Catalytic converters are devices that purify exhaust gas produced by internal combustion engines. They contain platinum catalysts which are activated by hydrogen sulfide and oxygen.
The catalyst oxidizes the hydrocarbon emissions to carbon dioxide and water, reducing pollutants. Catalytic converters are made from precious metal platinum, which makes up around 10 percent of their total weight. Platinum is also extremely expensive.
It is a highly reactive metal, and the price of platinum has increased dramatically over the years. Platinum is very rare and almost always mined from underground deposits. These Catalytic converter scrap price deposits can only be extracted in a few countries such as South Africa. A lot of the platinum used in automobiles is recycled. However, recycling does not provide enough platinum to meet global demand.
Many scrap yards offer incentives to buyers. For example, these yards might offer to pay half the scrap cost when you deliver the car with the engine. If you live in a state with no incentives to scrap yards, you can call your local auto recycler. Most auto recyclers will buy your old car and scrap it in exchange for cash.
You can get more information about how scrap yards work and the advantages of buying your catalytic converters from them on our resource page. It is important to remember that not all catalytic converters are valuable.