8 August • September 2023
Converter Recycling Are you in the driver’s seat of your converter sales?
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that the sale goes to the highest bidder, and you receive the “best” price. The downside to this method is that the buyer will most likely turn those converters around and sell them on recovery or assay, which means you most likely left money or margin on the table. Selling on assay: In the past 10 to12 years, selling on recovery re you in control of your converter sales? Or of the precious metals or assay has been the method that we have are you at the mercy of your buyer? How much promoted. In the end, it is the only way to determine the true valinsight do you have into the actual value of your ue of the scrap catalytic converters being sold. With assay-based scrap catalytic converters? Do you sell your units selling, you commonly sell to a professional processor or smelter. by-the-piece for a “fair market value” or are you A processor is a company that de-cans, mills, samples, and selling on recovery by a process called assay? We hope you are assays or tests scrap catalytic converters and that can determine selling on assay with a reputable processor. the precious metal value of the spent automotive catalyst. There Recycling converters on assay is a journey. We want to help are approximately two dozen professional processors in North you with that journey. There is power and profit in your converter America; those with sample prep, fire assay, and ICP laboratories, education. With so many ways to sell converters, let’s go over a there are less than 10. A smelter is a company that transforms the few of the basic methods and then go a little deeper into underspent automotive catalyst into a collecstanding assay. Selling by-the-piece: This is the Selling on assay with refining tor metal by heating and melting and then sends it on for final refining. An most common way of selling scrap catterms is the best way to end-refiner is a company that reduces alytic converters. Units are commonly recycle scrap catalytic the collector metal down to the pure sold to peddlers, collectors, core companies, and some processors for a “fair converters. In fact, it is the only form of Platinum, Palladium, and Rhodium by fire assay and chemical dissomarket value.” The problem with this way to recycle a converter. lution and analysis. There are less than a method is the subjectivity of the prices. dozen smelters and refiners worldwide. Price lists may be based more on the A few of the smelters are mining companies. Most of the refiners competitive landscape of one’s region than they are on the intrinare global material science and chemical companies that make sic precious metals’ value. Converters that are purchased this way catalyst and other technology materials. The photo below shows are often easily upgraded and downgraded to “make the sale.” the complexity of the smelting and refining process. Pro tip: If a Selling by auction or collective bid: In recent years, many facility lacks pyro- and hydro-metallurgical processes, it is likely recyclers have found some peace of mind, and increased profits, not a smelter or refiner. in selling through an auction or bidding process. The theory is
By Becky Berube
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