Eco-friendly palladium recovery technology to safeguard resource security

Palladium is widely used in various industries and everyday products, including smartphones, semiconductor manufacturing processes, and hydrogen fuel cells. It is an essential metal that acts as an excellent catalyst even in trace amounts, reducing pollutants and improving energy efficiency. However, palladium production is concentrated in a few countries, leading to unstable supply. South Korea generates significant quantities of spent catalysts and e-waste each year, and the lack of environmentally friendly and efficient recovery technologies means much of it is thrown away.