Many people assume precious metals only refer to gold. In fact, the precious metal family includes eight core metals: gold, silver, and six platinum-group metals (PGMs): platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium. Thanks to their scarcity, chemical stability and remarkable industrial value, they are widely used in automotive catalysts, photovoltaic panels, printed circuit boards (PCBs), electronic components and jewelry manufacturing.
As global mineral resources become increasingly limited, precious metal recycling has grown into a profitable and sustainable business. Reliable and high-efficiency recovery & refining equipment is the foundation for maximizing your profit.
Precious Metal Categories & Recycling Value
Platinum Group Metals (PGMs): High-Value Industrial Rare Metals
PGMs include Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru, Ir and Os. They feature high melting points, strong corrosion resistance and outstanding catalytic properties.
- Platinum (Pt): Widely used in automotive three-way catalysts and premium jewelry. Annual global output is around 200 tons, far less than gold.
- Palladium (Pd): Strong demand in exhaust treatment and fuel cells, with volatile market price.
- Rhodium (Rh): Extremely limited supply. Its market price is consistently higher than gold, used in glass manufacturing and chemical catalysis.
- Ruthenium, Iridium, Osmium: Mainly applied in electronic components and special high-temperature alloys, commonly found in spent industrial catalysts and residues.
Silver: Dual Monetary & Industrial Metal
Silver is an essential raw material for photovoltaics and electronics. Annual global silver production reaches 27,000 tons, around 9 times the output of gold. Silver price carries higher volatility, with 55% of global consumption driven by industrial sectors. Silver can be recovered from waste circuit boards, electroplating sludge and PV production scraps.
Gold & Gold Alloys
Besides investment bars and jewelry, gold is heavily used on PCB surfaces, chip pins and electroplating coatings. 18K rose gold and white gold are gold alloys. White gold is mixed with nickel and zinc, while rose gold is alloyed with copper and silver. Jewelry scraps and gold-plated waste can be refined back into high-purity gold with our recovery systems.
Important distinction: Platinum (natural white precious metal) is NOT white K gold. Platinum Pt950 contains 95% pure platinum, while 18K white gold only has 75% gold content. Their market value and refining processes differ greatly.
Feedstock Our Precious Metal Recovery Systems Process
Our complete precious metal refining plants handle a wide range of waste materials:
- E-waste: PCB boards, scrap wires, chips, electronic components, gold-plated / silver-plated scraps
- Automotive industry: Spent three-way catalytic converters for Pt, Pd, Rh extraction
- Chemical industry: Spent catalysts, Pd/C, Pt/C, electroplating solutions and stripping sludge
- Jewelry sector: Polishing dust, K gold scraps, old precious metal ornaments
- New energy & PV: Silver paste waste, lithium battery black mass and other PGM-bearing residues
Key Advantages of Our Precious Metal Recovery Equipment
As a direct manufacturer, we supply integrated systems for precious metal separation, extraction and refining. The full line covers crushing, sorting, leaching, solvent extraction, electrolytic refining and waste gas treatment.
✅ High metal recovery rate: Optimized process for Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, Rh, minimize metal loss and maximize your revenue
✅ Wide feedstock compatibility: Flexible process for e-waste, spent catalysts and electroplating wastewater
✅ High purity output: Refined metals meet commercial standards such as Au999, Ag9999, Pt950, Pd950 for direct global trading
✅ Eco-friendly design: Supporting waste gas and wastewater treatment units to meet international environmental regulations
✅ Modular layout: From lab-scale test units to full industrial production lines; PLC automatic control cuts labor cost
✅ Complete technical support: On-site installation, operation training and after-sales maintenance upon delivery
Business Guide for Precious Metal Recycling
Precious metal recycling combines circular economy and asset appreciation. Your project success depends mainly on two factors: stable waste supply and reliable refining equipment.
- Precious metal prices are affected by USD index, automotive and new energy sectors; Rhodium and Palladium show dramatic price swings.
- Traditional manual refining causes severe metal loss and faces strict chemical control risks, erasing your profit margin.
- Professional recovery equipment reduces metal loss steadily, producing high-purity bullion while complying with local environmental laws.
- Refined precious metals can be traded on Shanghai Gold Exchange and international bullion markets with mature liquidation channels.
Quality Testing
XRF spectrometers quickly test precious metal content in scraps with high accuracy. Final metal products can be inspected and certified by authorized labs such as NGTC, marked with standard purity stamps (Au / Pt / Pd) for global trade.
Why Choose Our Precious Metal Refining Equipment?
We specialize in solid waste recycling equipment for precious metal recovery, offering complete solutions for e-waste, spent catalytic converters, electroplating sludge and scrap circuit boards.
More than machinery supplier: we deliver one-stop solutions including equipment, metallurgical recipes, technical training and global after-sales support. Whether you plan to build a new small refinery or expand your existing recycling capacity, we customize production lines based on your raw material composition and target output.
Transform industrial waste into steady revenue with our precious metal recycling systems. Contact us for customized layout, technical datasheet and quotation.
