A pgm-recovery firm has announced plans to accept end-of-life platinum catalysts to help with the problem of recycling.

The move by Recycalytics, which specializes in the recovery of platinum group metallic values from end-of-life catalysts and catalyst production scrap, is in response to a long-standing industry need.

Recycalytics says it plans to target US companies who struggle with the problem of what to do with metal or foil substrate catalyst elements.

Up until now, as the president of Recycalytics, Kurt Ellis points out, these have always been "a troubling disposal problem".

He added: "Emissions control professionals have always had good options for recycling ceramic-based catalyst media, but more often than not, steel supported media ends up in the scrap yard, along with all the expensive platinum.

"We have spent the last two years experimenting to find an effective method to recover the high pgm values bonded to the metal monolith.

"We're pleased to have finally identified an efficient and environmentally friendly solution," Mr Ellis concluded.

The recovery of pgms from devices such as autocatalysts has become an increasingly sophisticated process, with higher quantities of the precious metals now capable of being recovered.