Patent ID: 8377382

Claim:
A recycling furnace for processing potentially explosive precious metal-containing materials having organic fractions that combust with great energy, the furnace comprising: at least two combustion chambers, each of the at least two combustion chambers being provided with indirect heating, a protective furnace gas supply and an air or oxygen gas supply and being attached to a single waste gas treatment facility, a switching facility for alternating operation of the at least two combustion chambers between (A) pyrolysis or carbonization in an atmosphere comprising maximally 6 weight-% oxygen with gas from the protective furnace gas supply and (B) oxidative combustion of the organic fractions including carbon with oxygen from the air or oxygen gas supply, and a sensor for determining an end of the pyrolysis or carbonization in one of the at least two combustion chambers, wherein the sensor controls the switching facility to supply the air or oxygen to an interior of the one of the at least two combustion chambers in which the pyrolysis or carbonization is ending.