Hydrogen Electrolyzer & Fuel Cell Manufacturing worked example

Platinum Recovery Value at 69% refiner recovery yield: a worked example

This worked example runs the platinum recovery value numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: 69% refiner recovery yield instead of the typical 96%. Estimate the recoverable Pt or Ir value from scrapped MEAs, end-of-life stacks, and coater-side ink rejects from grams of metal in scrap, the refiner pay-out per gram, the recovery yield, and a fixed assay or refining fee.

The inputs for this scenario

  • PGM grams in the scrap pool: 40 g of PGM (held at the documented default)
  • Refiner pay-out per gram of metal: 30 $ / g (held at the documented default)
  • Refiner recovery yield: 69 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 96)
  • Fixed assay, container, and freight cost: 350 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Variable platinum recovery value = grams of PGM × refiner pay-out per gram × refiner recovery yield.
  • Net platinum recovery value works out to 1,178 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Recovery value per gram of metal works out to 29.45 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Variable platinum recovery value works out to 828 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed assay, container, and freight cost works out to 350 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where refiner recovery yield sits at 96% and the headline result is 1,502 $, this scenario comes in 21.57% below the baseline at 1,178 $.
  • Use it to value a catalyst scrap lot before shipping, compare refiner terms, or decide whether a small lot clears the handling-cost hurdle. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Net platinum recovery value: 1,178 $ (headline result)
  • Recovery value per gram of metal: 29.45 $ / piece
  • Variable platinum recovery value: 828 $
  • Fixed assay, container, and freight cost: 350 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Platinum Recovery Value calculator, set refiner recovery yield to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.