Slag design and optimization for iron capturing platinum group metals from alumina‐based spent catalysts

Abstract Production of petrochemical catalysts accounts for one of the largest shares of platinum group metals (PGMs) consumption; thus, recycling of spent petrochemical catalysts holds great economic value. Conventionally, PGMs are recovered through hydrometallurgical processes which have a low recovery efficiency and produce a large amount of waste. In this regard, this paper proposed a method to use iron‐capturing PGMs based on CaO‐Al 2 O 3 ‐Na 2 O slag. This method avoided the formation of Fe–Si alloy and achieved efficient enrichment of PGMs. The droplet force model showed that the recovery efficiency of PGMs could be improved if the slag had low density and low viscosity. Based on this result, FactSage software optimized the composition of slag. Furthermore, the effect of B 2 O 3 on the 1400 °C liquidus of CaO‐Al 2 O 3 ‐Na 2 O‐B 2 O 3 phase diagram was revealed. Moreover, it was found that the recovery efficiency of PGMs exceeded 99% under the following optimized conditions: basicity of 1.0, 20 wt% Na 2 O, 15 wt% B 2 O 3 , 15 wt% Fe, 3 wt% C and a temperature range of 1400–1500 °C. The thermodynamic model revealed the mechanism of iron capture. Different chemical bonds prevented the formation of bonds between the alloy and slag, resulting in the separation of the slag from the alloy. PGMs particles and iron microspheres had significant surface Gibbs free energy. Only when iron microspheres and PGMs particles collided and fused with each other to reduce their surface area could the Gibbs free energy of the system be reduced.