Automotive Catalyst Recycling

Customers may send us automotive catalyst material in different forms: canned, rough crush, or a milled fine powder. We first verify the weight at receipt matches the customer’s specified weight, then address any discrepancies.

Material is processed according to its form at receipt, with the aim of homogenizing it into the proper size for sampling.

Canned automotive catalytic converters arrive onsite in various shapes. Depending on its state, we may use plasma cutters to cut off extraneous piping or remove metal casings from a larger can.

Our technicians compare, verify, and re-verify weight counts at multiple stages.

As the name implies, impact crushers crush cans into smaller pieces. Our impact crushers can process 6x more cans compared to shearing, another common decanning process.

If any converter substrate cannot be processed by the impact crusher, we use an air chisel to remove it.

The resulting rough crush is a mix of ceramic substrate and precious metals. We pass it through an air curtain and magnetic separator to remove excess scrap from the lot.

The golden rule: “What goes in must come out.” We compare the total to the original net weight to ensure no material is lost.

The rough crush is transferred to our milling stations, which have a 20-mesh screen to ensure uniform particle size. This process separates out any extra scrap or unprocessed material, whether it’s particles of insulation, cardboard, or coatings on the automotive cannister.

With a uniform particle size, we reduce variability in the steps to follow.

Blending further homogenizes the lot of 20-mesh material to provide the most representative sample. It passes through one blend cycle, pulling from the main output stream and the initial sampled stream.

A dust collection system captures aerial material to recirculate loose particles back through the silo to protect the lot integrity and prevent contamination.

The final discharged, blended material is poured into supersacks and weighed.

When it’s time for final assay, the bulk sample moves to our Sample Preparation Area (SPA). Our colleagues prepare the sample for analysis using best-in-practice blending, splitting, and milling techniques.

Now we have material in the form of a milled, blended fine powder that represents the entire lot. This material runs through a series of tests to provide the most accurate assay possible.

Sample analysis methods include thermogravimetric analysis to calculate moisture percentage, XRF analysis to evaluate precious and base metal concentration, and carbon/sulfur analysis to signal possible interferences in results. If ICP analysis is selected for your assay, we use tellurium collection to eliminate as many non-precious metal elements as possible.

BASF’s assay labs are ISO accredited, which gives our customers peace of mind that they are working with a best-in-class partner for their assaying needs.

After analysis, your material is sent to our pyrometallurgical facility, where the material is processed and eventually turned into high grade metal up to 99.95%.

The metal can then be used to make catalytic converters for future vehicles.

By working with BASF to recycle your automotive catalyst converters, you contribute to a more sustainable economy.

“Green” metals developed in this process generate 90% less CO2 emissions* and consume significantly less water overall.

Our tested, rigorous process involves constantly weighing, analyzing, and verifying results at accredited facilities to ensure the most accurate results. It all comes together to ensure you get paid for the metals you provide.

Speak with a BASF representative to begin the automotive catalyst recycling process.