Test before disposal.

Most initial screenings happen on photos and context alone, with no need to physically move material. Use the form or WhatsApp.

Each extra photo cuts the number of follow-up questions. Ordered by usefulness:

1. General shot of the material — shows the whole lot, gives a sense of volume and category.
2. Close-up (1–2 detail shots) — texture, ceramic, granulometry, gold contact, stamped code.
3. Packaging or drum — where the material is stored helps estimate true volume.
4. Labels, stamped codes, process datasheet — identification accelerates negotiation and improves pricing.
5. Weight on a scale — even approximate, even partial.
6. Origin location — warehouse, workshop, plant, mining site. Operational context.
7. Existing assay — XRF, certificate, old internal email. Even informal helps.
8. Full lot view — when there are multiple items, an aggregate photo helps sizing.

• Do not dispose before testing. Material classified as hazardous waste may carry recoverable value above the disposal cost.
• Do not mix different materials without a record. Premature mixing kills average grade and prevents representative sampling. If you must mix, record first — weight, origin, photos.
• Preserve a representative sample. If the lot is leaving, separate and identify a sample before movement. Costs little, preserves the future analysis option.
• Do not wet or incinerate on your own. Can change chemistry and harm later recovery.
• Do not accept the first price without comparing. Material with PGM/Au/Ag has wide quote variation by category; itinerant offers and scrap auctions frequently underestimate.

1. Initial photo screening. Technical read of the images and context. In some cases the initial reply already says whether assay is worth running.
2. Follow-up questions. When relevant data is missing (weight, origin, code), we ask before moving forward.
3. Preliminary XRF or sampling. If worth it, we indicate the protocol: XRF read on the received piece/sample or field sampling with documented chain of custody.
4. Coordinated assay at partner laboratory. When the lot warrants extra precision (ICP-MS, ICP-OES, fire assay), we route it through the right protocol with a sample-linked report.
5. Commercial proposal. Direct purchase, intermediation toward specialised refiner/buyer, international partnership, or guidance to proceed with your preferred channel.

• Automotive catalyst

  Flex (Pd/Rh), light diesel (Pt), DPF, imported, performance.

• Industrial / petrochemical catalyst

  Reforming, hydrogenation, FCC, polymerisation, fine chemistry.

• Pharmaceutical / chemical filter residue

  Saturated cartridges, gauzes, screens, filter cake, hydrogenation residue with PGM.

• Black powder / process sludge

  Material that looks like dirt but may carry Pt, Pd or Au.

• Selective e-waste

  Boards with gold contacts, telecom/datacenter decommissioning lots.

• Ore, concentrate, tailings

  Lots for preliminary field validation and assay coordination.

• Mixed metallic lot

  Bags, big bags, drums of unclassified material.

• Other / not sure

  Send a photo, we will tell you if assay is worth running.

• Generic metallic scrap without PGM/Au/Ag fraction (isolated iron, aluminium, brass).
• Material with suspicious provenance or no commercial traceability.
• Very small isolated volumes without identifiable code.