Recycling Catalytic Converters – Understanding The Process

1. Article1: Globalrefininggroup.com RECYCLING CATALYTIC CONVERTERS – UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS Catalytic converters are a part of your vehicle’s exhaust system. They are being used to convert the polluting exhaust emissions coming from your car’s engine into less dangerous discharges. The catalytic converter contains three, very costly, noble metals, so when an automobile or any vehicle is being recycled, the catalytic converter is properly removed and then sent for specialist recycling. Let us first examine what are the Catalytic Converters. Catalytic converters are fixed to automobiles; vans, cars, trucks, SUVs, trains and buses. They are integrated in the vehicle exhaust system near the engine, and are of same shape to the normal muffler. These catalytic converters are used to convert the toxic exhaust gases that results from petrol and diesel combustion into very less polluting emissions. Now when any vehicle is scrapped and recycled, the catalytic converters are detached from the exhaust system and sent to a dignified metal recycling facility, to make sure that the process is executed efficiently. Now I will illustrate what happens to the catalytic converters when a car is scrapped. To begin with, let us see the overview of the purposes of the pricey metals that are used in the three way catalytic converters. This is termed as a three way converter because of the three exhaust gases that it controls. When it comes to Carbon Monoxide and VOCs (unburned gases), Palladium and Platinum convert these to carbon dioxide and water. On the other hand, when it comes to Nitrogen Oxide, Palladium and Rhodium convert the smoke producing gas to nitrogen and oxygen. Recycling of Catalytic Converters As it is discussed above, when a vehicle is sent for recycling then the catalytic converter is detached before the car is crushed and shredded. Further, the catalytic converters are cut from the exhaust system and immediately transferred to a recycling plant. Here, at the plant, the outer stainless steel container is divided to remove the honeycombed inner periphery which has had numerous layers of aluminum wash-coats applied. This is just to make sure that the most favorable spread of the Palladium, Rhodium and Platinum which are saturated into the wash-coat, and act as catalysts, are extracted. It is imperative, not only to take out the honeycomb interior but any residual particles and dust which are accumulated in the catalytic converter container as well. Once the process collects sufficient elements and materials accrued, the next stage of recycling can commence successfully. This entails the breaking process of the honeycomb into tiny pieces that are then fed through grinder or a hammer mills to generate a fine powder. Moving ahead in the process, the powder is now fed into a container which consists of a solution such as sodium hydroxide (a caustic soda) which then gets dissolved in the aluminum wash-coat fragments, leaving behind the solution of the three catalysts. With many new techniques evolving in recycling of the catalytic converter, recently innovative recycling process are also being researched and developed by many researchers in which the entire catalytic converter unit is administered to a brisk heating in an electric arc furnace. In case you are looking for more information about smelting catalytic converters, all you need to do is visit Globalrefininggroup.com.

2. Article1: Globalrefininggroup.com ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tom Blake is an expert in recycling catalytic converters who also likes to write many interesting articles and blogs, helping people in understanding the process and the many advantages that stem from it. In the US, he recommends GlobalRefiningGroup.com as the most trusted specialist for this job.