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Jul. 28, 2025
Iridium is a scarce precious metal. Recycling iridium waste is not only an inevitable choice to deal with resource scarcity, but also an important practice to promote green industry and circular economy. This article will take you to understand what iridium is, the types of iridium waste we recycle, and where you can find iridium. Let's explore the mystery of iridium together.
What is Iridium?
Iridium (chemical symbol Ir, atomic number 77) is a rare and hard platinum group metal. It is located in the sixth period of the periodic table and belongs to transition metals. Iridium is known for its extremely high corrosion resistance and chemical stability, and it can remain stable even in extreme environments. It hardly reacts with any acid, including aqua regia, and only reacts with molten alkaline substances at high temperatures. Iridium has extremely high hardness and compressive strength, which enables it to maintain structural integrity under extreme conditions.
The content of iridium in the earth's crust is extremely low, about 0.001 ppm (one part per million), making it one of the rarest elements on earth. It usually exists in trace amounts in platinum ores and is extracted as a byproduct of mining metals such as platinum, nickel, and titanium.
Can be Iridium Recycled?
Iridium can be recycled. As a high-value precious metal, iridium has a mature solution for waste recycling at the technical level and has formed an industrial application system. As a scarce resource, iridium recycling can reduce dependence on primary minerals, and the recycling cost is lower than that of raw ore mining.
What We Recycle of Iridium?
Atop actively recycles iridium waste from the global market. We have been engaged in rare and precious metal recycling for more than 20 years. The iridium waste we mainly recycle mainly include iridium spark plugs, coated titanium mesh, iridium powder, iridium catalyst, iridium crucible etc. Please see the introduction below the figure,
Where Is Iridium Found?
As a precious metal, iridium waste is mainly produced in high-end manufacturing and scientific research fields that require extremely high material performance. According to existing recycling practices, the following industries are the core sources of iridium waste:
Electronics and semiconductor industries: scraps, waste circuit boards, failed sensors, etc. generated during the production process. For example, waste spark plugs and industrial sensors in automotive electronics often contain iridium.
Chemical industry: In chlor-alkali plants, the life of ion membrane electrolyzers is reduced during use, and the titanium anode mesh needs to be replaced, which generates titanium waste. Failed catalyst carriers (such as activated carbon-loaded iridium catalysts), reactor residues, etc. This type of waste has a high iridium content and outstanding recycling economy.
Aerospace and high-end manufacturing: production residues, scrapped engine parts, experimental equipment wreckage, etc. For example, the iridium content in the scrap blades replaced by aircraft engine repairs can reach 0.1%-0.5%.
Medical and scientific research fields: used radioactive waste (special treatment required) and scrapped medical instrument parts are also worth recycling.
Your Reliable Iridium Recycling Expert
Huatuo provides global door-to-door recycling services with quick response. Professional recycling team, efficient recycling. Make your waste more valuable. If you have scrap, we offer you fair, just and reasonable prices. Please feel free to call us at +189 3824 7050 or write us an email (our email: info@huatuometals.com).
We look forward to working with you to create a greener world.
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What Scraps Huatuo Recycle
We actively purchase ruthenium, iridium, rhodium, platinum, palladium, Gold, silver, titanium, nickel and catalytic converter scrap worldwide.Get instant quote.
Huatuo has been recycling titanium scraps for more than ten years. We are titanium scraps recycling expert. We can provide global door-to-door waste recycling and related environmental protection consulting services. Contact us today.
Huatuo has been recycling nickel scraps for more than ten years. We can provide global door-to-door recycling service worldwide and professional recycling team, fast response. Get a nickel scraps price today.
Professional platinum recycling services by Huatuo. Quick quotation and payment, we offer global recycling solutions for precious metal scrap. Contact us now.
