Every year, an unimaginable amount of precious metal goes to waste in landfills. People often don’t know they can recycle jewelry or electronics containing these metals, with few refineries equipped for the task. Solid Equipment Company aims to change this by offering equipment to separate precious metals from scrap. This helps the environment and allows our customers to profit and thrive.
What Are Precious Metals?
A precious metal is a natural metallic chemical element that has a low supply and a high value. They are generally more flexible and less reactive than more commonly available metals. The primary four precious metals are:
- Silver
- Gold
- Platinum
- Palladium
These metals can be found in some astonishing places. In addition to being found in coins, jewelry, and electronics, precious metals appear in X-ray film, catalytic converters, and electrophysiology catheters.
How Are Precious Metals Recycled?
The first step is to collect all the materials you believe contain precious metals. When you’re working primarily with jewelry, the process is simple. If you are working with large batches of scrap, it’s crucial to sort out the metals visually or use tools like high-powered magnets. It can be helpful to compress the recovered metals with something like a scrap metal baler to make the next step easier.
The metals should then be shredded using equipment like hydraulic shears. Shredded metals melt faster and more evenly, which results in less energy waste through the process.
After being melted, the metal must be purified and checked for homogeneity. Once the batch is confirmed to be thoroughly mixed and contaminant-free, the melted metal solidifies into a bar-shaped mold after being poured. The bar shape makes it easier to sell to a variety of different merchants.
The Impact of Recycling Precious Metals
Collecting, sorting, and fully recycling precious metals may seem challenging, but the payoff is tangible from two perspectives. The United Nations estimates that about $10 billion worth of precious metals in electronic waste is dumped in landfills each year. This growing mountain of electronic waste causes severe pollution issues, which can be mitigated with more robust recycling efforts.
This untapped market for wasted metals offers a profitable opportunity for industrious individuals or organizations, while also helping to combat climate change.
Solid Equipment Company is here to help by providing the specialty equipment you need to recycle precious metals effectively. Call us at 855-909-0424 for more information on how we can fulfill your needs.
