One of the most interesting applications is precious metals recovery. BIC Group plants have been used for silver recovery from X-ray films (a few references spread over the last 25 years, recently in Holland)
Our BIR plant have also been successfully used for the recovery of various precious metals from WEEE (Waste electrical and electronic equipment), at Engelhard Industries.

Precious metals recovery from plastic matrices presents similar challenges, regardless of which type of matrix or the precious metal aimed for. The purpose is always to thermally decompose the matrix so that precious metals are released, whilst limiting precious metals evaporation to a strict minimum.

This means the plant concept and automation need to be capable of carefully controlling complete combustion at relatively low temperatures and that downstream measures are necessary to catch the small fraction of precious metal that is likely to evaporate regardless.

BIR counter-current rotary kiln plants have proven to be capable to serve this goal. This opens the possibility to use a fully continuous plant for WEEE treatment rather than a batch-operated pyrolysis plant like in most cases.
Since WEEE treatment demand is likely to increase, especially since the recent recast of the WEEE directive in the EU, larger the treatment capacities will become necessary and batch plant will not be able to keep up