Precision cleaning. Maximum metal recovery.
Bead blasting plays a critical role in the recovery and restoration of precious metal-bearing components. By carefully removing precious metal coatings and residues from substrate materials, the process helps maximize recoverable value while preparing components for reuse in demanding production environments.
Consistent, high-quality results
At Sibanye-Stillwater Recycling operations, our bead blasting department combines controlled blasting techniques with material-specific expertise to deliver consistent, high-quality results. Using carefully selected media types, grit sizes, and blasting parameters, we ensure complete removal of precious metals while protecting the integrity and performance of the underlying substrate.
As manufacturing tolerances become tighter and material costs continue to rise, precision cleaning and surface restoration have become increasingly important. Proper bead blasting not only improves precious metal recovery, but also helps extend component life, reduce replacement costs, and support operational efficiency.
Optimize recovery
We support manufacturers, OEMs, and industrial operations with precision bead blasting services designed to optimize recovery, restore functionality, and improve production reliability.
Precious metal recovery
Our bead blasting process is designed to maximize recovery from:
- Precious metal-coated components
- Production tooling and fixtures
- Surface residues and embedded particles
- Complex substrate geometries
Controlled blasting ensures the complete removal of recoverable metals while minimizing substrate damage and preserving component integrity.
Surface restoration and texture compliance
Precise surface restoration is essential for:
- Conductivity requirements
- Adhesion and coating performance
- Surface texture specifications
- Fit-and-function tolerances
Following precious metal removal, components are restored to the required finish and prepared for immediate reuse in production environments.
Multi-media blasting capability
Different substrates require different blasting approaches, including:
- Material-specific media selection
- Controlled grit sizing
- Surface-sensitive processing
- Precision pressure management
Our ability to tailor blasting parameters across a wide range of base metals helps reduce surface fatigue, minimize wear, and maintain substrate performance.
Quality inspection and defect identification
Precise surface restoration is essential for:
- Conductivity requirements
- Adhesion and coating performance
- Surface texture specifications
- Fit-and-function tolerances
Following precious metal removal, components are restored to the required finish and prepared for immediate reuse in production environments.
Controlled process consistency
Process control is critical to achieving repeatable results, including:
- Uniform surface coverage
- Consistent blasting parameters
- Controlled material handling
- Traceable processing procedures
Maintaining consistency throughout the blasting process helps ensure reliable recovery rates and predictable component performance.
Production support and lifecycle extension
Bead blasting supports long-term operational efficiency through:
- Extended component usability
- Reduced replacement frequency
- Improved production reliability
- Lower maintenance-related downtime
By restoring components to production-ready condition, customers can reduce costs while maximizing the value of existing assets.
Know your metals
The Know your metals resource helps you understand how precious metals are used across industries. Explore each metal’s commercial applications, the types of waste streams it commonly appears in, and the recovery technologies used to reclaim it.
Au
Gold
Ag
Silver
Pt
Platinum
Pd
Palladium
Rh
Rhodium
Ir
Iridium
Gold
Gold is a critical precious metal valued for its excellent conductivity, corrosion resistance, and stability, with extensive use in semiconductor fabrication, electroplating, connector fabrication and assembly, medical device and jewelry manufacturing.
Gold frequently occurs in industrial waste streams such as spent plating solutions, filters, resin, sludges, stamping scrap, contact pins and karat jewelry.
Silver
Silver is a widely used precious metal known for its high electrical conductivity, antimicrobial properties, and reflectivity, making it essential in microelectronics, medical applications, film coating, chemical processing, jewelry manufacturing, electroplating and stamping industries.
Silver-bearing waste streams often include spent plating baths, filters, sludges and stampings.
Explore silver-bearing waste streams:
Platinum
Platinum is a critical precious metal widely used in pharmaceutical catalysts, jewelry manufacturing, automotive catalytic converters, fuel cell/electrolyzer applications, fiberglass manufacturing, and the aircraft/aerospace, microelectronics and medical industries.
Due to its chemical stability and catalytic properties, platinum frequently appears in industrial waste streams such as spent catalyst, acidic process solutions, plating baths, filter media, implantable medical components, fiberglass bushings and refractory, fuel cell MEAs, thermocouple wire, machining kerf, shavings and turnings.
Explore platinum-bearing waste streams:
- Jewellery manufacture
- Discarded electronic devices and electronics manufacturing
- Electroplating operations
- Medical device manufacturing and healthcare operations
- Defense manufacturing and maintenance operations
- Glass manufacturing
- Pharmaceuticals manufacture
- Industrial catalysts
- Automotive catalytic converters
- Nitric acid manufacture
Palladium
Palladium is a precious metal widely used in automotive catalytic converters, specialty chemical catalyst, conductive pastes, microelectronics/ceramic capacitors.
Owing to its excellent catalytic performance and electrical conductivity, palladium is commonly found in industrial waste streams such as spent catalysts, sludges, filter media, fired/green ceramic, thick film wipes & jars, canned/decanned catalytic converters and spent environmental catalysts.
Explore palladium-bearing waste streams:
- Jewellery manufacture
- Discarded electronic devices and electronics manufacturing
- Electroplating operations
- Medical device manufacturing and healthcare operations
- Defense manufacturing and maintenance operations
- Pharmaceuticals manufacture
- Industrial catalysts
- Automotive catalytic converters
- Nitric acid manufacture
Rhodium
Rhodium is a rare and valuable precious metal primarily used in automotive catalytic converters, chemical catalysts, fiberglass manufacturing, and plating industries.
Its high reflectivity and resistance to corrosion result in rhodium being found in waste streams including catalytic converters, spent plating baths, filters, fiberglass bushings and refractory.
Explore rhodium-bearing waste streams:
Iridium
Iridium is an extremely durable and corrosion-resistant precious metal used in chemical processing equipment, fuel cell manufacturing, specialty catalyst, and medical devices.
Due to its use in high-temperature and highly corrosive environments, iridium is commonly found in waste streams including electrolyzer scrap, spent coating solutions, spent catalyst and filters, medical device components such as electrodes, marker bands and cath tips.
Explore iridium-bearing waste streams:
Precision surfaces. Measurable returns.
Effective bead blasting goes beyond cleaning alone. With the right process controls and material expertise, manufacturers can maximize precious metal recovery, extend component life, and improve operational performance across the production cycle.
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Mechanical reduction
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Thermal reduction
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Wet chemistry
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Precious metal melt
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Auto catalyst recycling
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Electronic material classification
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Bead blasting
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Cleaning & recovery
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Granulation
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Transportation & logistics
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Analytical laboratory
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Partner with Sibanye-Stillwater recycling operations
We support OEMs, converter buyers, and recycling partners with customized catalytic converter programs aligned to business and sustainability goals. Our experienced teams collaborate closely with customers to maximize PGM recovery, ensure compliance, and convert converter material into measurable value.
