How Clean Does Platinum Have To Be Out Of The Honeycomb Of A Cadillac Converter

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Junk cars – purposeless old things that don't deserve the infinite in your garage. For about people, these old and dysfunctional vehicles have totally lost their worth.

At least that'south what most people recollect.

Only some are clever enough to know that fifty-fifty junk cars actually hold something more than valuable. Some pick out the re-salable parts like the engine or side mirrors to be used as spare parts. Simply more than than that, in that location are actually some treasures to exist found in cars and that lie correct at the underbelly of the machine.

They're called catalytic converters (CC).

What Are Catalytic Converters?

Sounds like a mouthful just these marvelous devices are very much prized for two things:

1. They convert highly toxic fumes generated by auto engines and convert them "magically" into mostly harmless gases that get blown off into the atmosphere.
2. They apply a highly coveted metal, platinum, to human activity as a catalyst, along with other metals in converting toxic gas to harmless gas.

What is a goad you lot inquire? In the well-nigh layman of terms, a goad is something that can change something else without irresolute itself.

In chemistry, it is a chemical that is able to speed upwards a chemical reaction without irresolute its properties. In this example, platinum and its PGM brothers or platinum-group metals (iridium, palladium, osmium, ruthenium, rhodium), human activity as the catalysts in breaking down air pollutants to gases that are not-hazardous.

In many catalytic converters, the combination of platinum, palladium, and rhodium work together as catalysts. From the engine, toxic gases similar nitrogen oxide laissez passer through the CCs honeycomb tubes coated with PGTs and get broken down to the harmless gases nitrogen and oxygen.

Killer pollutants similar carbon monoxide laissez passer through the CCs and are combined with oxygen, which in plough becomes carbon dioxide equally it leaves your muffler. CCs as well combine oxygen to unsafe hydrocarbon gases to emit carbon dioxide and water vapor.

Combined with the use of unleaded gas, catalytic converters have transformed cars into environmentally-friendly machines.

The Value of Platinum

The "magic" behind these catalytic converters is institute in their honeycomb-similar tubes. These are coated with platinum, palladium, and rhodium. Among these 3, platinum is most sought later because of its industrial and commercial value, too as its rarity.

Among the precious metals, platinum is seen as more valuable than gilt and argent. It closely has the same density every bit gold, and the same malleable and ductile properties of gold. It is as resistant to corrosion equally gilt.

Withal, what sets platinum autonomously is its rarity. The ratio, in terms of availability, of platinum to aureate is ane:fifteen. This ways that for every fifteen golden at that place is only 1 platinum. It is also difficult to larn a lot of it, as information technology will take x tons of raw platinum ore to come up with a unmarried ounce of pure platinum.

Aside from its rarity, platinum is also admired for its simplistic silvery beauty. It is too tougher than silvery and aureate equally it has the highest melting point amongst the three. Information technology also has hypoallergenic properties making information technology a safe choice for jewelry.

But what drives this metal'due south demand is its apply in the industry. Platinum is used in many machines and applications for its loftier electrical conductivity and catalyst backdrop. In fact, one-third of all platinum production goes to the automobile industry. and aye, they go the catalytic converters.

Extracting Platinum from Catalytic Converters

For those who seek to take a piece of this special metal, look no further than your CCs.

At that place are several methods for how to recover platinum from catalytic converters, and other metals, too. But in most cases, the assistance of professionals might be more benign. Simply if yous wish to extract information technology yourself, you can follow this procedure:

• Remove the catalytic converter found under the vehicle'due south chassis. You may apply a chop saw or flame cutter to remove information technology or unscrew the bolts using a socket wrench.
• Utilise a cutting torch or flame cutter to divide open up the catalytic converter. Make sure to use heavy industrial gloves and goggle for protection.
• Expose the ceramic honeycomb and nudge it out of the example. (In some cases, older CCs utilise coated pellets instead.)
• You may use a flat head screwdriver to pry out some of the platinum coating.
• Y'all may also sell it straight to junkyards.

Some claim that in knowing how to, an boilerplate of 3-7 grams of platinum could be recovered from CCs.

Those that come from trucks yield more than the regular ones in cars. Overall, dismantling the catalytic converter to call back platinum can exist quite exhaustive but still rewarding as platinum is truly a rare and valuable metal.

Resources:

http://autorepair.about.com/od/glossary/ss/how-it_catalyti.htm#step1

http://www.explainthatstuff.com/catalyticconverters.html

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4963067_how-platinum-extracted-catalytic-converter.html

http://lynncoins.com/plat_article.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?five=HYfUNXUDPqo

http://directmetalsrecycling.com/spotlight-on-platinum/

http://world wide web.okedenscrapandpms.com.au/25681473-Recovery-Catalytic-Converters-refining.pdf

Source: https://treasurepursuits.com/how-to-recover-platinum-from-catalytic-converters/

Posted by: cummingsbuiting.blogspot.com

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