Stillwater Mining Company has revealed that it is aiming to become the largest recycler of auto catalytic converters in the US.

The firm's recycling and smelting business now processes more than 20 tonnes of pgms - which are used in the harmful emission-reducing devices - every day.

According to the latest figures, its recycled ounces increased by 64 per cent on a year-on-year basis in the second quarter, equivalent to 20,000 to 25,000 catalytic converters every 24 hours.

In order to boost volumes further, the company commissioned a second furnace last spring and expects it to improve its recycling capacity by about 400 per cent.

"There are only a few places in the world that can smelt down catalytic converters. And we're one of the few," said Greg Roset, Vice President and General Manager of Stillwater's smelter and recycling operation, in an interview with the Billings Gazette.

"If we do our job, we will be the largest auto catalytic converter recycling processor in the nation."

The company has also retrofitted its original smelter, translating it into a sampling facility, and will cut its receiving-to-assay time from 35 days to ten days with a new X-ray assay lab later this year.

Stillwater Mining Company is the only platinum and palladium producer in the US.

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Muffler mining: Stillwater’s expanded recycling facility boosts recovery of metals from catalytic converters (12/09/10)

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