Platinum Waste
London Chemicals & Resources Limited (LCR) is proud to represent RS Bruce in relation to the recovery of Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) from Nitric Acid plants and dealing with platinum waste.
RS Bruce is the world’s leading specialist in recovering PGMs from Nitric Acid and other chemical plants. With over 35 years of experience and more than 700 successful clean downs completed, RS Bruce has to date recovered over USD2 bn worth of Palladium, Platinum and Rhodium from clients’ plants.
What is Platinum Waste?
Platinum waste refers to any material that contains platinum and is no longer useful for its intended purpose. This can include scrap metal, spent catalysts, electronic waste, and jewellery waste. Platinum waste can be generated during the manufacturing process or after the end of the product’s life cycle.
How to Use Platinum Waste
Platinum waste can be used for various purposes, depending on its quality and composition. One of the primary uses of platinum waste is recycling. Platinum is a valuable and rare metal, and recycling platinum waste can help conserve natural resources and reduce the environmental impact of mining. Platinum waste can be recycled to produce new platinum products, such as jewellery, automotive parts, and industrial catalysts.
Another use of platinum waste is research. Platinum is a versatile metal that has unique properties, such as high electrical conductivity, resistance to corrosion, and catalytic activity. Researchers can use platinum waste to study its properties and develop new applications.
How to Dispose of Platinum Waste
If platinum waste is not suitable for recycling or research, it must be disposed of properly. Platinum waste can be hazardous to human health and the environment if not handled correctly. Therefore, it is essential to follow the regulations and guidelines for platinum waste disposal.
One of the most common methods of platinum waste disposal is incineration. Incineration can destroy the hazardous components of platinum waste and reduce its volume. However, incineration can also release harmful emissions into the air, so it must be done in a controlled environment.
Another method of platinum waste disposal is landfills. Landfills can store platinum waste safely and reduce its exposure to the environment. However, landfills can also contaminate the soil and groundwater if not designed and managed correctly.
Clean Downs
RS Bruce offers both non-destructive and destructive clean downs of Nitric Acid plants. Non-destructive clean downs of operational plants use mild chemicals and non-aggressive techniques, specially developed by RS Bruce and extensively tested to ensure safe yet optimal recovery of lost PGMs. Non-destructive clean downs usually take place during scheduled maintenance shutdowns in order to avoid disruption to clients’ production schedules. Clients benefit from an RS Bruce clean down not only by recovering lost PGMs but also through improved heat exchange efficiency.
Destructive cleaning of decommissioned plant components is also offered. This can recover 100% of PGMs retained within those components.
RS Bruce uses a wide range of technologies and equipment to recover metals including Platinum, Palladium, Rhodium, Iridium, Ruthenium, Gold, Silver, Molybdenum, Cobalt, Titanium, Nickel and Copper from a variety of industrial residues such as Process Residues, Sludges, Filter Cakes, Filter Media, Activated Carbon, Diatomaceous Earth & Ion Exchange Resins, Filter Cartridges and Papers, Cathode Plates, Gauzes, PGM Coated Mesh, Shot Blast Wastes and Overspray from PGM Coating, Turbine Blades and Vanes, PPE & Workwear, Lab Smalls, Samples, Filter Papers, Filter Media, Plant and Equipment, Sweepings and Residues from Process Labs, Buildings, Concrete Floors, Wall Coverings and Roof Spaces, Furnace Slag, Refinery Slag, Flue Dust and Sweepings, Dentistry and Medical Wastes, Jewellery Scrap, Floor Sweeps, Electronic Equipment and Specialist Components and Connectors, Raschig rings and Support Structures from Nitric Acid Plants.
Please contact LCR to discuss how we can help you to recover your lost PGMs.
Founded in 2005
LCR was founded in 2005 with an office near London Bridge. The founding partners had extensive experience dating back to the early 1980s in the global distribution and trading of chemicals, base and minor metals as well as ferroalloys. Already holding significant industry-relevant knowledge of base metals and the London Metal Exchange, the company joined the Minor Metal Trade Association in 2006 to support involvement in this area of metals and related chemicals.
In 2009, the company began a strategic move upstream, employing specialised staff and expanding to deal more with metal-containing secondaries, particularly spent catalysts. We joined the Chemical Business Association in 2011 and committed ourselves to the Responsible Care program in 2012. In 2015 with our continuing development into the field of secondaries, we obtained UK registration as a waste broker and dealer.
In the following years, LCR continued to develop and grow – further increasing staffing levels and turnover – and in 2016 was officially recognised by the London Stock Exchange as a “Company to Inspire Britain”. We branched out more into non-ferrous secondaries, dealing with ashes, drosses, sludges, tailings and others as well as continuing with our spent catalysts. In 2018 we became members of the Bureau of International Recycling to complement our involvement in the field of secondaries and pave the way for future progress and growth. In 2019 we made it to the FT/Statista top 1000 list, recognising LCR as one of the fastest-growing companies in Europe. In the same year, we were accredited with ISO 9001.
AGR Catalyst Recovery
Following several years of joint cooperation and work, AGR Catalyst Recovery (AGR CR) based in Spain was finally commissioned in 2020. LCR works exclusively with this J/V operation, collecting and processing thousands of tons of spent catalysts coming from European refineries every year.
In 2020 we opened our own office in Mumbai and reached an agreement for an exclusive agency in South-East Asia. We commenced involvement with the UK company R. S. Bruce in 2021 and work with them in the SEA markets arranging clean-downs of nitric acid plants for recovery of precious metals.
Today, our business encompasses a range of metallurgical and chemical raw materials, by-products, residues and spent catalysts for downstream use, reclamation and recycling. LCR creates elegant recycling loops – buying back fully processed chemicals and metals from companies we have supplied with secondaries. These are resold to industry worldwide to restart the loop.
How Did We Do?
It is our constant goal to offer the best possible service to our clients at all times. If we have worked with you at any point in the past, please take a moment to visit the Google Maps listing below and share your experience with us.
Contact Us
If you would like to speak to someone directly about our platinum waste services, please call us on +44 (0)20 7183 0651 or visit our contact page, or contact us via LinkedIn and we will be happy to answer any of your questions.
