Patent ID: 9057118
Filing Date: 2015-06-16
Classification: C22B,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A continuous process for obtaining a precious-metal-rich composition from a feedstock material, the process comprising the steps of: (i) heating a feedstock material in a plasma furnace to form an upper slag layer and a lower molten metal layer, (ii) removing the slag layer; (iii) removing the molten metal layer; (iv) casting the molten metal onto a casting table and allowing the removed molten metal to solidify as a solidified metal layer; (v) fragmenting the solidified metal layer to form fragments; and (vi) recovering a platinum-group metal-rich composition from the fragments; wherein the feedstock material comprises a platinum-group-metal-containing material and a collector metal, said collector metal being a metal or an alloy that is capable of forming a solid solution, an alloy or an intermetallic compound with one or more platinum-group metals; wherein the collector metal comprises iron.