenium is dissolved, it can be selectively precipitated by adjusting the pH or by adding specific chemicals that cause ruthenium compounds to form solids, which can then be filtered out.
• Solvent Extraction: Solvent extraction techniques use organic solvents to separate ruthenium from other metals in solution, allowing for further purification. This step is often used to separate ruthenium from similar elements like platinum and palladium.

5. Electrochemical Recovery

• Electrodeposition: In an electrochemical cell, ruthenium ions are selectively deposited onto an electrode, helping to purify the metal by concentrating ruthenium on the cathode. This process is especially effective when high purity is required.
• Electrorefining: For even higher purity, electrorefining is used to eliminate impurities by dissolving ruthenium again and redepositing it, ensuring a high-grade, refined metal.

6. Thermal Treatment (if required)

• Reduction of Ruthenium Oxides: Ruthenium oxides formed during chemical processing may be reduced by heating in a hydrogen atmosphere or other reducing environments, converting them back to elemental ruthenium.
• Sintering or Melting: Ruthenium may be sintered or melted to produce a solid form, often as powder or ingots, for reuse in manufacturing or other applications.

7. Refining and Final Purification

• Additional Purification: In some cases, refining processes like chlorination or vacuum distillation may be used to reach the highest purity levels.

• Final Product Formulation: The recovered ruthenium is then converted into a form suitable for resale or reuse, such as ingots, powders, or compounds, depending on the demand and application.

  
  

Dingfeng Precious Metals Recycling includes precious metals such as gold, silver, palladium, rhodium, platinum, germanium, iridium, ruthenium, etc. This is our business in precious metal recycling. If you have precious metals such as gold, silver, palladium, rhodium, platinum, germanium, iridium, ruthenium that need to be recycled, please contact us and we will provide you with a satisfactory price.

Email us with pictures at dfpmr5719@dfpmr.com or send us on whatsapp at +8613760175719 to discuss your materials. We provide professional evaluations of industrial precious metal-bearing scrap and estimates of precious metal content.