Recycling of precious metals

Collection: The raw materials include electronic waste (such as old mobile phones, computers, and electronic components), industrial scrap, old jewelry, automotive catalysts, and even batteries. These materials are collected and transported to recycling facilities.
Separation: The raw materials are separated manually or using specific machinery. The goal is to isolate the materials containing precious metals from other materials such as plastics, glass, and base metals.

After separation, the materials containing precious metals are crushed into smaller pieces. This is done using crushing machines.
These pieces are then milled into finer particles in specialized mills. Crushing and milling the materials help separate the metals from other substances, improving the efficiency of subsequent chemical and thermal processes.

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Melting: At this stage, the crushed materials are melted in special furnaces. The furnace temperatures are usually very high to ensure the precious metals separate from other substances.
Recovery: Due to their higher weight and density, the precious metals settle at the bottom of the furnace, separating from other materials. Non-metallic substances and impurities rise to the surface as slag and are separated from the metals.
In some cases, chemical processes are also used to separate the precious metals from other materials. For example, dissolving metals in acids and then precipitating them can aid in the separation and recovery of metals.

The recovered metals may still contain impurities. To achieve the desired purity, the melted metals may need to be refined several times.
Chemical Refining: In this stage, methods such as electrolysis or dissolution in specific acids are used. Electrolysis is particularly effective for purifying metals like gold and silver.
Thermal Refining: Some metals are purified using distillation and evaporation processes. In this method, metals are vaporized and then condensed at lower temperatures to return to a solid state, achieving purification.

After purification, the precious metals are poured into specific molds to form ingots. The ingots are typically produced in various sizes and weights, depending on market demand and industry standards.
At this stage, special attention is paid to controlling the temperature and cooling time of the metals to prevent cracks and bubbles in the ingots, ensuring the highest possible quality.

After the ingots are produced, each one is inspected for purity and quality. This may involve chemical and physical tests to ensure the ingots meet the required standards.
The ingots are then marked with their weight and purity and packaged for sale or use in other industries.