Precious Metals Refinables are non-waste complex (UVCB) isolated intermediates resulting from a primary and/or secondary refining stream containing precious metals. The complexity of these refining streams results from the fact that they arise from a variety of non-ferrous metals refining streams with a valuable presence of precious metals. These streams are collected by specialized refiners which apply the necessary pyro- and hydro-metallurgical processes to recover the precious metal content.
The variability within each type of Refinable is very much influenced by the source of the refining material as well as by the specificities of the process which is applied to recover the precious metal content; because of the nature of precious metals refining, source and process cannot always be discretely separated or assigned in most cases. From all substances of unknown or variable composition (UVCB) falling in the scope of the REACH regulation, PM Refinables are probably amongst the most representative examples,
PM Refinable groups have been identified by the EPMF (see inventory for further details). The maintenance of the dossiers started in 2011.
Registration and Timeline
Precious Metals Refinables Inventory
(Including Classifications and ID Cards)
- ID - Ref 1 Dore
- ID - Ref 2 PM matte
- ID - Ref 3.1 Slags dore furnace
- ID - Ref 3.2 Slags production of PM cont. mat. other than dore
- ID - Ref 4 Slimes & sludges PM refining
- ID - Ref 5.1 Residues CuFePbNi matte
- ID - Ref 6.1 Ag electrolyte
- ID - Ref 6.2 Au electrolyte
- ID - Ref 7 PM flue dust
- ID - Ref 8 Residues PM refining cementation and reduction
- ID - Ref 9.1 Mat. recl. PM supports
- ID - Ref 9.2 Mat. recl. PM bricks crucibles trays
- ID - Ref 9.3 Mat. recl. PM production by-products
- ID - Ref 10 Pb bullion PGM rich
EPMF Refinables Working Group
Chair: Sylvaine Duarri D’Haene (Umicore, Belgium)
Co-Chair: Daniela Cholakova (Aurubis, Germany)
Responsible Secretariat Officer(s): Aurine Verkest