# Zinc recovery after PGM cementation?



## Jpenzo (Feb 15, 2019)

I feel pretty certain this might not be the right place to ask this question but ..... If someone could point me in the right direction?

What is the best method of recovering the zinc used to cement PGM? My uneducated line of thinking is that aluminum would drop the zinc. Due to my inexperience I wonder if it would cause problems in using the zinc again to drop pgms?


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## jimdoc (Feb 15, 2019)

Zinc is fairly cheap, why waste your time.

https://www.rotometals.com/zinc-ingot-99-8-full-ingot/


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## Jpenzo (Feb 15, 2019)

I know I just thought if it was an easy process aluminum is something I have plenty of just laying around.

Maybe that's why I haven't turned anything up on doing it yet.


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## Lino1406 (Feb 16, 2019)

Use aluminum from the beginning


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## Jpenzo (Feb 17, 2019)

I guess I don't have any reason to use zinc to begin with. My materials I start with are not contaminated with anything I would have to be worried about. 

Is there any reason to not use aluminum or circumstance that it will negatively effect the Pt, Pd, or Rh refining process?


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## Lino1406 (Feb 18, 2019)

Aluminum forms precipitates which zinc does not, hence you should use it with good judgment, e.g. as foils of various thicknesses, bulky scraps etc.


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