Umicore implements circular economy for automotive catalyst recycling

Umicore is implementing a circular economy model for automotive catalysts by recycling noble metals such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium. These components, found in the exhaust systems of combustion and hybrid vehicles, are used to transform pollutants into less harmful substances.

The recycling process begins at Umicore’s plant in Americana, Brazil, which receives various wastes, including automotive catalysts, electronic scrap, and mining residues. After homogenization and laboratory analysis to quantify the metals of interest, the material is sent to the company’s metal recycling unit in Hoboken, Belgium. In Hoboken, the metals are recovered through pyrometallurgical processes and subsequently refined for re-entry into the market.

Once refined, these materials are used to manufacture new automotive and industrial catalysts, as well as for chemical and electronic applications. Globally, 65% of the raw materials processed by Umicore are secondary materials reintroduced through recycling. The company’s global recycling unit processes over 400,000 tons of material annually, recovering 17 different metals.