By XU Ning
BASF and Heraeus are forming a joint venture in Pinghu of Zhejiang Province to recover precious metals from catalysts, the companies will have an equal ownership stake in the new entity, the German companies said in a joint press release on February 11.
HU Min, general manager of Heraeus China told Jiemian News that once completed, the facility will be the largest of its kind in China and can process over 1,000 tons of spent catalysts a year.
Hu said the facility will mainly recycle platinum group metals (PGMs) from vehicle catalysts. GPMs are often used to make jewelry. They can also be used as catalysts for manufacturing chemicals, exhaust gas purifiers, and hydrogen cells.
Over 90 percent of the natural reserves of PGMs are found in South Africa, according to USGS, and China depends heavily on imports.
The site will be operational before the end of 2023.
