Krastsvetmet refines precious metals, including gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium and osmium, on an industrial scale.
Norilsk sludge was first refined into platinum and palladium at the plant on March 23, 1943. In 1945, large-scale precious metals production began; the first platinum ingots were cast in 1946 and palladium ingots in 1947.
The company currently processes almost all kinds of precious metal raw materials that are divided into two main groups: mineral raw materials and secondary raw materials.
Krastsvetmet carries out research and introduces new technologies for the processing of secondary raw materials with low precious metal content. In 2011–2012 the volume of processed secondary raw materials with low content was sufficiently increased by introducing petrochemistry catalyst processing technology and upgrading the technology of electronic scrap processing. In 2013, a pyrometallurgical site on processing spent automotive neutralizers was created.
The refinery division's main products contain:
- platinum group metals (PGM), gold and silver bullions, powders and granules;
- precious metal chemical compounds in solutions and powders.
Platinum and palladium are produced in bullions and powders. The main component content varies from 99.95% to 99.99%. Platinum group metals are produced in degasified powders. Gold is produced in standard, small or stamped bars and also in granules. The main component content is 99.99%. Silver is produced in ingots and granules. The main component content is 99.99%.
Platinum group metals are applied in industry mainly as chemical compounds — salts. Precious metal compounds are products of high chemical technologies, used for the production of automotive exhaust neutralizers, catalysts for petrochemical and chemical industries, for the synthesis of chemical compounds, for electroplating, resistor manufacture, anti-tumor medicine and in many other areas. Nowadays, there are technologies for the synthesis of 42 precious metal chemical compounds, including more than 20 compounds for catalysis.