An Integrated Circular Economy Model for Decoupling Europe from Platinum Group Metals Supply Risk in the Automotive Sector

An integrated model of sustainable circular economy applied to the case of platinum group metals (PGMs) contained into the automotive catalytic converters is described. The cycle consists of four major steps: A. Collection and pre-processing of spent catalytic converters, B. PGM recovery as nitrate or other salts, C. Production of nano-catalytic washcoat powder, and D. Production of novel low-PGM catalysts. This scheme of circular economy can be sustainable when low-cost catalytic materials, like copper, are used to partially substitute the PGMs in the autocatalyst. A novel low-PGM Cu-based catalyst was successfully designed and tested, demonstrating the potential for practical applications.