Ru catalysts are catalytic materials with Ru as their core active component, significantly enhancing the efficiency of chemical processes by reducing reaction activation energy. In 2025, a catalyst developed by a team at Tohoku University in Japan—Ru/cerium dioxide—converted 92% of waste plastic into fuel and chemical raw materials at a low temperature of 200°C, demonstrating the unique value of Ru in catalytic reactions. Even after these catalysts become ineffective, they still contain high-purity Ru metal, making them a key target in the recycling supply chain. For example, Ru target material waste from semiconductor manufacturing often has a purity of 99.99%, while Ru-carbon catalysts in the petrochemical industry contain approximately 3–5% RRecyclable Ru catalysts in industrial applications primarily fall into three categories: homogeneous catalysts for olefin metathesis (e.g., Grubbs catalysts), supported heterogeneous catalysts (e.g., Ru/Al₂O₃), and emerging structured catalysts for hydrogenolysis (e.g., MXene-supported catalysts). Strict classification is required prior to recycling: electronic industry waste is quickly screened using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF); pharmaceutical catalysts require testing for organic residues; and aerospace alloys are prioritized for analysis using inductively coupled plasma (ICP).
By 2025, global Ru catalyst recycling prices will show a three-tiered differentiation. High-purity Ru powder (≥99.99%) will command a recycling price of 28–30 USD/g, primarily sourced from semiconductor target materials and research waste. Among industrial-grade waste, hydrogen fuel cell anode catalysts, due to their pure composition, will maintain a Ru catalyst recycling price of 20–23.5 USD/g; while Ru-carbon catalysts from petroleum refineries (Ru content 0.5%-2%) will see recovery prices drop to USD 18-22 per gram due to carbon impurities.
Price fluctuations are driven by three factors: daily price fluctuations in the London Platinum and Palladium Market (LPPM) Ru price can reach ±15%, directly impacting the recovery market; In terms of purification costs, scrap containing heavy metal impurities incurs an additional 15% impurity removal fee; from a policy perspective, recycled Ru catalysts certified under the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) can command a premium of $500–800 per ton. International companies like Heraeus offer “24-hour price locking” services to hedge against futures price volatility risks.
Other precious metal recycling price-related content:
Hydrogen energy industry: Proton exchange membrane electrolysis cells use Ru coated catalysts, with a single 1,000 standard cubic meter unit requiring 30-50 grams of Ru. By 2030, global electrolysis cell installed capacity is projected to reach 100 GW, with annual Ru demand exceeding 10 tons.
Chemical synthesis: Ru catalysts achieve 95% selectivity in acrylic acid production, a 40% improvement over traditional copper catalysts. Each production unit generates approximately 2 tons of spent catalyst annually, containing about 1.5% Ru.
Plastic Upgrading: Two-dimensional MXene-loaded Ru catalysts (Ru@P-MXene) achieve a hydrogenolysis rate of 914.9 gC₅–C₃₅ gRu¯¹ h¯¹ for LDPE plastics, with liquid fuel selectivity exceeding 80%.
Electronics Manufacturing: Ru-plated layers in 5G filters enhance signal transmission efficiency, with each base station containing approximately 2 grams of Ru. Globally, over 500 kilograms of Ru can be recovered from discarded base stations annually.
Cutting-edge recycling processes focus on improving efficiency and reducing energy consumption. Japan has developed a Ru/cerium dioxide system that directly cracks polyolefin plastics at a low temperature of 200°C, achieving over 60% energy savings compared to traditional 900°C processes. Domestic teams use silica columns as MXene carriers, optimizing the confinement effect of Ru nanoparticles through adjustable interlayer spacing (12-30 Å), increasing the diffusion rate of polyethylene molecules by three times and achieving a regeneration efficiency of 98.5% for spent catalysts.
In the hydrometallurgical process, Heraeus uses ion exchange resins to selectively adsorb Ru ions, achieving a recovery rate exceeding 99% from electroplating waste liquid containing 0.1% Ru. The Chinese Academy of Sciences' Ganjiang Institute innovated microwave-assisted leaching technology, reducing electronic waste processing time from 24 hours to 4 hours and lowering energy consumption by 60%. For highly toxic ammonium hexachlororuthenate waste, a closed-loop plasma melting system can achieve near-zero emissions of exhaust gases.
To enter the Ru catalyst recycling industry, one must establish three barriers: technology, certification, and distribution channels. Technology: Capable of processing high-purity Ru targets from semiconductor factories; pharmaceutical catalysts require additional organic material pyrolysis equipment. Qualification-related: European and American markets mandate the possession of hazardous waste treatment licenses (e.g., U.S. EPA RCRA certification), and processing chlorinated Ru compounds requires ISO 14001 environmental system certification.
Operational model selection:
1. Regional collectors: Sign waste agreements with local wafer factories/chemical plants, focusing on optimizing Ru catalyst recycling logistics. For example, in Germany, the “catalyst leasing-recycling” model is adopted, where customers pay a deposit to rent Ru catalysts, and after disposal, the recycler pays to collect the waste.
2. Specialized refining plants: Invest in hydrogen reduction furnaces (1200°C) and electrolytic refining lines to purify crude Ru to 99.99% purity. Heraeus' closed-loop system at its Tennessee plant achieves a 98% recovery rate, with carbon dioxide emissions 97% lower than those from mined Ru.
3. Channel partnerships: Participate in the London Platinum and Palladium Market (LPPM) pricing system or access Heraeus' digital trading platform for real-time pricing. By 2025, the global ruthenium recycling market size is projected to reach USD 5.37 billion, with technically compliant companies achieving gross margins of over 30%.
4. SME Collaboration: SMEs lack the capital to sustain extended settlement cycles. Partnering with large precious metal recycling plants like DONGSHENG, which offer short settlement cycles, is the optimal choice. Typically, DONGSHENG's payment cycles are controlled within 24–48 hours.
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