Recycling furnace for burning off precious metal-containing materials

• US 8,377,382 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2012
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heraeus Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG (Heraeus Holding GMBH)
• Original Assignee: Heraeus Precious Metals GmbH & Co. KG (Einhorn Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH)
• Inventors: Nowottny, Christian, Meyer, Horst, Grehl, Matthias, Alt, Hans-Joachim, Schafer, Dieter, Glab, Wilhelm
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin, Walter D
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY TRAM
• Application Number:
  US13/461,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20120227643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 294 Days
• Field of Search: 422/105, 422/110, 422/111, 110/185, 110/267, 110/342
• US Class Current: 422/105
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 11/021 Recovery of noble metals from waste materials
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 7/001 Dry processes
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 2207/102 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 2207/30 Oxidant supply
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 2208/10 Preventing or abating fire or explosion, e.g. by purging
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 2209/141 Explosive gases
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 5/0273 using indirect heating
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 5/16 in a separate combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 5/50 Control or safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 7/006 wires, cables production and refining of metals C22B, e.g. from scrap to produce non-ferrous metals C22B7/00; salvaging material from cables H01B15/003
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/20 Recycling

Abstract

A recycling furnace is provided for processing potentially explosive precious metal-containing materials having organic fractions that combust with great energy. The furnace includes a switching facility for alternating operation of two burning-off chambers of the furnace between: (A) pyrolysis or carbonization under protective furnace gas in an atmosphere comprising maximally 6 wt-% oxygen, and (B) oxidative combustion of the organic fractions including carbon. The furnace has indirect heating and a control that determines the end of the pyrolysis or carbonization by a sensor and controls the switching facility to supply air or oxygen to the interior of the furnace. A continuous conveyor for dosing of liquids or liquefied substances during the pyrolysis is controlled by at least one parameter of post-combustion, preferably a temperature sensor. A single waste gas treatment facility is used for thermal post-combustion for the two furnace chambers.

Claims

1. A recycling furnace for processing potentially explosive precious metal-containing materials having organic fractions that combust with great energy, the furnace comprising:

at least two combustion chambers, each of the at least two combustion chambers being provided with indirect heating, a protective furnace gas supply and an air or oxygen gas supply and being attached to a single waste gas treatment facility,

a switching facility for alternating operation of the at least two combustion chambers between (A) pyrolysis or carbonization in an atmosphere comprising maximally 6 weight-% oxygen with gas from the protective furnace gas supply and (B) oxidative combustion of the organic fractions including carbon with oxygen from the air or oxygen gas supply, and

a sensor for determining an end of the pyrolysis or carbonization in one of the at least two combustion chambers, wherein the sensor controls the switching facility to supply the air or oxygen to an interior of the one of the at least two combustion chambers in which the pyrolysis or carbonization is ending.

2. The recycling furnace according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor or a substance-sensitive sensor.

3. The recycling furnace according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least two combustion chambers comprises an explosion-proof liquid supply facility feeding a hot chamber at a temperature of at least 400°

C.

4. The recycling furnace according to claim 1, further comprising capture troughs, arranged underneath a combustion goods supply or a pyrolysis goods supply, for receiving precious metal fractions and ash.

5. The recycling furnace according to claim 1, further comprising a continuous conveyer facility for dosing liquids or pastes into the one of the at least two combustion chambers during pyrolysis.

6. The recycling furnace according to claim 5, further comprising a temperature sensor for controlling the dosing of liquids and pastes.

7. The recycling furnace according to claim 1, further comprising at least one combustion goods supply for each of the at least two combustion chambers and at least one capture trough for each of the at least two combustion chambers, the at least one capture trough being arranged underneath the at least one combustion goods supply.