platinum 2013: recycling

slightly lower than in 2011, whiledemand for platinum in otherapplications was stable.

Original Source: Johnson Matthey Platinum, May2013, (2013), 2 (Johnson Matthey PLC, PreciousMetals Marketing, Orchard Road, Royston,Hertfordshire SG8 5HE, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1763 256315;Fax: +44 (0)1763 256338. Website:http://www.platinum.matthey.com) © JohnsonMatthey plc 2013

Platinum 2013: executive summary:autocatalysts

Recycling of platinum from end-of-lifeautocatalysts fell in Europe and NorthAmerica. The price of platinumaveraged $1552 in 2012, $169 lowerthan in 2011, causing collectors ofspent autocatalysts to hoard stockawaiting better price opportunities.The decline in recovery from thissource was partly offset by greaterrecycling of platinum jewellery scrapin China.

Original Source: Johnson Matthey Platinum, May2013, (2013), 2 B (Johnson Matthey PLC, PreciousMetals Marketing, Orchard Road, Royston,Hertfordshire SG8 5HE, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1763 256315;Fax: +44 (0)1763 256338. Website:http://www.platinum.matthey.com) © JohnsonMatthey plc 2013

Platinum 2013: the components ofautocatalyst demand

Control of harmful emissions fromvehicle exhaust using catalysts is thelargest single application for pgm, in2012 accounting for 56% of grossworld demand for platinum, palladium,and rhodium combined. Use of pgmby the automotive industry hassteadily increased. Demand for newvehicles has risen and at the sametime legislation has set ever-tighterlimits on exhaust emissions.Generally, as emission controlsbecome increasingly strict, more pgmare needed per vehicle to reduce thepollutant content of the exhaust gas.Emissions standards are tightest inNorth America, Europe, and Japanwhich account for most of theautocatalyst pgm demand, with themajor emerging markets of China,Brazil, and India steadily increasingtheir global share. China is now theworld’s largest vehicle producingnation and although Chinese demandfor pgm in autocatalysts currently lagsbehind that of North America and

Europe, it will rise in importance incoming years.

Original Source: Johnson Matthey Platinum, May2013, (2013), 31-34 (Johnson Matthey PLC, PreciousMetals Marketing, Orchard Road, Royston,Hertfordshire SG8 5HE, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1763 256315;Fax: +44 (0)1763 256338. Website:http://www.platinum.matthey.com) © JohnsonMatthey plc 2013

Platinum 2013: outlook

Platinum supply is likely to be underpressure from weak margins andunstable labour relations in SouthAfrica. Demand for platinum inautocatalysts is expected to be steadyand jewellery demand may decline toan extent, but a rebound in industrialdemand will be led by higherpurchases of platinum by the glassindustry. If investment demandcontinues to be positive, the platinummarket may be slightly in deficit in2013. Palladium supply is likely todecline in 2013 as Russian stocksales dwindle and primary mineoutput is stable. Autocatalyst demandwill grow due to rising vehicle outputwhile palladium industrial andjewellery demand are expected todiminish slightly. The palladiummarket is likely to be undersuppliedagain this year. Rhodium demand willincrease but we forecast that risingsupplies and recycling will keep themarket in surplus.


Platinum 2013: outlook: other pgm

Static primary supply and risingdemand will keep the market forrhodium tight in 2013, with the rate ofgrowth in recovery from spentautocatalysts playing a major role indeciding the balance between supplyand demand. In every region ofproduction supply of rhodium isexpected to be flat in 2013.Production of rhodium in South Africawill be dependent on platinum output,which should be fairly stable. Russiansupply will be broadly at the samelevel as in 2012, elevated by furtherrecovery of rhodium from old mineconcentrates. Global production oflight duty gasoline vehicles is likely to

expand this year, requiring morerhodium for autocatalysts as a result.Buying by the glass industry shouldrecover in 2013, if not quite reachingthe 2011 level. Despite overcapacityin the world for producing flat paneldisplay glass, further LCD productionplants are scheduled to be added inChina to meet domestic self-sufficiency plans. Inventories ofrhodium in the glass industry werereduced in 2012 and will have lessimpact on demand for new metal thisyear. Primary supply of rhodium on itsown would be swamped by grossdemand but the market will be held toa tight balance by an increase inrecovery of rhodium from autocatalystscrap. Demand for ruthenium took adive last year but some recovery isanticipated in 2013. Depleted stocksin the hard disk industry may lead tohigher metal requirements, althoughdemand for ruthenium catalysts fromthe chemical industry could be weakerthan in 2012 if metal recovered fromspent catalysts is sold back to themarket. There are no immediateprospects for significant change in thelevel of iridium demand. Chemical andelectrical demand for iridium isunlikely to increase by much, andthere may be some decline in buyingfrom the electrochemical sector asChina’s upgrading of its chlorineindustry nears completion.


Platinum 2013: recycling

Recycling of platinum, palladium andrhodium in 2012 came to 4.57 M oz, ayear-on-year decline of 150,000 oz.Recovery of platinum in 2012 wasmarginally down compared to 2011,with a fall in autocatalyst scraprefining in Europe and North Americapartly offset by greater recycling ofjewellery scrap in China. Palladiumrecycling fell by 105,000 oz to 2.28 Moz in 2012, the bulk of the declinecoming from the electrical sector. Aswith platinum and palladium, refiningof rhodium from scrap autocatalysts in2012 was affected by weak pgmprices and lower collection rates, totalrecoveries falling by 6% to 259,000

2 JULY 2013

F O C U S O N C A T A LY S T S

oz. A table details recycling ofplatinum, palladium and rhodium fromautocatalyst, electrical and jewelleryfor 2011 and 2012. Platinum andpalladium recycling by sector areillustrated in histograms.

Original Source: Johnson Matthey Platinum, May2013, (2013), 21-22 (Johnson Matthey PLC, PreciousMetals Marketing, Orchard Road, Royston,Hertfordshire SG8 5HE, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1763 256315;Fax: +44 (0)1763 256338. Website:http://www.platinum.matthey.com) © JohnsonMatthey plc 2013

USA funds four firms for biofuels

The Department of Energy willallocate a total of up to $18 M to fundfour pilot-scale biorefineries toinvestigate jet fuel and diesel fordefence applications. BioProcessAlgae, which will make hydrocarbonsfrom algae fed with cellulosic sugars,will receive the biggest award at $6.2M. The rest of the grant recipients,Mercurius Biorefining, FrontlineBioEnergy and Cobalt Technologies,will produce fuels from biomass.

Original Source: Chemical and Engineering News, 29Apr 2013, 91 (17), 14-15 (Website: http://www.cen-online.org) © American Chemical Society 2013

COMPANYNEWS

Almac secures BBSRC programme withUCL

UK-based Almac biocatalysis groupunder the Biotechnology andBiological Sciences ResearchCouncil (BBSRC) programme, alongwith University College London(UCL) will develop metagenomicsand novel enzymes. Almac and thedepartments of BiochemicalEngineering and Chemistry at UCLwill put high level input in the field ofbiocatalyst discovery andapplication. The project will usebioinformatic tools developed at UCLin the discovery of metagenomes.The project will mainly focus ontransaminase and cytochromeP450s enzymes.

Original Source: BioSpace, 13 May 2013, (Website:http://www.biospace.com). Original Source: PBRPharmaceutical Business Review, 17 May 2013,(Website: http://www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com/) © PBR 2013

BASF in 2012: catalysts

Compared with the previous year,sales in BASF’s Catalysts Divisiondecreased by €196 M to €6184 M(volumes -5%, prices -7%, portfolio4%, currencies 5%). This wasparticularly due to the reducedcontribution from precious metaltrading as a result of lower prices andvolumes. By contrast, acquisitions toexpand its new Battery Materialsbusiness unit had a positive effect onsales. BASF’s Catalysts Division wasable to increase sales volumes for itsmobile emissions catalysts, primarily inAsia Pacific and North America. Bycontrast, volumes fell in Europe owingto the weak economy. While demandfor cars declined significantly inEurope, it grew in North and SouthAmerica as well as in the emergingmarkets of Asia. Demand remainedhigh for heavy duty diesel-enginevehicles in Europe and North America.Sales increased significantly forchemical catalysts, which was primarilyattributable to greater demand andpositive currency effects. Sales inprecious metal trading fell by €316 Mdue to lower prices and volumes,amounting to €2544 M. Despite theoverall favourable market environmentand increases in productivity, incomefrom operations declined in 2012. Thiswas predominantly due to higher rawmaterial costs and costs for the newBattery Materials business unit. TheCatalyst’s Division expects tosignificantly raise sales in 2013. Thisgrowth will likely be boosted by higherdemand from the automotive andchemical industries. Furthermore, it isassumed that prices will increase forprecious and base metals. BASF’sprograms for improving operationalexcellence will continue to help reducecosts and improve efficiency. BASFaims to significantly exceed theearnings level of 2012. A chartprovides a geographic breakdown ofglobal sales in 2012.

Original Source: BASF SE, D-67056 Ludwigshafen,Germany, tel: +49 (0) 621 600, website:http://www.basf.com (26 Feb 2013) © BASF 2013

BASF plans to begin production ofrenewable BDO using Genomatica’stechnology

BASF plans to begin production of1,4-butanediol based on renewablefeedstock (renewable BDO) using the

patented process of US firmGenomatica. The one-stepfermentation process is based onsugars as a renewable feedstock. Thelicense agreement allows BASF tobuild a world-scale production facilitythat will use the Genomatica processto manufacture BDO based onrenewable feedstock. Under the termsof the agreement, Genomatica willcontinue to advance its patentedrenewable BDO production processtechnology based on sugars, whileBASF will produce renewable BDO,which will be available in 2H 2013 forsampling and trials. BASF currentlyproduces BDO and BDO-equivalentsat its sites in Ludwigshafen, Germany;Geismar, LA, USA; Chiba, Japan;Kuantan, Malaysia; and Caojing,China, and has a capacity of 535,000tonne/y. BASF recently announcedthe intention of building a BDOcomplex in China with a capacity of100,000 tonne/y.

Original Source: BASF SE, D-67056 Ludwigshafen,Germany, tel: +49 (0) 621 600, website:http://www.basf.com (10 May 2013) © BASF 2013.Original Source: Chemie Aktuell, 10 May 2013,(Website: http://www.maerkte-weltweit.de) (in German)© MBM Martin Brueckner Medien GmbH 2013. OriginalSource: BASF, 2013. Found on SpecialChem Coatingsand Inks Formulation, 10 May 2013, (Website:http://www.specialchem4coatings.com). OriginalSource: BASF, 2013. Found on SpecialChem Plasticsand Elastomers Formulation, 13 May 2013, (Website:http://www.specialchem4polymers.com). OriginalSource: BASF, 2013. Found on SpecialChem Adhesivesand Sealants Formulation, 13 May 2013, (Website:http://www.specialchem4adhesives.com). OriginalSource: BASF, 2013. Found on SpecialChem Cosmeticsand Personal Care Innovation and Solutions, 15 May2013, (Website:http://www.specialchem4cosmetics.com)

BASF strengthens its enzymetechnology footprint

With three separate transactions,BASF has strengthened itstechnology footprint in industrialenzymes, one of BASF’s identifiedgrowth fields: BASF has completedthe acquisition of Henkel’s detergentsenzyme technology; additionally,BASF has entered into a researchand license agreement with the globalbiotechnology company DyadicInternational Inc, Jupiter, FL, whichprovides access to a new productionhost technology; and furthermore,BASF has signed a R&D collaborationagreement with Direvo IndustrialBiotechnology GmbH, Cologne,Germany, to develop a highly efficientfeed enzyme for animal nutrition. All

JULY 2013 3

F O C U S O N C A T A LY S T S

http://www.platinum.matthey.com

platinum 2013: recycling

Documents