Abstract
Platinum group metals are more and more pointed out as key players to
contribute to addressing the making headway issues of environmental damage
impacts through technological innovations. Of immediate past, interest in hydrogen
has grown rapidly resulting to the development of the concept of hydrogen economy
to address two growingly noticed challenges namely climate change impacts
due to GHG emissions and the need for clean energy, security and sustainability
supply. The recognitions to PGM are of without a doubt, but goings-on around
PGM recovery process are reported with environmental concerns; the best known
are identified as land transformation, livestock and wildlife affected by use of
chemicals and other non-renewable resources. Life cycle assessment analysis of
ore-concentration was developed and equivalent carbon dioxide emissions quantified.
One tonne of Ore-based PGM Concentrates, a total amount of equivalent
carbon dioxide of about 1.574,96 kg CO2-eq was associated with this process. In an
annual initiative, the concentrator can process up to 36,547 million metric tons of
ore milled accounting for 57.5 million kg CO2-eq. Important emissions in this
phase are waterborne and emissions to soil.