technology report 04

Research & Development
Best Product Innovation:
Large-scale technical synthesis of
platinum oxalate
(Dr. Richard Walter, Heraeus Precious Metals)
With the development of a new production process,
Heraeus can now produce platinum oxalate – a precious
metal compound used as a preliminary catalyst by the
chemical industry – on a large scale for the first time. An
international development team led by Dr. Richard Walter
took the synthesis from the laboratory to production scale.
Platinum oxalate is thermally unstable and can decompose
explosively when improperly exposed to heat. An innovative
reaction method plays a key role in process safety for
the production of this chemical. The process was modified
so that the platinum oxalate synthesis can be conducted
significantly below the compound’s decomposition temperature,
thereby solving the problem of uncontrolled
decomposition. Heraeus is currently the exclusive supplier
of platinum oxalate, giving it a unique position in the
market.
Best Process Innovation I:
Recycling process for fluorinated
catalysts and products
(Dr. Jan Schapp, Heraeus Precious Metals)
Fluoride is increasingly used in the production of
chemicals for agricultural use as well as in specialty
electronics. Heraeus Precious Metals’ recycling facility in
Taicang, China, has been serving the Chinese chemical
and pharmaceutical industries for the past three years.
To meet new demand from the agrochemical industry, the
Taicang location was specifically expanded to process used
palladium catalysts containing fluoride from the agricultural
industry. The state-of-the-art furnace system
consists of one combustion chamber with a customized
temperature program followed by an exhaust treatment
system with the latest technology. The process innovation
from Dr. Jan Schapp utilizes a special combination
of different fluorine-resistant insulating liners in the
construction of system components, because fluorine is
a highly reactive element that attacks almost every type of
material. Thanks to this process, Heraeus is currently the
only provider for recycling of fluorinated materials.
42 technology report Issue 4 | 2013